Emmerdale’s Oliver Farnworth Confesses: “I’m Really Invested” as a Secret Robron Fan
John Sugden’s Chaos in the Dales
Since arriving in the Dales last August, Oliver Farnworth has made a major impact as the sinister John Sugden. The character has caused shockwaves across the village, culminating in a terrifying sequence in which John kidnapped Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) and held him in a secret underground bunker on his childhood property.
The drama intensified this week when John’s husband, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), discovered the horrifying truth. Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) soon rushed to save his ex from John’s clutches, leading to a shocking cliffside showdown. In a twist that has left viewers reeling, John grabbed Aaron and threw both of them off the edge of a cliff, leaving Robert in utter disbelief.
A Robron Fan Behind the Villain
Speaking at the National Television Awards, Farnworth admitted to a surprising confession: despite portraying one of Emmerdale’s most menacing villains, he’s secretly rooting for Aaron and Robert to reunite.
“From a selfish point of view, I want Aaron to stay with John,” Farnworth said. “But when I watched the episodes the other night, I was a Robron fan because I was like, ‘Come on, Aaron, you can do this!’”
He continued, “I found myself really invested, and I think that’s just testament to what Matt Hilton, the director, created. What the show as a whole can bring to people. I’m just a fan, full stop.”
Bringing a Soap Villain to Life
Farnworth also reflected on the joys and challenges of playing such an iconic soap antagonist. He emphasized the collaborative and safe environment on set:
“We get the scripts, we understand our jobs as actors, and we also work in a very, very safe environment. Whenever we’re doing anything that’s violent—whether it’s me and Danny, me and Lawrence, Aaron and Mackenzie—we always have professionals around. It’s just our job to bring the story to life.”
He added that the working atmosphere is both intense and supportive: “Danny and I can be bawling our eyes out one minute, fighting each other the next, and then just hugging and having a laugh at lunchtime. We leave everything on the pitch; we never take our work home with us. Portraying this character has been fantastic from an actor’s point of view.”
Behind the Scenes: The Bunker Set
Farnworth shared some insights about filming the intense bunker scenes, which pushed the actors both physically and mentally.
“The set they built was really, really claustrophobic. It was small and purpose-built, so we were the first to ever use it,” he explained. “When you saw the woods going down the stairs, that was literally stairs into the earth, and then when you came down the stairs, that was in the studio. Just opening a door and shutting it behind you, being six foot tall—it’s crazy.”
What’s Next for John, Aaron, and Robert?
During Thursday’s hour-long episode, now streaming on ITVX, Robert feared for Aaron’s life as he faced questioning at the police station. Meanwhile, John regained his strength and visited Aaron in his induced coma, lying to authorities by claiming Robert had attacked him.
With John’s dark manipulations continuing, fans are left wondering: will Robert find a way out of this web of deceit? Can Aaron survive and expose the truth about John’s dangerous schemes?