Emmerdale fans are bracing for a landmark episode this week as the ITV soap delivers a gripping flashback centered on Robert Sugden and his prison husband Kev Townsend. Airing on Wednesday, November 5, the standalone installment promises shocking revelations and a twist that could redefine Robert’s future in the village.

A Look Inside Robert’s Hidden Years

The special episode will explore Robert’s six years behind bars, serving part of his 14-year sentence for the death of Lee Posner. Until now, much of that chapter has remained a mystery, but flashbacks will finally reveal how Robert and Kev’s relationship began and evolved within prison walls.

When Kev unexpectedly arrived in Emmerdale earlier this autumn, it stunned fans — and Robert’s former husband Aaron Dingle, reigniting an emotional triangle that has kept viewers guessing.

The Twist No One Saw Coming

Speaking to OK! and other outlets, Ryan Hawley (Robert) admitted he was completely unaware of his character’s hidden marriage until just before filming. “I didn’t know I had a husband in prison,” he laughed. “Someone on set just said, ‘Yeah, so your husband is coming into it,’ and I was like, ‘What!’”

But the actor teased that the flashback holds more than just backstory. “There is one particularly very nice little twist that neither of us knew about until we read the script,” he revealed. “I remember reading it and thinking, ‘Whoa,’ because it’s massively pivotal in the relationship. As far as we know, no one finds out about it — at least, not yet.”

A Story Told Across Time

The episode will span several time periods, jumping from 2021 to the present day, weaving through key moments in Robert’s imprisonment and his growing bond with Kev. Hawley added that the production even reflected those shifts physically: “There are different looks. All me, no wigs! Just different hairstyles to show the years passing.”

Chris Coghill, who plays Kev, echoed his co-star’s excitement: “It explains a lot about my thinking and what I expect from Robert. There’s a thing that leads into the flashback which really sets up why their relationship is the way it is.”

A Dramatic Climax Ahead

While both actors remained tight-lipped about the nature of the twist, they teased that the episode sets the stage for a powerful emotional climax. “I think it’s leading to a climax,” Hawley said, with Coghill adding, “Something very dramatic. But we can’t say what it is.”

With layers of secrecy, romance, and emotional fallout still to unfold, this week’s Emmerdale episode is shaping up to be one of the soap’s most anticipated events of the year.