Emmerdale's John Sugden plans "Romeo and Julius" death plot against Robert and Kev in ITVX release
Warning: Contains spoilers for Boxing Day's episode of Emmerdale, which airs on ITV1 at 6.30pm or can be streamed now on ITVX.

Romeo and Juliet is a tale as old as time - boy meets girl, families clash, girl fakes death, boy takes his own life, girl awakes and does the same.
Now prepare for the Emmerdale version, "Romeo and Julius", penned by the ITV soap's very own Shakespeare - John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth). There's a few subtle differences in his version, however.
Consider this for a concept: boy meets prisoner, boy's partner's vengeful husband goes on the run, prisoner returns and meets the vengeful husband, who then orders the prisoner to kill the boy and then take his own life. Confused? Us too.

John is determined to get back with Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), and will stop at nothing to rid his own brother Robert (Ryan Hawley) from their lives. Meanwhile, Robert's husband Kev (Chris Coghill) is hoping for a reunion of his own.
On Christmas Day, we discovered that Kev had been tied and bound, kept in a derelict house and is now living under John's instruction.
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Meanwhile, Aaron and Robert have absolutely no idea of the danger that is looming over them. Kev had aimed and fired a shotgun at them twice, but they managed to take cover before being hit. The fact John is back in the area will be a complete surprise!

At the conclusion of today's instalment, Kev became unwell and John leapt into his seemingly 'heroic' ways, but it didn't come without a clause.
He explained that the only reason he'd ensured his survival was so that he could return to the village, kill Robert, then kill himself à la Montagues and Capulets. This would then present the perfect opportunity for Aaron to fall back into John's arms.
It's a foolproof plan, right?
But will Kev go through with the dastardly deed?
Read more:
- Emmerdale 2025 Christmas schedules confirmed by ITV - including extended festive episode
- Major Emmerdale character leaves after sword attack and holding three villagers hostage – but will they be back?
- Emmerdale airs huge twist as character 'returns from the dead'
- Emmerdale's Jaye Griffiths reveals future for Celia after shocking twist
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.





