Emmerdale star Ryan Hawley recently returned to our screens as Robert Sugden – and he has fuelled a long-running fan theory that John may be hiding another huge secret.

Emmerdale made a lot of viewers happy two weeks ago when Robert Sugden made a surprise reappearance on the show. And then it was confirmed he was coming back for good.

One things fans want is for him to play a part in the takedown of his half-brother John. But with all the secrets and lies John has going on, some fans didn’t believe he was even a Sugden. And Ryan Hawley has just fuelled that flame.

John Sugden in Emmerdale

When John first appeared on our screens last August, fans instantly didn’t believe he was actually a Sugden. Before we knew about his murderous ways, many viewers thought he was a fake, and scamming the rest of the village somehow.

The two biggest theories at the start were that he is a fake or he is a serial killer. But over time that theory faded, as we began to learn more and more about John Sugden. And as time went on, we realised neither were true.

It became clear that he enjoys saving the day, even when he killed Nate he didn’t mean for it to happen. And (as far as we know) Nate is the only person he has actually murdered. So, yes, he is a murderer – just not a serial killer.

But Robert’s about to make his highly-awaited comeback, and one thing is for sure – he and John will not get on. And when John threatens him in the prison, Robert is determined to move back to the village for good.

Their feud looks set to continue, and now Ryan Hawley has mentioned that there is still a possibility that John may not be who he says he is.

Ryan Hawley teases DNA twist

Speaking to WhatToWatch, Ryan opened up about what’s to come for his character. And hinted that Robert and John are going to have a “complicated” relationship.

He said: “I’m not even sure he’s 100% sure he is his brother. Is he? John has even said he’s an imposter, so it’s quite complicated. But as for their relationship, there is a lot to explore as the story goes on.”

Now that Ryan has put it out there, could we be about to be hit with another huge twist? The theory has been going on for a long time – just like how fans believed Nate was dead for months.

Ryan continued, admitting he hopes that Robert plays a part in the downfall of John Sugden, but teased that it may not happen like that.

He said: “I would like Robert to be the one that exposes him for who he is because everyone seems to hate Robert at the moment. We, the audience, know that Robert is trying to do the right thing by stopping Aaron from being with this murderer, and that he isn’t the right person for Aaron. So I would want him to, but maybe that’s not meant to be. We’ll just wait and see.”