Emmerdale’s heartthrob Robert Sugden is rumoured to be making a sensational return to the village after a six-year absence.
The beloved character was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 14 years back in 2019 following his conviction for the murder of his sister Victoria Sugden’s (played by Isabel Hodgins) rapist, Lee Posner (portrayed by Kris Mochrie).
Ryan Hawley took over the role of Robert in 2014, stepping into the shoes previously filled by Karl Davies, who portrayed the character from 2001 to 2005 and made a brief return in 2009.
At an Emmerdale press event, producer Kate Oates shared: “I spoke to Karl intermittently since arriving at Emmerdale.
“It just got to a point where this opportunity came up.”
She continued, revealing her conversation with Karl: “I wanted to bring the character back and asked if Karl was interested, and explained that if he wasn’t, then we might have to look elsewhere,” reports Leeds Live.
Kate understood Karl’s decision, noting: “I understand why he didn’t want to return – he’s doing other things and he’s doing incredibly well.”
With the recasting decision made, Kate had big plans for Robert: “At that point, I knew that we were recasting a really big character.
“I knew that I wanted Robert to get together with Aaron [Dingle] and that there’d be a big story for him.
“It was a big gamble, but I think it’s paid off.”
Since leaving the Dales, Karl’s career has flourished, landing roles in high-profile series such as Game of Thrones, Call the Midwife, The Tower, Happy Valley, The Syndicate, and most recently, The Bay.
Before his acting career took off, Karl was an extreme sports enthusiast and reportedly participated in climbing competitions during his early to mid-teens.
Before becoming a household name on Emmerdale, he had roles in Fat Friends as Rick Ashburn, Peak Practice as Nick Pullen, and even made an appearance in an episode of The Bill as Danny Lloyd.