It’s been quite some time since Emmerdale has come up with a character as hated as predatory Hotten Academy history teacher, Maya Stepney.
When she first showed up in March 2018 as the wife of GP Liam Cavanagh Maya’s presence was eclipsed by Tracy scuppering David’s plans to suck up to Hotten Retail Awards judge Liam over dinner by announcing she used to be a sex worker.
Maya showed she was good at getting what she wants when she started an affair with David three months later using Tracy terminating David’s baby without telling him as an excuse to ‘comfort’ him.
Played by Louisa Clein Maya’s been a tough character to read – until you realise that every word that comes out of her mouth is about serving Maya and no one else.
Who is Maya Stepney’s stepdaughter, Leanna?
No one believed wild-child Leanna when she dissed Maya for being “a prize cow” but for all her faults Leanna was spot on with this one.
As soon as Maya cheated on Leanna’s dad with David and Liam threw her out she was looking for the next place to get her feet under the table.
Leanna waged an online war of abuse against her but when Maya confronted her in David’s Shop she showed just how vicious she could be.
“Your precious mother didn’t even want you,” Maya told a stunned Leanna. “You were an accident. Or did Daddy never mention that?”
Who is Maya’s boyfriend, David Metcalfe?
“You need some new pants. Ones that don’t come down so easily.” If only David had listened to the sound advice from stepson Jacob (of all people) before starting up with Maya.
Having completely blown his marriage to Tracy, David has been a walking disaster when it comes to romance ever since.
The trouble is David was so desperately keen to get it right that he was putty in the hands of someone as demanding and needy as Maya, even offering her his savings.
Could David and Maya ever have been good together or was she always looking over her shoulder, as Tracy suggests, to see what else was on offer?
When did Maya Stepney begin grooming Jacob Gallagher?
“I know how to handle teenagers.” In Maya’s head she probably even believes that. It all started seemingly innocently enough with her helping Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) with his course work.
“I’d much rather be here with you than watch your dad rearranging his olives,” she told the then-15-year-old.
It was Jacob who first made “a silly pass” at Maya but she’d already laid the groundwork with overlong hugs, a glass of champagne and inappropriate neck stroking before she gave him his 16th birthday ‘present’.
In the end Maya sums it up best. “It’s my fault. I’m the adult. I should have known better. I’m your teacher. I’m in a position of trust. And I betrayed it.”
Why are Maya Stepney and Liv Flaherty at war?
The catalogue of crimes Maya has committed by grooming Jacob are grim enough but her cruelty towards Liv has been almost as upsetting.
First she encouraged Jacob to use an unwitting Liv as a decoy from what was going on between her and Jacob. That was despicable considering Liv’s mental fragility.
Then when a well-meaning but wrong-thinking Liv tried to blackmail Maya to raise the money for Aaron and Robert’s surrogacy bid, Maya delighted in sticking the boot in.
One of Maya’s greatest mistakes, certainly for RobRon’s loyal fans, was describing them to Liv as her “weird little family.”
What clues have there been that Maya Stepney’s been grooming Jacob Gallagher?
“Just one more secret I didn’t know about…” When it comes to clues and secrets Maya has been scattering them about like confetti but sadly David Metcalfe is no Sherlock and she’s a convincing liar.
The stray earring in the cricket pavilion gave David pause for thought but his conclusion was that Jacob must have stolen it.
The horrified, guilty look on Maya’s face when a drunken Jacob was about to spill the beans at his 16th birthday party was another that would have tipped off anyone a bit more savvy than David.
In the end though Maya and Jacob were finally busted first by Liv walking in on them and then by Priya outside the nightclub. It’s been a very long time coming but is this the end of it?
Does Maya Stepney have any redeeming features?
There really isn’t much going in Maya’s favour but she did at least have a pang of conscience when she and Jacob were ready to take it further in David’s own home and she suddenly clocked the photo on the dresser.
If only she’d thought about that much much sooner…
A classic Maya quote
“As a former prostitute – well, allegedly – you probably know these places pretty well. So why don’t you just crawl off to some other corner to conduct your sordid business?” Maya lays into Tracy for snogging David. The gall of the woman, calling them sordid!
What’s your worst Maya moment? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.