'Robert's return on Emmerdale will go down in soap history as best surprise'
Did I ever think I'd be writing about a Robert Sugden return in 2025? Absolutely not.
Emmerdale pulled off the biggest soap surprise when Ryan Hawley reprised his role after six years. There was everything from, codenames on set - Marco, Aaron's Italian boyfriend from his travels - and secret entrances to ensure the news didn't get out.
Even a potential leak didn't reveal all about Robert's return. What was described as a brief stint - and certainly framed that way - had everyone thinking Robert would just be another of John Sugden's nightmares.
But Robert is here to stay. Ryan confirmed to The Mirror exclusively that his stay in the Dales would not be a brief one, not a passing moment, but for an extended period - leaving Robron fans, no doubt, overjoyed.
Ryan told us: "The secret is out today! My character is returning permanently and not just for Aaron and John's wedding. I am back for good, and I am so excited to be playing Robert again.
"I have had a few calls over the past six years to see how I would feel about reprising the role, but it never felt quite right. Recently, while I was living in Brazil with my family, where we had been for the past year, Danny texted to see how I would feel. We've always kept in touch, and after a lot of thought, I told him, 'Yeah, I am up for it.' I then got a call swiftly from the producers, and it went from there. The timing felt right for us to not only move back to Britain, but also for me to come back to Emmerdale. Enough time has passed, and with this big wedding storyline, it is the right time for Robert to cause chaos and huge drama!"
Never has a soap pulled off such a cleverly kept secret. It will be something that will be spoken about for a long time amongst soap fans, as the speculation continues to grow about Robert's true intentions and just why he is back.
Robron understandably means everything to the fans of Emmerdale, a storyline - a couple - that was cut way too short before its time. And now, there is the potential for them to finally rekindle things, but will it go back to how it was?
It remains to be seen whether Aaron will choose John for all his flaws or whether Robert will steal his heart once more. However, it ends - Aaron has a big choice to make but maybe it's best we leave this with Robert's words?
"I'm not asking you to choose me, I'm asking you to choose us". And isn't that how all great love stories truly begin...
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