SOAP fans were left confused following Tuesday's trip to the Dales after David Metcalfe made a strange decision.
The Emmerdale shop owner played by Matthew Wolfenden flew off to Portugal after finding his ex Alicia had a horrific accident.
While drama continues to unfold in the eponymous village, David has been keeping busy by trying to keep his shop and his finances afloat.
In recent weeks, the character was seen unlawfully scheming his way towards more cash as his money woes got the best of him.
ITV viewers may remember that he risked getting on the wrong side of the law by filing a fraudulent insurance claim against Nicola King, following a small collision.
David's partner Victoria Sugden eventually took matters into her own hands to help him.
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However, this meant viewers of the Yorkshire-based drama were scratching their heads when a struggling David decided to jet off to Portugal on a whim.
The owner of David's Shop made the decision during last night's (Tuesday, August 2) Emmerdale instalment and broke the news to Leyla Cavanagh.
But David didn't head off on holiday – he made it clear he would be there to help Leyla's own sister Alicia recover from a nasty accident.
Alicia hasn't been seen in the village since 2015 and started a new life abroad.
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On Tuesday, David claimed she tried to take a selfie from a cliff top and fell into a thorny bush, injuring herself.
But with his finances on the rocks, viewers wondered how David could afford an impromptu trip away.
"David was skint the other week, now he’s booking flights", one viewer commented on Twitter as another chimed in: "Portugal ? He was skint 5 minutes ago."
Another soap fan penned: "How can David afford to do to Portugal?"
"The other week David was struggling for money now he’s setting off to Portugal to look after an ex", a fourth viewer pointed out.
One fan echoed: "Could the writers not come up with something at least a wee bit believable for David's disappearance? He is up to his eyes in debt, yet can jet off to Portugal at the drop of a hat, supposedly to look after an ex?"
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As viewers know, David's business was considerably struggling after the Covid pandemic in 2020 and he was even forced to accept money from his father's partner Brenda Walker.
In more recent episodes, he has been keeping an eye on his former partner Leyla, believing she's battling her cocaine addiction.
Leyla was unable to join David on his trip to her sister as she's too busy organising Kim Tate's wedding.
Initially sacked, Leyla took the job back when it became clear Lydia Dingle couldn't handle the pressure of being a wedding planner.
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But Leyla is still juggling her professional life with a heavy addiction to coke she doesn't seem ready to fight.
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV.
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