Robert Sugden went to prison for murder in 2019
Robert Sugden made an explosive return to the ITV soap(Image: ITV)
Emmerdale fans were shocked to see Robert Sugden make an explosive return to screens after a six year hiatus. Drama continued on the ITV soap as John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) and Aaron Dingle’s (Danny Miller) wedding finally got underway on Wednesday (May 28).
Fans have been patiently waiting to find out if the wedding would go ahead as planned. The episode was not released earlier today on ITVX, preventing any spoilers and hinting that something big was about to happen.
In a post on Instagram yesterday, Emmerdale’s official page wrote: “FYI: Emmerdale will not be available to stream tomorrow (Wed 28th) at 7am on ITVX. So we’ll see you all at 7.30pm on ITV1 instead, yeah? You bring the biscuits and we’ll make the brews (we’ll try to not spill any tea).”
Days of chaos as John’s ex-boyfriend Aidan woke up from a coma in hospital meant the wedding was delayed. On Wednesday, Aaron and John finally agreed to settle their disagreement and head to their ceremony.
Viewers know that John is responsible for Aidan’s frail condition, but his fiancé Aaron is clueless as to what his future husband is truly capable of. Ahead of the wedding, John told Aaron: “I have never loved anyone like I love you. Can we get married now please, I want to swear myself to you forever.”
He added: “Nothing is going to stop me from marrying you today.” But the dramatic irony of John’s comment shone straight through, as the ceremony was soon halted by the return of one character. The doors burst open as Aaron heard the voice of an ex-flame: “Hello Aaron. Miss me?”
As the camera turned to the entrance, viewers were surprised to see none other than Robert Sugden, who had arrived just in time to stop Aaron “making the biggest mistake of his life.”
John and Aaron’s wedding ceremony finally began(Image: ITV)
Fans rushed to social media after witnessing the return of such an iconic partnership, better known to Emmerdale fans as “Robron” (Robert and Aaron).
One fan said: “OMG OMG OMG ROBRON my heart been waiting for this day for six years well done @emmerdale!!!!!!!!!” A second wrote: “WHAT IS HAPPENING YES!!! We’ve missed you!!! THIS IS INSANE!”
More added to the conversation on X: “Best news EVER!!!”, “Welcome back king course I miss you Robert!! Handsome as ever” and “Truly a part of me died when he left Emmerdale lmao, I feel like it’s just reawakened.”
Robert Sugden, portrayed by Ryan Hawley departed the ITV soap in 2019 when his character was sentenced to life in prison for killing his sister Victoria Sugden’s rapist Lee Posnerrapist.
After a six year hiatus while the actor pursued other opportunities, viewers were more than happy to see Robert Sugden make an explosive reappearance. The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with fans “begging” that Robert will stick around in the Dales.
In a teaser video posted on Instagram, more Emmerdale fans took to the comments to express their excitement. One said: “Pretty sure the whole UK cheered I heard them!!” while a second wrote: “BEYOND HAPPY TO SEE ROBRON BACK.”
Talking about his character’s dramatic return, Ryan Hawley said: “Robert’s back after six years! And a lot has happened during this time in the village and for Robert. Two very different worlds, the village and Robert’s reality in prison. And out of the blue, just in the nick of time, Robert turns up at Aaron’s wedding to John.
“It sets up a fantastic few episodes to finish off the wedding week which shows how the incident of Robert turning up will resolve itself. It’s a massive dilemma for Aaron, who’s found John as a new love in his life and then he’s got Robert, who used to be the love of his life, turn up! He’s got a massive decision to make.
“I guess all the weight is on Aaron’s shoulders. What’s Robert doing there, has he got ulterior motives, does he know something about John? How has he even found out that this wedding was taking place?
“There’s a lot to unpick and so much to be revealed over the next few nights. It’s a great few episodes and I’m really excited to see them.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV and ITV X at 7.30pm with an hour-long episode on Thursdays and is available to stream from 7am on ITV X.