Emmerdale’s Anthony Fox ‘not really d.e.a.d’ as villager ‘secretly nurses him back to health’

Emmerdale viewers believe that Anthony Fox isn’t really d.e.a.d, with many thinking that one villager is “secretly nursing him back to health”.

Fans will recall that Aaron Dingle attacked Anthony in January, and later returned to the depot to find the evil man d.e.a.d.

Aaron was therefore convinced that he had killed Anthony, and urged his partner John Sugden to get rid of the body. However, it was actually Ruby Fox-Milligan who committed the m.u.r.d.e.r.

Prior to the m.u.r.d.e.r, an Emmerdale flashback episode revealed that Anthony had sexually abused his daughter when she was a teenager, and was therefore the biological father of Ruby’s daughter, Steph.

Ruby had kept this to herself for over 30 years, but has since told her husband Caleb and his siblings, Chas and Cain.

John initially refused to tell Aaron where Anthony’s body was, as he was convinced that it would make matters worse. However, after much persuasion, he revealed that he had dug a makeshift grave in the woods.

John then hosted a meeting with the Dingles at a secret location, where he explained that if one person doesn’t stick to their plan, then the entire group will fall apart.

Ruby has since visited her father’s grave, and was recently seen breaking down in tears as the weight of everything overwhelmed her.

Since his arrival in the Dales back in August 2024, fans have grown more suspicious of John, with some soap watchers convinced he’s hiding a big secret.

A number of Emmerdale viewers have taken to social media with the theory that Anthony isn’t really d.e.a.d, and that John is keeping him alive somewhere near the village.

“I don’t think Anthony is d.e.a.d at all. John’s helping him for some reason,” one person said on an Emmerdale Facebook fan page, with another adding: “I think he’s still alive. John has him held up somewhere.”

A third viewer theorised: “What if he is not d.e.a.d but John saved him and told him never to return,” with another sharing: “Is John keeping Anthony in a barn and nursing him back to health?”

Meanwhile, other fans do believe that Anthony is d.e.a.d, but aren’t sure that John has been honest about where he buried him.

“I don’t think that’s where Anthony is buried, I can bet that if they dug up his grave the body wouldn’t be there,” one person said on Reddit, with another concurring: “Totally agree that Anthony isn’t buried there.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX