Emmerdale new café owner revealed after sad Brenda update - and it's a familiar face

There was some sad news about Brenda Walker for residents on Emmerdale on Monday.

Amid the character leaving for a cruise months ago on the ITV soap, a decision was made about her beloved village café. The ITV soap confirmed a permanent exit for the character earlier this year, with actress Lesley Dunlop leaving the role.

Brenda went on a three-month cruise with her stepdaughter Cathy Hope, with it thought it was just a trip away. But fans know she isn't returning, with it yet to be explained what leads to her not coming back, while Cathy will be back later in the year.

In the meantime, Nicola King has been running the café and when new staff member Lewis Barton brought some success to the place with new menus and by encouraging people to spend a little, Nicola was seen frustrated at Brenda getting all the rewards. So on Monday night Nicola wanted an update on when Brenda would be back to share the load.

She tried and failed to get in contact with her over the phone, including by message. She even tried to call Cathy but failed to get through to her.

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As she vented to husband Jimmy King about Brenda not being around yet getting all the perks of the café's newfound success, Cathy's dad Bob Hope arrived with some news. He and Lewis walked in together, and it emerged Lewis had been on the phone to Brenda.

Nicola was confused by this but was more interested in speaking with Brenda. She wanted to know when she might be back and wanted to make contact, but Lewis said there was no need.

It's then that it became clear in a sad update that Brenda was selling up, and was ditching the café. It wasn't mentioned that this would also lead to her not coming back, so perhaps the character is undecided.

But what she did say to Bob and Lewis offscreen was that she was going to sell the café to a new owner, and no longer wanted to run the place. Nicola was shocked, but also she seemed interested in who the buyer could be.

She was possibly hoping she might have a chance to fully own the place only for her to be left reeling when she found out who Brenda had decided to sell to. It was none other than Lewis, played by Bradley Riches, who announced he was the chosen person to buy the café.

While he didn't say he was definitely buying it from her, he did heavily hint this would be the case. Nicola couldn't believe it when Lewis declared that after speaking to Brenda, her absence would no longer be an issue and that she was selling to him, with him planning to take over the ownership after his recent success - but will Nicola accept this change?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.

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