Following the news a new Sugden will arrive in the Emmerdale village soon, fans are continuing to wonder just who he is, and what will bring him to the Dales.
Played by Coronation Street’s Oliver Farnworth, John’s arrival will allow the family to finally expand, given Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) has been the only Sugden in the village since Diane’s (Elizabeth Estensen) departure in 2022.
Described as ‘brooding and mysterious’, John hides many secrets, but what relationship is he to Vic, and how will his arrival impact her?
Discussing his arrival to the show, Oliver said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to be joining the cast of Emmerdale. The show has such a rich history, and the Sugden family is integral to that. I’m looking forward to bringing my character to life and working with such a talented and dedicated team.’
Emmerdale’s producer, Laura Shaw, expressed her enthusiasm for Oliver’s arrival: and added: ‘We are thrilled to have an actor with Oliver’s talent and presence join the Emmerdale family. The Sugden’s have always been central to Emmerdale, and introducing a new member opens up exciting possibilities for future storylines.
Mysterious John’s arrival will no doubt create a stir in the village for Victoria and the wider community.’
Also teasing John’s arrival, new producer Sophie Roper mused: ‘We’ve got some returning and new exciting faces coming into the show over the next few months. I’m pleased to confirm that we’ll have Oliver Farnworth joining us as a new casting and he’s coming in to the show as a new Sugden. The Sugdens, just like the Dingles, are an iconic family group in Emmerdale and we’re keen to cement them back in the show so Oliver’s a brilliant new addition, incredibly talented and we’re looking forward to welcoming him.
‘He’s going to bring lots of drama to the Dales which I’m going to keep quite tight-lipped about for now.’
As we prepare to welcome John to the village, it’s also been teased he will ‘catch the eye of an unsuspecting resident’ – which has got many fans very intrigued.
Taking to social media, Emmerdale audience members couldn’t help but wonder if John may end up becoming Aaron Dingle’s (Danny Miller) new love interest.
If this is true, it would leave us curious as to what John’s relationship with Vic is because if they are siblings, it of course means John could fall in love with his brother’s ex.
Ryan Hawley is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of Robert Sugden in the ITV soap for five years from 2014. He took over the role from Karl Davies.
The story of Robert and love interest Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), known to viewers as Robron, won a legion of fans, making them one of soap’s most loved couples ever.
The husbands, however, were torn apart back in 2019 when their love story ultimately ended in tragedy after Ryan made the decision to leave the show.
His final scenes saw him jailed after he was arrested by the police, turning himself in for the attack on Lee Posner, who had raped his sister Victoria.
You can see Ryan Hawley in the current series of Casualty. He portrays Jamie Cleveland, a member of the board at Holby City Hospital who knows Cam Micklethwaite (Barney Walsh).
