Viewers admitted that maybe John Sugden really is who he says as they try to figure out his history

Emmerdale fans admit they were ‘wrong’ about John Sugden as they rumble ‘backstory’ after convincing arguments suggested he wasn’t a real Sugden.

When actor Oliver Farnworth made his Emmerdale debut as John Sugden, no one could predict just how villainous his character would end up being.

Perhaps more of a tragic villain than most, he accidentally killed Nate Robinson after trying to “save” him. His body was found after the lake was dredged due to the slurry tank incident on Butlers Farm. His loved ones were in shock thinking that he had moved to Shetland for a fresh start.

John managed to pin the blame on Owen through a carefully crafted suicide note, all while grappling with his own spiralling guilt over the matter. With his long list of crimes growing from drugging Chas Dingle, causing Jacob Gallagher to have an allergic reaction, and putting his ex-fiancé Aidan Moore in a coma, John’s becoming desperate to hide the truth.

His newlywed husband Aaron Dingle suggested they start afresh in John’s childhood home, moving away from the village altogether.

Unaware that Aaron had slept with his ex-husband Robert Sugden, John agreed to the plan, happy to have Aaron all to himself.

However, all is not as it seems as John had Mackenzie Boyd held captive in an underground bunker after he discovered John’s link to Nate’s murder.

In recent episodes, John had drugged Aaron hoping that he’d feel “needed” by his husband. Things started to get worse as Aaron kept drinking without realising John had spiked him.

As Mack escaped the bunker, John ran to the woods and another intense chase ensued. Aaron, desperate for John’s help stumbled into the woods after him.

Convinced he heard Mack’s voice while in the woods, Aaron later questioned John who came up with a quick excuse. Clearly no longer trusting John the same way he once did, Aaron found a phone that John had left in his pocket.

Aaron decided to try and turn on the phone while John wasn’t there. To his surprise, it was Mack’s phone and his face was a picture as he tried to piece together everything he heard the day before.

During Monday’s (September 8) installment, Aaron rushed to find Mack, but ended up at the edge of a gorge. As John caught up to him, Robert Sugden then appeared – putting them both in danger as John was jealous over their affair.

Telling Aaron that if he can’t have him the no one can after calling the police and framing Robert, John threw himself and his newlywed husband off the edge.

As fans take some time to digest the recent events, others are convinced they’ve figured out some of John’s mysterious backstory, while also admitting they were wrong about John not being a real Sugden.

On a Reddit thread, u/Specialist_ask_992_ asked: “Could it be possible that John targeted Aaron from the start if he knew about Robert all along? The house where he grew up in isn’t that far from the village. Maybe he knew about Jack Sugden and his family, resented that he wanted nothing to do with him and didn’t have the love his other children had.

“His own childhood maybe mightn’t have been that good, abusive mum maybe and never getting to know his dad? Could have possibly got with Aaron resenting what Robert had, saying he’s the better brother and that he saves people.”

u/notperfect_justok added: “I think I may finally have to admit that John is indeed, may very well be, quite possibly is a SUGDEN. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“I have been a card-carrying member of the ‘John is a Fraud/Not a Sugden’ club. Even after seeing the stupid certificates on his childhood bedroom wall, I was still adamant – he’s a fraud! LOL!!

“But today, I started to wonder. John’s animosity towards Robert, goes beyond jealously over his relationship with Aaron and I believe it started way before Robert appeared back in the village. If John is Jack’s illegitimate son, and he’s lived not that far from the village as it would appear, he’s possibly known and kept up with everything about Robert’s life. He has possibly been obsessed and jealous of Robert his entire life.

“A big part of his triumph over ‘winning Aaron’, was also knowing he ‘beat Robert’; he clearly says all of this and more in his interaction with Robert today. He is revelling in appearing to be the ‘better brother/son/husband’ .”

Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.