Ryan graced the screen as the charming James Bailey in the latest instalment, which premiered on Wednesday. Teasing his new gig, he looked a far cry from his soap opera image as he shared a snapshot of himself in character on Instagram.

Eager to update his fans, he penned: “The Thames Reaper is on the loose in this week’s episode of Miss Scarlet. Watch me, James Bailey help the eponymous hero crack the case! This Wednesday U&alibi 9pm UK.”

Emmerdale fans have been showing their love and longing for actor Ryan Hawley, who played the beloved Robert Sugden, to make a comeback to the soap. One adoring fan gushed: “Ah lovely to see you in another TV show. Hope to see you back in the Dales one day!”

Another chimed in with: “Robert Sugden we miss you.” A third echoed the sentiment, pleading: “Robert please come back to Emmerdale.”

There were more calls for his return as one fan stated: “Please come back to Emmerdale! !” and another expressed excitement: “Forward to seeing you on our screens again. We really need to see more of you.”

Since his departure from the Dales, Ryan has been gracing other television shows with his presence. He made an appearance on Casualty last year as Jamie Cleveland, and turned heads with a dramatic new look featuring a long hairstyle and beard in Silent Witness.

Additionally, he’s been part of Channel 5’s revival of All Creatures Great & Small as Sid Crabtree.