John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) has been a bit of a closed book since arriving in Emmerdale village and Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) has been nothing if not persistent in trying to break down her half-brother’s walls.
Initially, he was in a huge hurry to leave the village as fast as possible, but a combination of his van breaking down and Victoria working her magic, he has outstayed even his own expectations.
He’s made it very clear he’s not willing to talk about his past and isn’t particularly interested in learning about Victoria’s either. But one element of his life he’s truly refused to acknowledge is his army past.
It came out that he was once an army medic when he heroically saved lives during the barn fire. But that’s as much as he’d say. Vic also has no idea that he’s boinking her former brother-in-law, Aaron (Danny Miller).
On attempt 954 to indoctrinate him into the family, Victoria is left annoyed when John ignores her family photos in favour of scrolling on his phone. Finally hitting her limit, she snaps and snatches the phone off him.
This is where she learns he’s been harbouring a secret dalliance with Aaron as she finds all of their texts. ‘And she sees that one is of a particular nature!’ actress Isabel Hodgins titillatingly reveals to Metro.co.uk. Now she knows more than she ever wanted to about what’s going on behind their closed doors.
She questions him, but if we’ve learned anything about John it’s that he hates to be quizzed or to have to open up. So, he does what he does best, and storms out of the pub.
Isabel explains the reason for her probing: ‘[It] is that Aaron has been involved with Robert and Aaron is a bit of a liability. And if they continue to see each other and it goes wrong, John’s going to leave and he’s going to leave the village. And that’s the last thing that she wants.’
John’s actions only serve to intrigue Vic, who wonders what else he’s hiding. Later, feeling sheepish, she knocks on his van to apologise. But when he doesn’t answer, she opens the van anyway.
She has a good old rummage and finds his dog tags marked ‘Aidan Moore’.
Naturally, John catches her in the act and is furious, throwing her out of his van and likely ending their relationship for good. But what secret has she stumbled on – is it a lost love? Or could it be his true identity?
Asked whether Vic would reject him if his secret turned out to be bad, Isabel revealed: ‘Most likely it would depend on what it was…if he was hurting people or, you know, if he was truly a sinister character, then I think she’d struggle there, because I think fundamentally Victoria is a good person.’ What could it be?
