In an exclusive revelation, actor Oliver Farnworth has broken his silence following the dramatic death of his villainous Emmerdale character, John Sugden. The shocking twist unfolded during the highly-anticipated Corriedale crossover special, leaving viewers and the actor himself stunned.
A Villain's Demise and an Actor's Regret
Farnworth, 43, confessed he was personally devastated to see John Sugden killed off, secretly harbouring hopes of a permanent stay in the Dales. "For me, personally, I wanted to stay at Emmerdale forever. I loved it there," he admitted. "So selfishly, I would say I wish he hadn't been killed off."
Despite his personal wishes, the actor acknowledged the narrative necessity. "To do the story and the character justice, it's important villains get their comeuppance - that's what people like to see," Farnworth stated, reflecting on John's reign of terror which included killing Nate Robinson and wreaking havoc for 18 months.
The Mysterious Corriedale Cliffhanger
The episode, which aired on Monday, 6th January 2026, ended with a breathtaking cliffhanger. After a dramatic woodland chase where John shot Cain Dingle and knocked out Detective Constable Kit Green, viewers were left gasping as Victoria Sugden was discovered standing over her half-brother's lifeless body.
Even Farnworth was taken aback by the reveal. "I was like 'OMG where has Victoria come from?' when I was reading through everything," he said. He praised the ambiguity of the scene, noting the lack of visible injuries on John's body poses intriguing questions: "Has she done it? Has he done it to himself... or has someone else done it?"
The mystery will be unraveled in upcoming flashback scenes, promising to keep fans guessing.
Life After Emmerdale and Future Ambitions
Filming his final scenes was an emotional experience for Farnworth, who will deeply miss the cast and crew. He formed a particularly strong bond with co-star Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle), who took him "under his wing."
Now, with a wealth of drama on his CV including Mr Selfridge and Endeavour, Farnworth is eyeing a new kind of villain. "Maybe I could play a big Victorian villain," he mused. "Playing nice guys is always fun, but you get the best storylines playing villains."
He also touched on the future of fan-favourite couple 'RobRon' (Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle), suggesting that even without John, their path to happiness may not be smooth, with new character Kev potentially acting as a "spanner in the works."
The Corriedale episode launches ITV's new nightly 'power hour', with Emmerdale airing Monday to Friday at 8PM followed by Coronation Street. Farnworth praised the crossover as "genius" and a "celebration of both shows."
As for the burning question of who killed John Sugden, Farnworth remains tight-lipped: "It's a really cool twist... Everyone will need to watch to find out."
