David Metcalfe arrived in Emmerdale nearly thirteen years ago and has been wowing soap fans with his ever-changing hairstyle and penchant for the ladies of Yorkshire ever since.
He’s been through some tough times over the years, from battling cancer and having a premature daughter with Priya Sharma, to the rollercoaster of taking on stepson Jacob Gallagher.
But most recently David has faced one of his darkest moments when he discovered his girlfriend Maya Stepney has been grooming Jacob right under his nose.
Here is a quick round-up of what David has been up to since stepping foot in Emmerdale back in 2006…
When did David arrive in Emmerdale?
David first came to Emmerdale back in 2006, arriving to look for his biological father.
It didn’t take long for David to find his place in the village as the handsome newcomer, and he soon had the women of Emmerdale eating out of the palm of his hand.
But David was a man on a mission and desperately tried to find his father, who eventually turned out to be Eric Pollard.
Before revealing who he really was, David got a job in the factory in an attempt to find out more about his mysterious dad – and the rest, as they say, is history.
Read more: David Metcalfe’s dating history in Emmerdale
Who is David’s dad?
Eric had no idea that David even existed before he arrived in the village, having left David’s mother, Lydia, before David was even born.
To make matters worse, Eric had also stolen £20,000 from Lydia before he left, and David made sure Eric found out exactly what sort of financial mess he left them in when he scarpered with the cash.
After Eric did a DNA test to make sure David was really who he said he was, David told his dad how his stepfather, Mr Metcalfe, treated him badly and Pollard came to realise that his newfound son’s upbringing had been far from idyllic.
Where does David work?
David runs the local village shop, imaginatively named David’s Shop, selling everything from a pint of milk to fancy bottles of wine.
He can often be found dishing out advice to the other villagers from behind the cash desk, and his shop is often the centre of drama and secret conversations between Emmerdale residents.
David originally bought the shop back in 2011 with then girlfriend Leyla, and the pair named it Leyla’s. But after they split up, David acquired it and gave the shop its current name.
He did lose the shop for a brief period when he left the village to move to Portugal with Alicia and Jacob in June 2015, selling it to Carly Hope.
But by September 2015 David bought the business back and reopened it, this time with a deli bar.
Who are David’s many exes?
David’s definitely a charmer and has managed to woo half of the village during his time on the soap.
As well as having a romance with Delilah Dingle and a one-night-stand with Katie Sugden in his early years, he also had a rocky relationship with Nicola King.
But his more memorable relationships have been with Leyla Harding, Alicia Gallagher, Priya Kotecha, and, more recently, Tracy Metcalfe and Maya Stepney.
David was shocked to find out that Leyla had a secret son, Jacob, back in 2010, and the news almost ended their relationship.
But that wasn’t the end of the shocks from Leyla. David was later stunned to discover that the child who Leyla had given to her sister, Alicia, to raise, was the result of a one-night stand with her brother-in-law and so biologically belonged to Justin Gallagher, who was also Alicia’s husband.
In 2011 David and Alicia grew closer but, with Alicia heading inside for a stint in jail, the pair decided to remain friends but get married so that David could look after Jacob while Alicia served her time.
Alicia returned from jail having realised that she had real feelings for David, but was devastated to find he had moved on with Priya Kotecha.
When Alicia nearly died during Cameron Murray’s siege at the Woolpack, David realised that she was the one for him and broke things off with Priya – the night before their wedding.
Despite Priya revealing that she was pregnant with his baby, David made his romance with Alicia official and got down on one knee, proposing for real in 2013.
Since then David has married Tracy Metcalfe, and most recently he’s dated schoolteacher Maya, who he discovered has been using him to get closer to his son, Jacob, who she has been grooming for months.
How many children does David have?
Since Jacob arrived in Emmerdale back in 2010 David has become a dad to him.
When David first met Jacob he was dating Jacob’s biological mum, Leyla, but it was when he got together with Leyla’s sister, Alicia, who is also Jacob’s adoptive mum, that David really felt like a dad to Jacob.
David also has a biological daughter, Amba Metcalfe, who he shares with Priya. David found out that Priya was pregnant after their relationship had ended, but that’s never stopped him from being in his daughter’s life.
Amba was born seven weeks early in the back of Alicia’s car, en route to the hospital, and David kept vigil at her hospital bedside, terrified that she wouldn’t survive.
When did David battle cancer?
In 2016 David became worried when Pollard told him that the was having trouble urinating. David was adamant that his dad should go straight to the doctors, highlighting that it could be a sign of cancer.
Initially Pollard refused to go and see his GP, but eventually agreed, as long as David did the same.
But while Eric was found to have nothing but a simple urine infection, David’s world was turned upside down when the doctor found a lump on one of his testicles that turned out to be cancerous.
Actor Matthew Wolfenden used his hard-hitting storyline to try and raise awareness for an important cause, and not only shaved his hair and beard off for his character’s battle against cancer, he even shaved his eyebrows, too.
Read more: Which days is Emmerdale on this week?
How did David find out about Maya’s grooming of Jacob?
After months of missing all the clues, David eventually discovered what had been going on between his stepson and his girlfriend after Jacob confessed.
Leyla, Tracy and Priya had already confronted Maya, with Leyla believing she’d killed her. At the time, they thought Jacob was in Portugal.
But when Jacob returned to get Maya’s passport and money, he revealed Maya wasn’t dead, and that they’d been staying together in a hotel.
Realising it was time David knew the truth, the women took Jake to see his dad, and he confessed he’d been sleeping with Maya.
David was shocked and horrified, but before he could get his head round it and do the right thing, Jacob had fled.
With Maya set for a confrontation with David, leading to her eventual arrest, David faces a long road to support Jacob and make his son see he has been groomed.
A classic David Metcalfe quote
After finding out David had cancer, Jacob showed his dad how much he loved him by shaving off his hair so that David didn’t feel alone.
David was overwhelmed and decided to also shave his hair off before it all fell out thanks to chemo, but even in what should have been a heartbreaking moment, David still managed to show his vain side…
David said to a clipper wielding Leyla: “Go on, then. I’m not having him steal my thunder, it all goes. It’s falling out anyway. Better than me sat in front of the bathroom mirror shaving it it myself and crying my eyes out…”
But just as Leyla went in for the chop, he stopped her at the last moment… “Wait! I need a before and after selfie!”
To which Leyla replied: “You are literally the most vain person I have ever met!” And while we might have to agree, we couldn’t love David more because of it!
What is your favourite David Metcalfe moment? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!