Robert Sugden has made a permanent return to Emmerdale after six years. The beloved character, played by Ryan Hawley, made a brief but dramatic return to the soap at the beginning of June. Despite being thrown back behind bars for breaking his parole conditions, Robert revealed at the end of Thursday’s hour-long episode that he is back for good. During the most recent instalment of the ITV soap, John Sudgen (Oliver Farnworth) was struggling after learning Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) kissed Robert on their wedding day.
John insisted to his new husband that he needed space, but what the ex-army medic really needed to do was save someone’s life. He set his eyes on Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), who is struggling in the wake of Nate Robinson’s (Jurell Carter) death. John plied Cain with alcohol until he passed out before rushing to help and placing him in the recovery position. As Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) entered and saw the state of her husband, she praised John for helping him, branding him a hero.
With a newfound sense of control, an ecstatic John returned to Aaron. But the newlyweds received a harsh awakening when Robert entered their home, revealing he is back in the village permanently to spend time with his family.
Fans of the soap were delighted with Robert’s comeback, with several hoping it will pave the way for a reunion between him and ex-husband Aaron.
“Robert… Welcome back,” one wrote on X as a second penned: “Goodbye John …. Welcome back Robert.”
“Robert is baaaack,” exclaimed a third fan as another declared: “Robert will finish him.”
Long-running fans will recall Robert and Aaron’s four-year on-off relationship, which began as a sordid affair in 2014. They officially tied the knot in 2018, but their marriage abruptly ended the following year after Robert was sentenced to 14 years in prison for killing the man who raped his sister.
Robert decided to cut all ties with Aaron, leaving him completely heartbroken. While it appears Aaron has now moved on with John, viewers are certain his days are numbered as he is hiding a killer secret.
With Robert back in the village, is it just a matter of time before Aaron and John’s union is completely blown apart?