A few months on from Chris Coghill’s most recent appearance on Emmerdale, it’s been confirmed the actor will reprise his role as the devious Kev Townsend in the not-so-distant future.

Kev, the estranged husband of Robert Sugden, was last seen in the Dales on New Year’s Day after he almost fell into the clutches of John Sugden, the half-brother of Robert who had been terrorising the residents for a while.

Kev alerted Aaron Dingle to John’s whereabouts before heading away to safety. His arc also saw him lie about having a terminal illness, while it was also revealed that he’s Lewis Barton’s dad.

Now, after several fans of the ITV soap urged producers to bring Kev back, they finally have their wish. The character will return to the Dales in the coming months with a new business venture.

“I’m really pleased to be returning to Emmerdale,” said Coghill. “I had a brilliant time last year. Kev is a complex character that I love playing. He has psychopathic tendencies, but also an energy and vulnerability that I think makes him pretty unique.”

“Both Chris and the character of Kev made a massive impact on the show last year, so Chris is most definitely back by popular demand,” added producer Laura Shaw.

“With Kev’s son, Lewis, in the village still unaware of who his father is, it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of unfinished business and drama ahead.”

A first-look photo teases what the character will be getting up to, as he’s seen standing in front of a sign that reads “A slice of Kev-en. Cakes. Coffee”, which Emmerdale confirmed will “stir up trouble” in the local community.

With Robert and Aaron settling into a new life at the farm, will Kev cause issues in their relationship? And will we see more of him with Lewis?

The actor previously teased a return in February, telling Radio Times, “I think it’s destined to happen – everyone loved Kevin. He was tricky, he was funny, but I feel like Lewis and Kev have a really weird unspoken bond and it would be silly not to dive into that more deeply.”