John Sugden star Oliver Farnworth is expecting backlash after being revealed as Nate Robinson’s (Jurell Carter) killer in Emmerdale.
Everyone in village believed that Nate left last year for a new life in Shetland, and hasn’t been in contact since. To Nate’s ex Tracy Robinson (Amy Walsh), the silence looks as though he is ghosting her and their daughter Frankie.
In reality, we now know that John killed Nate shortly after he was attacked by Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), and then threw his body in the lake.
Prior to her death, the corpse was spotted by Amy Wyatt (Natalie Ann Jameson) in February when she fell through the frozen water.
Why did John Sugden kill Nate Robinson?
Here, actor Oliver Farnworth reveals more about John’s secret. As we know, John didn’t intend to kill Nate and is facing a difficult job of keeping his secret hidden.
‘Obviously, what happened with Nate to all intents and purposes was an accident, but there’s no way that John dealt with it, or is continuing to deal with it, in the right way’, he said.
‘Not just from a legal point of view, but from the point of view of the families that will be affected. There will certainly be a lot of fallout from that.’
Teasing what’s ahead, Oliver revealed: ‘There’s lots of big stuff coming up. I guess with the sort of web that John’s woven for himself in the back of his mind, he’s anticipating people to start being suspicious, secrets to come out and people to start finding things out.
‘He’s probably got a few set pieces prepared in his mind for dealing with all of this, but really what he’s had to do so far is just kind of think on his feet and adapt to situations around him.
‘I’m sure this will all change soon. And the jeopardy at stake for him now is that he’s got his whole life in Emmerdale village.
‘He’s got the love of his life, Aaron, he’s got a family that he never had. He does not want to lose all that, under any circumstances. There’s going to be a few battles ahead, I think.’
Metro Soaps Reporter Calli Kitson says…
I have been hooked on the John Sugden storyline ever since it was suggested that he killed Nate last year.
The character fascinates me, and seeing him unleash his anger by smashing a car up a few days ago confirmed to me that John keeps many aspects of his personality totally hidden.
And how fabulous is it for Oliver Farnworth to show us his acting talent.
Killing Nate unintentionally and deposing of his body so effortlessly certainly suggests John has done this before. His drugging of Chas, and deliberately inflicting an allergic reaction onto Jacob makes it seem as though John lives with a hero complex – someone who creates situations he can resolve, and be praised afterwards.
But what has made John this way?
And when pushed to the limit amid a complex web of lies, what else is he capable of?
Reflecting on the viewers finally learning the truth about John, Oliver added: ‘I think for me, the exciting thing is that the viewers find out first before anyone else in the village.
‘So it’s kind of like letting them into these big secrets that John’s been harbouring. It’s caused him a lot of stress and anguish having to hide things.
‘I think the fact that the viewers find out first, is going to be really exciting although I’ll see what the backlash is I guess! It was bound to happen at some point, so I’m glad it’s come out now.’
Oliver loves being part of the Emmerdale cast
Now settled into his role, Oliver loves exploring the multi-faceted John Sugden.
‘I absolutely love it here at Emmerdale’, he smiled.
‘I really, really, truly love it. I think the character is a gift, really, because the backstory that’s been created from day one is so deep. The different intricacies of the character are just so interesting to play.
‘He’s not just a villain or a bad person on paper, there’s way, way more to it than that. Even day by day, week by week, I’m literally still discovering things about him. So yes, there’s plenty more to come and yes, it’s a gift of a part.’
