Emmerdale Robert Sugden's return rumours and if actor Ryan Hawley is returning

Daily Mirror

28-05-2025

Emmerdale rumours have been circulating for weeks that Robert Sugden is returning to the ITV soap, with actor Ryan Hawley reprising the role after six years away
Robert Sugden's Emmerdale return rumours have intensified following Wednesday's episode not being uploaded to ITVX.
But is Ryan Hawley returning to the soap as the character, and why would Robert be back? Reports emerged weeks ago that suggested a leaked storyline would see Robert head back to the show.
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Rumours were that it would tie in to Robert's ex Aaron Dingle's wedding to John Sugden, the secret half-brother of Robert. The ITV soap did not confirm the reports at the time, and have still not confirmed or denied if a return is in the pipeline.
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Nothing is known about it, and actor Ryan has yet to respond to the claims. So is Robert returning and is Ryan reprising the role after all, amid Wednesday's episode mystery?
Normally each morning the latest episode of the soap is dropped on ITVX, ahead of it airing that evening on ITV1 at 7:30PM. On Tuesday night it was announced this was not happening on Wednesday, sparking rumours Robert's return was imminent.
Of course there were further theories tied into Aidan Moore and killer John's other secrets, with many fans thinking there was another twist on the way. Given the episodes normally drop even when there's huge twists, fans wondered if there was more to its absence from the streaming platform.
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So as it stands, the soap has not confirmed there will be a return for Robert and actor Ryan. We know nenow details about the comeback and what it means for the show, or when it may happen.
We don't even know for sure that it is planned, asides the fact it was leaked by a publication and Aaron actor Danny Miller dropped major hints following said leak. Not only did he appear to react online, but he also spoke on Loose Women and appeared to confirm it was happening.
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Robert was sent to prison over Lee Posner's death in 2019, with Ryan leaving the role after five years. He's declined to return in the past, so news of a comeback, despite speculation, did shock fans.
A source told The Sun at the time that it was the "biggest secret in soapland", continuing: "Ryan has a lot of respect for the show and its fans and he really wanted to give them a treat so he agreed to come back for a brief stint. It's going to be a huge surprise for fans especially the Robron fans who have missed Robert desperately since Ryan quit."
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They added that soap bosses went to great lengths to keep the secret by using fake names on scripts and smuggling him in and out of the studios. Fans had been speculating about a Robert return after a number of hints were dropped, with fans hoping Ryan would reprise the role.
The theory sharing led to a number of comments suggesting it was only a matter of time before Robert was back in the village. From his son being mentioned to a prison visit and the arrival of John, there's also been mentions of the character aplenty.
On Loose Women on Tuesday, Ryan's co-star Danny appeared to confirm his pal was heading back to the show. Panellist Denise Welch wasn't letting Danny go without speaking about the rumours, as she asked the actor: "Is there likely to be a RobRon rerun?"
A nervous Danny chuckled: "It's so weird, the line's just gone down as you've asked that question," as the whole studio burst into laughter. Although he wasn't giving too much away, Danny assured Emmerdale fans they can expect many surprises during the week.
Danny then seemingly confirmed he was now part of the plan as he continued: "But.." before stopping. He then continued: "You'll just have to wait and see. That's the idea of me being here. Otherwise it would be boring if I told you either way."