David Metcalfe is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Matthew Wolfenden.

[2] Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) had never divorced from his first wife, Eileen (Arbel Jones), and went on to have an affair with a woman named Lydia Halliwell in 1981.

David showed the village he was his father's son by evicting local businessman Rodney Blackstock (Patrick Mower) from a barn he had rented from Eric and starting a love/hate relationship with Jasmine Thomas (Jenna-Louise Coleman).

Delilah's cousin Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), a barmaid at the Woolpack pub, saw David with Katie Sugden (Sammy Winward).

Jasmine remembers her as "Nicola Blackstock", Rodney's trouble-making daughter, disliked by many of the villagers for her past behaviour.

Jasmine had used the help of Miles De Souza (Ayden Callaghan), Nicola's stepson, in her plan, so that he could inherit the family business and their estate.

Nicola, unable to prove Miles was drinking, wanted to inherit everything for herself, and so had resorted to lying about Donald's death.

This failed as Nicola schemed to kill him and frame Cindy for Donald's murder so she would inherit his money, and tried numerous methods from torn carpet on the stairs to faulty wiring on a train set, but none worked as David, disgusted with her plans – which he had refused to have any part of – sabotaged every attempt.

On their return to Holdgate Farm, Donald throws Nicola out, leading to her going to David, but he sent her away, not wanting to be with a woman who was capable of murder.

They overheard Sharon telling a friend that she didn't care about David, and was only staying until time for another big party with the rich and famous.

Nicola and David continued to date throughout 2008, but near the end of the year, the relationship began to unravel when they learned the church was going to be sold.

In June 2010 David was blackmailed by Nathan Wylde (Lyndon Ogbourne) in order to get a barn conversion for Declan Macey (Jason Merrells).

Leyla later found the tape when her and David were doing up the house and believed he was having an affair, he managed to convince her that it was a setup and they reconciled.

Leyla could not bear to be around Jacob, and when Alicia attacks her for asking Jacob to stop calling Alicia "mum" and call her "mum" instead, Leyla leaves the village, leaving David with a shop, a wedding dress, and hundreds of pounds worth of debt.

They decided to be just friends and got married so that Jacob could keep living with David whilst Alicia served a prison sentence for assault.

Priya later realises that she has to face up to the fact that she has a disorder and decides to check into a clinic to get professional help, much to the relief of David.

Priya struggles to cope as a single parent and calls David when she knows he is needed for the "Father Sons" race at Jacob's sportsday.

Alicia tries ringing him, but unknown to everyone, Priya had switched David's phone off and snuggled up to him, pretending to herself that they were a couple, as she knew she still loved him.

David tells Priya that he is a husband and a father of a son and a daughter, and that she doesn't fit into the equation anymore, as his family is Alicia, Jacob and Amba.

Eventually, a schism occurs in their marriage when Alicia declares that Eric no longer loves David, and he should just leave him.

They do make up, but eventually decide to separate as Alicia is unwilling to remain in the village, unlike David, who wants to stay because of his dad, Amba, and his shop, which he plans to buy back from Carly Hope (Gemma Atkinson).

At Christmas time, Eric comes to his senses, and becomes reintegrated into the fabric of the village, especially after he finds the engagement ring among the rubbish bags.

While waiting for Eric at the doctor's, Dr. Jermaine Bailey (Micah Balfour) offers to examine David after he says he himself has been having "troubles" recently.

David is left troubled by the possibility that he's facing a battle with testicular cancer, and is caught trying to take a picture of his testicles with his pants down by Leyla.

The following day; his 13th birthday, he confronts them about their encounter, and David sets the record straight, in the process telling Jacob that he might have cancer.

He starts a relationship with schoolteacher Maya Stepney (Louisa Clein), following the end of her marriage to Dr. Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson).

Maya had been revealed to be heavily pregnant in a previous episode when released from prison after entering a relationship with David's stepson Jacob after grooming him.

David left Emmerdale on Thursday 30th November 2023 to visit his daughter, Amber and her mother, Priya, in London after discovering that Jacob and Victoria were in a relationship.

[4] The following year, Shahidi told their reporter that David helped Lelya transform from a girl into a woman ready to run her own business.

The actor added that David put up with Leyla's antics including theft, infidelity and hiding a secret son - therefore he must think she is "the one".