He starred on the ITV soap for nine years ADAM Thomas has teased the prospect

of an exciting Emmerdale comeback as he admitted playing the role of Adam Barton

was “a huge part of my life.” The Strictly Come Dancing alumni, 36, made his

confession on Monday’s Lorraine show, before a clip showing his fresh-faced Dales character played out. Show host Lorraine Kelly, 64, told how how the “door was never shut” despite the fact he recently reprised his role on BBC drama Waterloo Road. As she asked if Adam would ever return to Emmerdale, he giggled and said: “Listen, never say never Lorraine. “Never say never. With Emmerdale it was a huge part of my life. “I was there eight or nine years, it was a very long time.” Adam’s character arrived in the Yorkshire-based soap in 2009. He added of the ITV soap: “It’s the best job in the world to learn to act. “It’s so quick as well.” His much-loved character left the soap in 2018 after confessing to Emma Barton’s murder – yet didn’t end up in prison.

At the time, Adam told police that he’d murdered Emma in order to save his mum Moira Dingle – who was the actual culprit – from prison. Emma actually died after “jumping” from a viaduct in 2017 but it later transpired that Moira had pushed her. Actor Adam’s exact exit storyline saw Aaron and Cain break his character out of the prison van on the day of his sentencing. They gave him money and took him to the docks where he boarded a cargo ship that would take him to Amsterdam and then France. A friend of Aaron’s was set to provide Adam with work once he arrived and, since then, his life has been a mystery. When announcing his exit on social media, he said: “I’ve had an amazing eight years working on Emmerdale and I’ve loved every minute of it.

“It was a really tough decision to leave but I felt that now is the time to move on and challenge myself with some new roles. “I’d like to thank everyone at Emmerdale for both giving me the opportunity to work as part of such a great team and for giving my character Adam Barton some great storylines too.” Meanwhile, his comments come as his on-screen half-brother Ross Barton, played by Michael Parr, is set to return to Emmerdale after six years away.

CASH WOE Off-screen, Adam has been caught up in financial turmoil after his restaurant went bust. We exclusively reported how he lost thousands after his eatery collapsed in July 2023. Adam and pal Scott Graham invested the money to set up Manchester-based restaurant The Spinn in 2019. But in the first three years the eatery ran up debts totalling up to £300,000. Liquidators confirmed: “We do not anticipate paying a dividend to any creditors.” The Spinn was boarded up in 2022 – which left many wondering if it had closed for refurbishment or gone out of business. Adam quit as director of the business in April of that year. The eatery was closed a few months later.