Emmerdale's Mack Boyd alive as he's held captive by evil John - but will he survive?

Mack Boyd is alive on Emmerdale despite reports he would be killed off recently. Mack appeared to be murdered earlier this month by killer John Sugden.

But despite being shot with a bow and arrow and seemingly slammed over the head with a giant rock, Mack lives! Friday's episode closed with the big twist that he's not really dead, but is he still leaving the ITV soap?

It's not yet clear given nothing was revealed, other than the fact Mack was in an underground bunker. He didn't look great but he definitely wasn't dead, as John sinisterly loomed over him.

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It was right at the end, as John continues to sneak off leaving is husband Aaron Sugden at the creepy cottage - revealed to be his old family home. We saw John in the woods moving the leaves that seemed to be covering a body.

It wasn't a body though, it was a secret door leading down to the dark and hidden underground room. As he approached the end of the room, Mack was revealed to be on a bed of some sort, wincing in pain.

Question is, does this confirm Mack isn't leaving the show after all and actor Lawrence Robb will stay on the show? The Sun claimed just weeks ago that Mack was to be killed off and that Lawrence had definitely bowed out of the soap after five years.

They stated John would murder Mack and the death had been filmed. But it seems this isn't the case, or at least for now, as Mack was confirmed alive ahead of more scenes to air next week.

Of course there is every chance John will still kill Mack, and he might not survive the ordeal. If he doesn't make it out alive or even if he does, this could well spark an exit for Lawrence and his character.

Viewers will have to tune in and see what John has in store for him though, and what condition Mack is in. After all, it was a couple of seconds on Friday, and for all we know his injuries, given the shooting, could be deadly.

How long can John keep someone held captive for, and will he spare Mack's life? Aaron is nearby too, in the cottage, so how long before an already suspicious Mack goes snooping and figures out the truth?

It's all heading towards John's big downfall, with actor Oliver Farnworth said to be leaving the role. This was also reported by the same publication so perhaps this won't happen either but it is very likely on the horizon.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and Threads.