ITV Emmerdale’s Robert Sugden star’s career now as fans demand return
Only recently on Emmerdale, Robert Sugden has been mentioned on the hit ITV soap thanks to the arrival of his long-lost brother John Sugden
Robert Sugden has been mentioned on the hit ITV soap thanks to the arrival of his long-lost brother John Sugden (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Emmerdale has been full of drama recently, thanks to the arrival of new character John Sugden.
John, portrayed by Oliver Farnworth, made his first appearance last month as the long-lost son of Jack Sugden and half-brother to both Victoria and Robert Sugden. He’s quickly stirred up trouble in the village, even sparking an on-off romance with Aaron Dingle, despite their love-hate relationship.
However, when their fling began, neither knew that John was the brother of Aaron’s ex-husband Robert, leading to suspicion among viewers due to John’s mysterious behaviour. Fans have been thrilled by recent mentions of Robert, fuelling hopes for his return to the ITV soap.
Emmerdale has been full of drama recently, thanks to the arrival of new character John Sugden ( Image: No credit)
Viewers will recall that Robert left the show back in 2019 after being sent to prison over the death of Lee Posner. Robert accidentally caused Lee’s death after he attacked him, following Lee horrifically raping his sister Victoria. Robert faced up to his crime and cut all ties with the village and his loved ones as he was sentenced, reports the Manchester Evening News.
However, fans have held out hope for his return, particularly following hints that Robert may not have been responsible for Lee’s death. Lee sustained head injuries from Robert’s punch, but it was later revealed that he had also been hit by his brother Luke, which could have contributed to his demise. With Robert’s name resurfacing due to John’s arrival, viewers are hopeful for his comeback.
Ryan Hawley, known for his role as Robert on the popular ITV soap from 2014 to 2019, has been keeping busy since his departure. The 38-year-old actor appeared in Silent Witness in 2021 as Michael Robson and later starred as Sid Crabtree in All Creatures Great and Small. More recently, Ryan took on the role of Jamie Cleveland in Casualty.
Ryan Hawley played Robert Sugden from 2014 to 2019 ( Image: ITV)
On the other hand, long-term soap fans will remember that Ryan wasn’t the only one to portray this iconic character. Karl Davies also played the role from 2001 until 2009. Since leaving the ITV soap, the 42-year-old actor has featured in a variety of popular TV shows, most notably as Daniel Cawood in Happy Valley.
Karl’s other roles include Viktor Proskuryakov in Chernobyl, Ronald Mallen in Call the Midwife, Carl McGregor in The Bay, and he can currently be seen in the hit ITV drama The Tower, where he plays DCI Tim Bailie.
