The scales well and truly fell from Aaron Dingle’s (Danny Miller) eyes in Emmerdale as Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) gatecrashed his wedding to John (Oliver Farnworth).

Aaron was all set to wed John, who is keeping a multitude of secrets, when he sets his sights on former flame Robert in the doorway of the venue.

The mechanic, who was head over heels for Robert as decade ago, believed that he’d finally found love again with John, who rocked up in the eponymous village late last year.

Viewers know that John cannot be trusted, having killed Nate Robinson (Jurrell Carter), put ex-lover Aidan Moore in a coma – twice – and assisted in the cover up of a murder.

With the exception of the latter, Aaron remains in the dark about his new beau’s crimes and thus was all ready to tie the knot on Wednesday (May 28).

But Robert’s unexpected return has changed everything – and we mean everything!

If you’re struggling to recall who Robert is – perish the thought! – and what exactly happened to him then you’re in luck as I figured now was the perfect opportunity to fill in the blanks.

Who is Robert Sugden in Emmerdale?

As a Sugden family member, Robert is a long-serving mainstay of Emmerdale, having made his first appearance back in 1986.

Robert has been at the centre of numerous storylines throughout his various tenures in the village, including a long rivalry with brother Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) and his affair with Andy’s wife Katie (Sammy Winward).

He was to blame for the death of Max King, who was killed when Robert and Sadie King attempted to murder one another following their brief fling.

Robert subsequently fled the village in 2005 and, aside from a one-off appearance in 2009 for the funeral of patriarch Jack, he remained off-screen until 2014.

During this stay in the village, he embarked on an affair with Aaron – birthing the phenomenal that was Robron – and killed Katie on his wedding day to Chrissie.

After being shot by Ross Barton (Mike Parr) as part of whodunit storyline, the character underwent something of a personality change, becoming a better person.

He and Aaron tied the knot in 2017.

What happened to Robert in Emmerdale?

Robert was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 after he attacked Lee Posner, who raped Victoria Barton (Isabel Hodgins). Lee died of his injuries.

Following a final farewell with Aaron, Robert cut all contact and filed for divorce, much to the horror of his husband.

Who plays Robert Sugden in Emmerdale?

Robert has been portrayed by numerous actors over the years, namely Karl Davies – who played the role between 2001 and 2009 – and of course Ryan Hawley, who took over in 2014.

Ryan portrayed the part until 2019 when he left the ITV soap. He returned to the show for Robert’s comeback in 2025.