Emmerdale: 13 things you didn’t know about the long-running soap

The sleepy Yorkshire village where Emmerdale is set was originally called Beckindale, but it changed it's name to Emmerdale (after the Emmerdale Farm) in 1994 after the dramatic plane crash in the village...

The plane crash remains one of Emmerdale's most dramatic storyline, and the episode still holds the record for the show's highest ever viewing figures, at 18.6 MILLION viewers.

In fact, the storyline was so prolific that it formed part of the first ever soapland crossovers, featuring on the front page of a newspaper in another 90s soap, Brookside.

It's the second longest running UK soap, with it's first episode airing way back on 16th of October, 1972 – just 12 years after the record holder longest running soap, Coronation Street.

But despite it's impressive legacy, it wasn't until 2016 that Emmerdale one the prestigious Best Soap award at the National Television Awards. The second time was this year, in 2019.

Shortly after it began broadcasting on British TV, Emmerdale found another home – on Swedish channel, TV2. Since 1994 it's been hosted by commercial channel TV4, and is the most watched non-news daytime TV show in Sweden.

The cast drink real beer when they're socialising at the village pub, The Woolpack, with around 20 gallons of the stuff being delivered to the set every week.

Way before their big NTA's win in 2016, Edna Birch's beloved pooch Batley was the first animal ever to win a British Soap Award, taking home "best exit" in 2002.

There's a real functioning National Lottery machine at the Windsor Post post office. If you ever find yourself on the official Emmerdale tour, why not try your luck?

Bonafide local (kind of) Mel B appeared on the soap in bit roles three times before she hit the big time with the Spice Girls as Scary Spice – once in 1993, and twice in 1994...

... and her sister, Danielle Brown, played an actual title character in 1998 – Paulette Lewis, arch nemesis of fellow teen Emma Cairns.

For the December 2006 episode Who Killed Tom King, producers filmed SIX different endings – proving they take protecting plotlines from leaking very seriously.

There was set to be a sensational soap cross over AFFAIRbetween an Emmerdale and Corrie cast member – but it was scrapped by bosses (boo)."Someone pitched the idea that we discover one of our characters is having an affair," Emmerdale's producer at the time Iain MacLeod."Then one day we follow them over the Pennines and they let themselves into a house on Coronation Street and we realise they're leading a double life with Gail or somebody over the hills."