Aaron Dingle's Emmerdale return revealed as Danny Miller reprises role

As it's been almost a year since we last saw Aaron, though, you'd be forgiven for needing a recap on what led to his hasty exit.

RadioTimes.com has compiled this handy guide which has everything you need to know, including what happened before Aaron left as well as what brings him home, and what he might get up to upon his return. So, read on for all the details.

How did Aaron exit Emmerdale?

At one point, Aaron was on the brink of an actual happy ever after last year as he made plans to move away with new beau Ben Tucker (Simon Lennon) for a fresh start. Aaron was struggling to cope as half-sister Liv (Isobel Steele) spiralled further into alcoholism, and the pair were at loggerheads as Liv resented her brother's decision to leave her.

Sadly, poor Ben got caught in serial killer Meena Jutla's (Paige Sandhu) crossfire. Meena brutally murdered Ben by striking him with a kayaking oar and cruelly watched his life fade away, but with Meena still evading suspicion at the time, all eyes fell on Liv who had a particularly nasty encounter with Ben just before his death. A drunk Liv angrily confronted Ben over taking Aaron away from her, and Liv later couldn't remember what had happened next.

Liv was arrested and charged with Ben's murder, giving Aaron two reasons to be totally devastated. As Liv claimed that she couldn't be a killer, Aaron didn't know what to think after all the months of distress she had put him through. After paying his sister one last visit at the prison, Aaron bid farewell to his mum Chas (Lucy Pargeter) and drove out of the village to join best mate Adam Barton (Adam Thomas), who was living abroad after going on the run years earlier.

Now, Aaron has decided to visit his loved ones - but what brings him back, and what will he get up to?

Why is Aaron back and what's in store for the character?

Aaron has more than one reason to be back in the village right now. The Dingles are at risk of collapsing under too much strain, with the clan left heartbroken by the news that Aaron's grandmother Faith (Sally Dexter) is dying from breast cancer.

Mum Chas has chosen to embark on a sordid affair with Al Chapman (Michael Wildman) as a distraction, while poor Liv has recently been targeted by her own scheming mother Sandra Flaherty (Joanne Mitchell) and now finds her life is in danger. On top of that, Aaron is all too aware that he hurt Liv by walking away in her time of need. So, what will his first port of call be?

Rescuing Liv

Aaron enters Mill Cottage to find Sandra's dodgy mate Terry attempting to flee the scene after leaving Liv unconscious on the floor following a violent scuffle. Of course, Aaron being Aaron, he responds by punching Terry, and is soon arrested by passing police officer Harriet Finch (Katherine Dow Blyton) before he can strike another blow.

While Aaron is taken into custody, Liv is unresponsive as she is rushed to hospital. It transpires that Aaron had hoped to mend the rift between them, but will his intervention during this dangerous situation make a difference? And will Liv survive her ordeal?

Will the siblings make amends?

Liv's husband Vinny (Bradley Johnson) is shocked to learn that Aaron found Liv after her attack, but after Aaron is eventually released by the police, Vinny refuses to let him see his sister. The young man is adamant that Liv wants nothing to do with Aaron after everything that happened between them.

Aaron is heartbroken, but might he still get a chance to talk to Liv? If she recovers from her injuries, it's going to take a long conversation between the pair to repair their estrangement, but with Liv high on Aaron's list of priorities once again, we're hoping for a heartwarming moment between them at some point.

Saying goodbye to Faith

Aaron has been informed of Faith's illness off-screen, which is another pressing reason for his homecoming. Actor Miller has already revealed that some very emotional scenes are on the way as Aaron and Faith have a heart-to-heart. But will the pair emerge from their chat any lighter as they unburden on each other?

Can Aaron support his family as they pull together ahead of Faith's final days? Well, there's a strong possibility that he'll have other issues to focus on during this painful time...

Will Aaron catch Chas and Al in the act?

Al recently declared his love to Chas, who initially began their affair as a way of taking her mind off her mum's health. Amid Aaron's return scenes, we'll see Al vow to dump girlfriend Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) for Chas - but things get awkward when Al ends up agreeing to a public marriage proposal from Kerry!

Later, Al assures Chas it's her that he wants, and he wants them to run away together. But as they share another passionate encounter, someone catches the pair. Could it be Aaron who spots them? And what will he do if so?

Miller recently hinted at Aaron's reaction to Chas's betrayal, saying that his alter ego would be furious.

"I think it would be worse than the other way around in Aaron's eyes, I think he would be more angry at Chas cheating than Paddy cheating. So I don't think he's going to like it at all!"

But he added that Aaron may be torn over how best to deal with the situation, given the circumstances. "I think he’d want to tell Paddy every time, but I think his mum’s going through a lot, and again it's a timing thing. Faith's really not well and Chas is playing away.

"So the families could potentially be destroyed at the wrong time. I think his conscience is getting the better of him to tell people what's happened, particularly Paddy, and worrying about the family.

"Would [Faith] end up taking that with her instead of the happy memories of her family? So it’s not just a case of telling Paddy. His morals are always in the right place and he's honest and loyal; I think it would kill him not to tell Paddy."

Read more:

• Emmerdale star on Aaron's emotional return scenes with Liv and Faith
• 6 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Aaron returns as Liv is attacked
• Emmerdale's Danny Miller teases future Robert and Aaron reunion

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITV Hub. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.

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