Emmerdale fans work out dark twist for Arthur Thomas and John Sugden

EMMERDALE fans predict a dark twist for Arthur Thomas as he tries to prove his maturity to John Sugden. 

Since returning from Australia, Arthur (Alfie Clarke) has had a huge crush on Robert and Victoria’s brother, John (Oliver Farnworth). So far, John has made it clear that he’s not interested in the 17-year-old, but ITV soap fans are convinced things will change as the storyline takes a dark turn. 

Emmerdale fans have worked out upcoming dark twist for Arthur Thomas after his lies about John Sugden
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Emmerdale fans have worked out upcoming dark twist for Arthur Thomas after his lies about John SugdenCredit: ITV
Arthur previously lied about sleeping with John
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Arthur previously lied about sleeping with JohnCredit: ITV
This led to a huge confrontation as Laurel overheard
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This led to a huge confrontation as Laurel overheardCredit: ITV

Emmerdale viewers have seen plenty of scenes between Arthur and John in the month of October alone, the most notable being when Arthur bragged about sleeping with John, who is significantly older than him.

Everything he said about their “romance” was a lie, but soap fans now believe that a deeper connection will form between the pair - but it won’t be good. 

Discussing Arthur and John’s connection in an online forum, fans discussed the possibility of John taking advantage of Arthur’s interest in him by manipulating him. 

“I suspect John is going to use Arthur at some point, now that he knows how easy it would be to manipulate/groom him,” one fan wrote. 

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They added: “I don’t think John is interested in him romantically, but they’ve been thrown into each other’s orbit for a reason, and I’m not convinced it’s for anything good.”

Meanwhile, another Emmerdale viewer pointed out that fans still don’t know that much about John’s backstory, and they don’t know what kind of person he is, which has left them worried. 

“Maybe, just maybe, everything will be alright, but somehow I doubt it,” they said, agreeing with the first person.  

“I feel like so much of John’s character is entirely dependent on Robert. If Rob ever agrees to come back, I’m sure John will be revealed as a complete psychopath or something,” they added. 

As one fan pointed out, Arthur and John have been thrown into the same orbit on Emmerdale a lot recently. 

Could what started out as a harmless crush turn into something more?

Emmerdale's John Sugden reveals mysterious secret as he pockets dog tags

This storyline began at the beginning of the month when Arthur told pal April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) that he’d slept with John. 

Unfortunately, Arthur’s mum Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) overheard the conversation and believed John had taken advantage of her teenage son, leading to a huge confrontation in The Woolpack. 

John staunchly defended himself, as Arthur refused to back down on his lie. 

“It’s no one’s business who I see,” Arthur told his mum.

Darkest soap storylines

Over the years the likes of EastEndersEmmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock...

  • EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009) - Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer. But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12. The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning. Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.
  • Emmerdale: Holly's drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016) - In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale's first teenage drug addict. The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit. Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed. Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.
  • Hollyoaks: Luke's rape (2000) - Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first male rape victim. Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs - who raped him after Luke stood up to him. Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison. Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.
  • Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003) - Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans. He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why. The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel. In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house. And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head. He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal. They survived, but he didn’t.
  • But John chimed in: “It is if you go around accusing people. I’m seeing someone my own age. I’m not into lads like you.”

    As she stormed out of the pub, Laurel promised to keep a watchful eye on the situation, but Arthur later confessed that he had lied about sleeping with John. 

    In the café, he told Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) that he thought trying to impress John would make him appear more mature, but certainly didn’t expect things to get so out of hand.

    Could John start to use this situation and start manipulating Arthur?

    John was forced to defend himself in the pub
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    John was forced to defend himself in the pubCredit: ITV

    One fan was hopeful that nothing too dark would happen and said they believed this storyline was more about Arthur and his development as he matures as a teenager into adulthood.

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    “He is just doing what most lads do when they get to their teens. Exaggerate about how experienced they are because of peer pressure, they want to seem cool. It’s not that complicated,” the fan theorised.

    “If Arthur was straight and lied and said he slept with Amy or someone, I’m sure people suddenly ‘struggling with Arthur’s behaviour’ would understand it completely,” they added.

    Arthur later admitted to his lie
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    Arthur later admitted to his lieCredit: ITV