Emmerdale viewers distraught as Rishi Sharma is terrorised by intruder

Emmerdale viewers were worried about Rishi Sharma during Monday’s episode when he panicked after getting the strange feeling that something was wrong at home.

The character, played by 67-year-old Bhasker Patel, was seen returning home from a holiday and noticing that things seemed out of place in his kitchen.

When he was alone later, he heard a bang upstairs as if someone or something was moving, prompting him to run out of his house and into The Woolpack pub.

Having fled out the front door and into the street, Rishi glanced back over his shoulder to see a curtain move on an upstairs window.

Soap fans were quick to take to Twitter because they thought Rishi might have lost his mind, while others put forward a theory as to who might be in his house.

On the Run: When he was alone later, he heard a bang upstairs, prompting him to rush out of his house and into The Woolpack pub after calling a friend.

Suggesting that serial killer Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu) had escaped from prison, one person wrote: ‘Who’s at Rishi’s house? Has Meena escaped from prison and she has hidden there?

“Who else thinks that Meena escaped from prison and is lurking in Rishi’s house?” another viewer asked.

Questioning Rishi’s somewhat illogical actions, another person wrote: “So Rishi KNOWS someone is at his house, but instead of seeing who it is, or even calling the police, he goes to the pub to get something to eat.”

Noting that the character looked puzzled as he walked through his kitchen after returning from vacation, someone else posted: “Rishi looking around like: this is not my normal teapot.”

While someone else shared, ‘I think Rishi has a secret squatter or someone living in his ngl house.’

‘Rishi is haunted, it’s the ghosts from #Emmerdale’s past!’ another viewer laughed.

While other viewers asked, ‘Is Rishi losing his mind?’ and ‘Is Rishi okay? He seems more confused than usual…’

In the next few scenes, Rishi’s fears will be confirmed when he realizes that someone has eaten all the fries in his house.

Something’s up: The character, played by 67-year-old Bhasker Patel, was seen coming home from the holidays and noticing that things seemed out of place.

He talks about his fears to his son Jai (Chris Bisson), but attributes his worries to his father’s loneliness.

Elsewhere in the episode, Paddy Dingle’s loved ones were overjoyed when the character (Dominic Brunt) decided to see a therapist in the midst of his crippling battle with depression.

However, her friends and family were dejected when Paddy returned from their first date, telling them she would find a different counselor as she did not think they were a match.

Paddy recently returned to the village after being missing for three weeks, leaving locals concerned.

It comes after it emerged that Emmerdale stars don’t have to engage in ‘trigger’ storylines.

ITV soap bosses ‘give advance warning’ to the cast when they seek to delve into ‘serious’ plot points and give them the chance to back out of scenes.

Reaction: Soap fans rushed to Twitter because they thought Rishi might have gone crazy, while others put forward a theory about who might be in his house.

Producer Laura Shaw told the daily star newspaper’s Hot TV column: ‘With any serious or triggering issue, we give anyone advance warning about what we’re doing and why, and to talk to us if there’s anything they’re concerned about.’

Due to the nature of some stories, the team acknowledges that things can be “awkward at times” for some actors.

Laura added: ‘The topic can be awkward at times. We have to make sure that everyone is absolutely on board with that and that anyone who isn’t doesn’t need to work on it.’

One of the most recent sensitive stories is Paddy’s battle with clinical depression and actor Dominic has admitted feeling ‘supported’ with the ‘enormous’ obligation to do justice to the condition suffered by millions.

The 52-year-old soap opera star told the outlet: “I felt a great sense of responsibility on my shoulders to try to do well.”

‘I felt supported. I have an hour to walk home, turn on the radio and make sure you get some sleep that night.

Dominic recently commented on ‘the mechanics’ of showing Paddy’s declining mental health and how important he found it to do it justice.

He said: ‘The mechanics of how it was going to work and who was involved and the scale of it, and it kind of transcends the normal stories that you normally get.

Sad scenes: It comes after it emerged that Emmerdale stars don’t have to engage in ‘trigger’ storylines amid Paddy Dingle’s harrowing battle with depression

“I think the only time I had anything like that before was when Aaron came out, and people cared.

“I remember a guy who was kind of like that generational bigot guy over there and he saw it and said, yeah, I get it.

“I was hoping that this story could do that, that it could really make a difference and normalize conversations.”

Emmerdale continues on ITV1 and ITVX at 7:30pm on Tuesday.

Trouble: Lovable Paddy has been on the rocks ever since his marriage broke up when he found out his wife Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) had been cheating on him with Al Chapman.