Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale star Ryan Hawley has confirmed that there will be some testing times ahead for Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle, with the pair not on the best of terms following the shocking revelation last week.

In episodes that aired on Thursday and Friday (9 and 10 April), Aaron discovered that Robert had planted evidence which led to the incarceration of Moira, with Robert being placed in the unwanted position by the scheming Joe Tate.

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Joe had blackmailed Robert by using a video of Victoria killing John as leverage, though a furious Dawn Fletcher deleted the clip. Despite that, Aaron is furious at his partner for his part in Moira’s downfall, and admitted he doesn’t know where they go from here.

“Their relationship is going to be tested by the things that are happening with the farm and Moira,” said Hawley, who plays Robert. “That’s a huge obstacle for them, alongside the conflict with Cain and the Dingles. I don’t know how they’ll navigate that.”

The developments come after Robert and Aaron were placed in charge of Emmerdale Farm following the Tates’ takeover of the property, though Joe has attempted to maintain a modicum of control by pushing Robert into a corner.

Either way, it’s an exciting time for the ITV soap as it goes back to its old roots, and Hawley shared that he was “blessed” to be a part of the storyline as he said: “The show is building a foundation for the Sugden family. It’s an exciting time.

“I’m very blessed to be personally involved in a legacy family, the Sugdens, and getting to have Emmerdale Farm is really cool. A few people have mentioned it to me, and I do feel very honoured to have that.”

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“I actually watched an episode from the ’80s, before Robert was born, and it was really quite cool to look at the show then, and look at it now, and see that continuity and be a part of that,” he added.

While the storyline harkens back to a golden era from the soap, this week’s scenes will see Robert and Aaron make a desperate bid to clear Moira’s name after she pleads guilty to charges of slavery, with the pair undertaking a dangerous mission.

After gaining some information from Bear Wolf, who was a victim of the forced labour operation run by Celia Daniels and Ray Walters, the duo head to a storage unit that could prove the key to freeing Moira.

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“We got to go to a really cool location,” said Hawley. “It was a storage facility with massive shipping containers, which is very different to the backdrop of Emmerdale and the countryside.”

“It was lots of fun. It felt like a school trip. And obviously, me and Danny Miller [Aaron] have a lot of fun working together and enjoyed the time out,” added the actor, who returned to the soap in 2025 after a six-year absence.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage

For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. The latest episode delves into next week’s soap spoilers for EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale – as Todd breaks his silence over Theo, and Moira gives her plea in court.