If there’s one former Emmerdale character we love to hear about, it’s Robert Sugden (played by Ryan Hawley), and his name has had reason to come up once more in recent weeks.
Ross Barton (Michael Parr) revealed the off-screen death of Rebecca White (Emily Head), leading her and Robert’s young son, Seb, to go and live with her aunt.
This all came as a shock to Robert’s sister Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) and his ex-husband Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller). Although the latter is currently dating Vic and Robert’s newfound half-brother John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), Aaron couldn’t help reminiscing over happier times with Robert and Seb.
John felt like an outsider, and Victoria encouraged him to speak to Aaron. This didn’t go well, with Aaron reluctant to speak about Robert.
He eventually began to open up, but claimed that he no longer loved Robert. However, John’s judgemental assessment of Robert’s murderous actions led Aaron to snap that John had no idea what he was talking about, before throwing him out of his home.
John is unaware that Robert actually killed the man who raped Victoria. Although Robert is serving a 14 year prison sentence, he’s already served five years, and in the realms of soap land, it’s certainly believable that he could get an early release.
Here at RadioTimes.com, we’ve delved into exactly why Emmerdale needs Robert back. So, join us as we imagine what the iconic character could bring to the village all these years later.
5 reasons Emmerdale needs Robert Sugden back more than ever
1. Challenging John Sugden
We’ve already pondered that John may not be who he says he is – after all, there hasn’t been any outside proof that he actually is the late Jack Sugden’s (Clive Hornby) son.
While it wasn’t out of character for womaniser Jack to have had yet another dalliance, we’re not entirely convinced over John – even if he has now, apparently, explained who Aidan Moore is.
He could still be lying, whether that’s about his identity or his true intentions, and Robert would be the perfect person to expose the truth!
We also can’t ignore that John has followed a creepy pattern, with events copying Aaron’s memorable relationship with Robert; from that country road rendezvous to hiding out in the barn – and there are more parallels to come.
Was John somehow already aware of Aaron and Robert’s colourful history together, or is the repetitive story a mere coincidence?
Whatever it is, something doesn’t quite ring true with John, and Robert is just the person we want to see take action!
2. Reunion with Aaron Dingle
Emmerdale had one of soap land’s greatest love stories with ‘Robron’, and the affection for the couple is still very much alive.
Although Robert and Aaron began as a truly toxic affair, Robert later redeemed himself and Aaron sought help for his mental health, leading them to create a stable and loving family unit.
Just as the pair had settled into a happy marriage, it was time for Robert to bow out, and of course, they had to be torn apart realistically.
But Aaron’s romances since then have lacked the depth and soulmate status he had with Robert – because of course, they are the loves of each other’s lives.
If Robert were to make his comeback, an eventual reunion with Aaron would have to factor in.
The partnership between Miller and Hawley certainly deserves to be revisited, and RadioTimes.com readers even voted Robron as the best soap couple of all time!
3. Raising son Seb White
Seb is now living in Bristol, with Robert having approved the move shortly after Rebecca’s death. Victoria and Aaron were saddened not to be involved, and it seemed odd that Vic, at least, wasn’t informed or asked to help care for Seb.
But if Robert returned, and secured custody of Seb, order could be restored, and the little boy could still stay connected to Rebecca’s side of the family with regular visits to his great-aunt – as well as step-grandma Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen) in Portugal.
Seb is a legacy character, and it’s a shame for him not to be part of village life to keep the family name going. This can only happen full-time if Robert is able to raise Seb.
4. Reconnecting with sister Victoria Sugden
Let’s face it, Victoria has been quite a lost soul in recent years! Her short-lived romance with Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) was a pointless plot device, and despite her finding another sibling in John (or is he?) she’s still being side-lined.
John just isn’t interested in all the family history Vic wants to share, but she had a strong bond with Robert that is very much missed.
Victoria was at her best when she was mischievously meddling in Robert’s life and having regular heart-to-hearts with him, and she needs that extra stability in Robert’s presence.
Even when he wasn’t stable, Victoria kept him grounded; and these days, Victoria needs more fun in her lacklustre life.
5. Revive the Sugden dynasty
Between the strangeness of John’s presence, Victoria’s lack of screen-time and niece Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) barely acknowledging that she’s a member of Emmerdale’s original clan, clearly the show needs Robert back to restore the Sugdens to their former glory.
At the moment, it’s hard not to wonder what the point was of bringing John into the fold, and if he really is Jack’s son, he needs more than Victoria around him.
One way or another, Robert could reignite what made the Sugdens so beloved in the first place, with those powerful familial bonds that have been sadly lacking.
