Long before Emmerdale's Eric Pollard found love with his late wife Val, he tied the knot with Gloria Weaver.

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The future Mrs Pollard, Eric's (Christopher Chittell) third wife, was first introduced to the Dales as Malcolm Weaver's widow in May 2000.

Initially presented as a firmly religious person, Gloria showed her true colours when she ruthlessly pursued a political career during her marriage with Eric.

Who was Gloria Pollard in Emmerdale?

Gloria came to the Yorkshire Dales in 2000. A widow, she joined Ashley Thomas's (John Middleton) congregation, being very vocal about not approving of his relationship with Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) as the two weren't married.

Following the death of her first husband, Gloria, who started working as the village vet's receptionist, was left in massive debt.

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She resorted to selling some of her antiques to make ends meet, getting close to Eric when she asked him to valuate some of her pieces. He bought Gloria a similar candlestick to what he'd seen at hers, ignoring the fact that it was one of a matching pair that she'd originally sold.

The two become romantically involved after this incident, getting married in 2002.

Gloria's true nature was exposed when she advised her husband to sleep with his fellow councillor Glynis Hardy (Christine Cox) to secure a nomination and become mayor, a stepping stone towards fulfilling his dream of climbing the political ranks.

Their plan worked and Eric was elected mayor shortly afterwards. However, when his affair with Glynis was exposed, Gloria didn't stand by her husband and pretended not to be in the know to gain political favour.

What happened to Gloria Pollard?

Gloria stood for election and won her own seat, relocating to Westminster and embarking on an affair with her young, male researcher Hilary.

When Hilary turned up in Emmerdale, Eric was shocked to discover his wife's assistant wasn't a woman.

Steph Stokes (Lorraine Chase), who had previously uncovered Eric's one-night stand with Glynis, was on the Pollards' case again. She spotted Hilary and Gloria embracing, blackmailing the MP to keep her mouth shut.

When Gloria gave Steph a taste of her own medicine, unearthing dirt on her past, Steph told Eric about the affair.

Infuriated, he threw Gloria out. Her car and shoes were found later on, prompting him to think she was dead.

But this wouldn't be soapland if someone didn't fake their own demise every other year (we're looking at you, Jamie Tate).

Gloria was revealed to be very much alive, having relocated to a beautiful, sunny location for a fresh start.

Will she ever return to the Dales?

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Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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