Emmerdale's greatest ever Robert Sugden moments – from villain era to Robron love story

The older, but not so much wiser Robert made quite the mess upon his return, with Hawley beautifully exploring his character's backstory and sexuality amid a turbulent, but endearing love story.

Torn apart from Robert when the latter was sent to prison, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) is now poised to wed his ex-husband's long-lost half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth).

Robert made his sudden reappearance just as John was scrambling to conceal his killer crimes, and it's safe to say that legions of fans will be rejoicing at the sight of Robert after all these years.

Here at RadioTimes.com, we've campaigned for Robert's comeback, and now we're taking a trip down memory lane to relive the character's best moments.

Read on below as we dive into the best of Robert Sugden, as played by returning star Hawley.

Robert Sugden's greatest Emmerdale moments

Robert and Aaron's first kiss

Everything changed for Robert when he lured Aaron to a lay-by on a country road, under the pretence that his car had broken down. Robert kissed Aaron and, in that one passionate moment, 'Robron' was born.

Robert embarked on an affair with Aaron, but tried to downplay his feelings as he wed Chrissie White (Louise Marwood) and insisted he was straight.

But unlike the love that blossomed between Robert and Aaron, his marriage to Chrissie would never last.

Robert the villain

Desperate to keep his affair with a man under wraps, Robert was thwarted by ex-girlfriend and sister-in-law Katie (Sammy Winward), who knew he was cheating, but was left stunned to catch him in a clinch with Aaron.

A scuffle broke out as Robert tried to gain the upper hand, and when Robert pushed Katie away, she fell through the floorboards of a disused farm and died instantly.

While Robert never intended to kill Katie, he went to extremes to cover his tracks, manipulating Aaron, threatening children and shooting Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt).

Robert had become a full-on villain, and even contemplated killing Aaron's mum Chas (Lucy Pargeter). And how do villains get their comeuppance? With an elaborate whodunnit...

Who shot Robert?

By the time Robert fell victim to a mystery shooter, Andy had discovered the truth about Katie's death; Chrissie was aware of his infidelity and Robert had inflicted a vicious rant upon Aaron.

This provided us with a long list of suspects, while Robert ended up in a coma and a flashback special revealed the culprit.

Andy had paid Ross Barton (Michael Parr) to pull the trigger, but Aaron was charged for the crime until Robert gave a false statement to free him.

Although they never faced justice, Robert exposed Andy and Ross's scheme to Debbie (Charley Webb), losing Andy his kids and Ross his romantic future.

Robert finds redemption

After all that happened, Aaron hated Robert – and the Robron flame looked to have been extinguished.

But that all changed when Robert saved Aaron's life, and a tormented Aaron confided his childhood abuse to his ex-lover.

Robert proved himself when he stood by Aaron's side throughout a traumatic court case and beyond, earning Chas's tentative trust and eventually starting a real relationship with Aaron.

Robert reconciles with Andy

Decades of feuding melted away when Andy was framed by Chrissie for shooting Lawrence (John Bowe), and Robert helped his adoptive brother flee the country.

After handing over a fake passport, Robert and Andy became emotional, sharing a final hug and a "See you, brother".

Robert vowed revenge on Chrissie for Andy's sake, but all it led to was an incident which left Robert dangling from a zip line!

It would be years before Chrissie and her son Lachlan (Thomas Atkinson) paid the price, and Andy has yet to be seen again.

Robert comes out as bisexual

Having never put a label on his sexuality before, Robert opened up to Aaron and confirmed he was bisexual. He liked both men and women, he explained, but that didn't mean he would cheat.

Unfortunately, Emmerdale would later go back on Robert's word when he had a fling with Rebecca White (Emily Head) which left her pregnant.

Despite this, Robert's coming out remains one of the most heartfelt scenes in the soap's history, expertly written by Maxine Alderton and played to perfection by Hawley and Miller, as Aaron responded with love.

Robert's proposal to Aaron ends in a car crash

Asking Aaron to marry him should have been straightforward for Robert, but oblivious Aaron kidnapped mouthy Lachlan and, just as the frustrated Robert had told Aaron of his intentions, they were involved in a multiple car crash.

Robert and Aaron ended up in the lake, and when Aaron realised he was trapped in the car, he urged Robert to leave him and save himself. Robert refused, freeing Aaron and administering CPR before diving in to retrieve the engagement ring.

At the hospital, Aaron accepted the proposal, but a high dose of morphine caused him to forget, and the engagement was sealed again the following day.

Robert's Christmas nightmare

Aaron initially tried to get past Robert's betrayal, but a violent outburst led to a long-term split and, while Robert spiralled into old, scheming habits, Aaron dated Doctor Alex Mason (Steven Flynn).

Robert became a father to baby Sebastian, but he continued to pine for Aaron, getting drunk and derailing the other man's date.

Robert was accidentally mowed down by Lawrence, and in his unconscious state he dreamt of repeated efforts to win Aaron back, before the late Val Pollard (Charlie Hardwick) made an iconic cameo to warn Robert it was time to mend his ways.

Robert and Aaron get back together

Just as Robert vowed to accept Aaron moving on, Aaron realised he simply couldn't.

Before long, the exes shared a tearful heart-to-heart. Robert was reluctant to risk messing up again, but Aaron delivered a moving speech about all the good Robert had brought to his life – alongside some playful criticism of his dance moves.

Stunned, Robert replied: "I'm actually a really good dancer," before finally agreeing to a reunion. Aaron and Robert marked their fresh start with a loving embrace, and a solid new era began.

Robert and Aaron get married – twice

Wedding one, taking place before Rebecca-gate, was marred by Aaron's imminent departure for prison. Unable to wed legally just yet, Robert arranged a surprise blessing – but Dingle chaos led the couple to say their vows alone in the privacy of the garage.

Almost two years later, life had settled down, and Robert and Aaron became legal husbands in a romantic outdoor ceremony, after which Robert told the guests that he'd be completely lost without Aaron.

Robert hands himself in to the police to save Aaron

The future looked bright for Robron as they made plans to start a family while splitting access to little Seb with Rebecca. But their surrogacy journey came to an abrupt halt in 2019.

Having attacked Lee Posner (Kris Mochrie), the rapist of Robert's beloved sister Victoria (Isabel Hodgins), Robert's fate was sealed when Lee later died in hospital.

After going on the run with Aaron, Robert realised he couldn't take his husband away from his loved ones, instead handing himself in to the police.

Sentenced to 14 years in jail, Robert was broken to learn he was being transferred to a prison on the Isle of Wight, leading him to share one last visit with Aaron where he declared his undying love.

Robert then cut off all contact with Aaron and filed for divorce; and although this was done for Aaron's own good, Robert would surely be devastated to know that life hasn't quite worked out that way.

Read more:

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• Emmerdale's Oliver Farnworth teases killer John's future after wedding week nightmare
• Coronation Street and Emmerdale confirm bumper crossover episode for new 2026 schedule launch
• Emmerdale's Olivia Bromley teases Dawn's future: "Her days could be numbered"
• Emmerdale airs huge Joe Tate update as suspects are issued a warning
• Emmerdale's Mackenzie's 'life's in jeopardy' from villainous John

Emmerdale airs Mondays to Fridays at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.

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