John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth)’s attempts to discredit his brother and rival Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) backfire in forthcoming Emmerdale episodes – sending Robert back into the arms of John’s husband, and Robert’s ex, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller).

When Robert first pitched up back in Emmerdale on the day of Aaron and John’s wedding, it was immediately apparent that the attraction between Aaron and his ex was still strong. They ended up kissing passionately, before Aaron ultimately chose to go back to the wedding and marry John.

Since then, John’s level of loathing for Robert has been extremely high, which is a dangerous position to be in given that John has few qualms about dealing ruthlessly with people who are giving him problems.

In upcoming episodes John is furious to see Robert and Aaron chatting at the cafe, and he decides to use his nephew Harry as a way to get back at Aaron by manipulating the boy.

While Robert is looking after Harry, they boy’s drumming causes an already stressed Robert to lose his temper – and John is on hand to walk in at that precise moment.

This is excellent ammunition for John to go back to Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) with tales of Robert’s nasty behaviour to her son Harry, and to reiterate to Aaron how bad a person Robert is.

Then John visits Robert to rub it in that he’s probably lost both Victoria and Aaron.

Robert is in despair after this, and starts smashing up his room. Aaron hears this commotion and goes into the house, finding Robert apparently at the very end of his tether, a broken man.

Aaron comforts him and reassures him that the situation isn’t as bad as he thinks and there’s still hope.

Aaron admits that he has unresolved feelings for Robert, and that’s why he’s been pushing him away recently because he can’t cope with how he feels. Overcome by emotion, the two men give in to their mutual feelings for each other and end up in bed together.

Discussing these scenes, star Ryan Hawley said: ‘Robert just kind of breaks down in Aaron’s arms. And then we cut to the scene downstairs, when they’re kind of talking amongst each other. And Robert says, you know, it’s time for him to go. He needs to move on.

‘He shouldn’t have come back, but then Aaron convinces him not to and to stay, and he’s been fighting feelings the whole time as well. And that’s when we get our first Aaron and Robert love scene.’

Afterwards, Aaron and Robert hear John and Victoria outside, discussing how they need to check that Robert’s OK.

Will they walk in on the pair and make a shock discovery?

And does this mean that Aaron has now chosen Robert over John?

With John about to hear some unsettling news about the man he framed for Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter)’s murder (and left to die), his stress levels are at an all-time high. Finding out about Aaron and Robert could tip him over the edge – leading to deadly danger for both.

‘It’s kind of a take it as it is, just this moment kind of thing’, Ryan added, discussing what Robert thinks of his moment with Aaron.

‘And you know, they even say to each other, we don’t want to think about any of that now, the circumstances that we’ve got is complicated. It is what it is right now, and then we’ll see from there. It kind of leads into the next phase of the story.