Is John Sugden an imposter in Emmerdale as villain’s comeuppance draws closer?

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John Sugden‘s (Oliver Farnworth) time on Emmerdale is almost up, and his cruel actions are about to be revealed. But before that happens, fans are speculating if there’s more to his story than meets the eye.

What if John isn’t actually a Sugden, but an imposter?

Victoria Sugden, played by Isabel Hodgins, unexpectedly met John while giving Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) a ride to Barbara’s, John’s mother’s, funeral.

Barbara, played by Angela Down, briefly appeared in 1988 as a girlfriend for Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby), and was the mother of his previously unknown son. However, it was never revealed if Jack, known for his affairs and family life, ever discovered he had another child.

Vic never bothered to confirm if she and John were actually related, and honestly, we doubt the rather standoffish John would have agreed to a DNA test!

He didn’t care at all about his family history, and while it didn’t necessarily mean he was dishonest, certain events during his time in the village suggest he might have been pretending to be someone he wasn’t.

Okay, so when I found out who John really was – after, you know, things had already started between us – my husband, Aaron Dingle (played by Danny Miller), was instantly suspicious. He honestly thought I had some hidden motive, like I was using him for something. It was a pretty tense time, let me tell you!

As a long-time viewer, I was really shocked when, in November 2024, we found out Rebecca White had passed away. It was even more complicated because Aaron learned that his ex, Robert Sugden – who was still in prison – had made arrangements for their son, Sebastian, to be raised by Rebecca’s aunt. It added a whole new layer of drama to everything!

Aaron and John were dating, but John became upset when Aaron still seemed to have feelings for Seb. When John condemned Robert for his past actions, Aaron defended him, leading to a fight that ended with Aaron asking John to leave.

The next day, Aaron attended an illegal boxing match at Moira Dingle’s (Natalie J Robb) barn.

John quietly called the police about what was happening at the boxing match. As the promoters ran away, Aaron was punched and seriously injured.

John pretended to be harmless, dramatically rescuing Aaron, which led Aaron to trust him and start a genuine relationship.

Is it possible John orchestrated all of this, or are we overthinking things? It’s tough not to speculate when you’re watching a soap opera!

What exactly happened to Aaron and why John reported the fight were never fully explained. However, a recent flashback episode highlighted what Aaron went through.

John has often engineered situations where he appears to be a hero, so it’s not far-fetched to think he might have intentionally caused Aaron’s injury. This could be a way for him to speed things up and try to make Robert disappear from his thoughts.

As a long-time Emmerdale fan, I always figured the Sugdens were prone to family drama – it’s just part of being one of the show’s original families! But it was really surprising how strongly John disliked Robert, especially since they’d never even met before. It seemed like a really intense reaction for someone who didn’t know him at all.

Was John’s behavior caused by jealousy towards Aaron, or did he already dislike Robert and try to become friendly with Robert’s family and friends as a result?

Could John be connected to Robert in some way? Robert consistently doubted John’s family ties ever since John came back to the Dales, even questioning Vic about how well she knew him.

Aside from briefly connecting Victoria to family she didn’t have and the initial oddness of Aaron’s relationship with Robert’s brother, John’s connection to the Sugden family hasn’t really impacted his story.

There was, after all, always going to be a rivalry between John and Robert because of Aaron.

We understand this might be a bit of a stretch, but characters connected to the doctor’s past have identified him as John Sugden.

Without confirmation from someone knowledgeable about Sugden history, we still have a slight feeling of uncertainty.

Picture someone you’ve known for years suddenly revealing a shocking secret: that John isn’t actually Jack’s biological son.

Top of our wish list would be Robert’s one-time sister-in-law Kathy Glover (Malandra Burrows).

Honestly, this story feels like it *needs* a huge surprise, something totally unexpected. And I think introducing Imposter John would be absolutely perfect – it would completely shock everyone and change everything we thought we knew!

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2025-09-17 18:36