An Emmerdale actor has exclusively revealed that a recent dark storyline was a deliberate callback to his time on rival soap Coronation Street, building anticipation for the upcoming major crossover event.
From Victim to Villain: A Deliberate Storyline Echo
Oliver Farnworth, who plays the sinister John Sugden in Emmerdale, confirmed to The Mirror that a plot which saw him hold Mackenzie Boyd hostage was intentionally designed to mirror his own fate on the cobbles of Weatherfield. On Coronation Street, Farnworth's character Andy Carver was brutally murdered by serial killer Pat Phelan in 2017 after a prolonged period of captivity.
"I think the great thing from Corrie and working with Connor McIntyre who played Phelan... Phelan put my character in a basement and I got to reciprocate that storyline with Mack," Farnworth explained. He described the experience as a fascinating "role reversal," having now played both the victim and the perpetrator in eerily similar scenarios.
Building Towards the 'Corriedale' Crossover
The actor, who will reprise his role as killer John in the highly anticipated Corriedale crossover episode, suggested these parallels were not accidental. He hinted they were part of a deliberate narrative build-up, cleverly tying his character's history across the two ITV giants together.
"All of that is bleeding into this huge episode," Farnworth stated. "It's been a great build-up." While he jovially entertained fan theories about John secretly being a resurrected Andy—dubbing the hypothetical hybrid 'Jandy'—he confirmed that Andy Carver remains definitively deceased.
More Than One Major Twist Teased
Farnworth went on to tease that the special crossover episode, set to air soon, will deliver significant surprises for viewers. He promised the instalment will combine large-scale stunt work with the classic humour and emotional depth both soaps are known for.
"There's also huge twists," he revealed. "There's really huge twists and not just one." This confirmation will undoubtedly fuel speculation among dedicated fans of both Emmerdale and Coronation Street as the broadcast date approaches.
Emmerdale continues to air weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, featuring an hour-long episode every Thursday.
