Emmerdale recasts Kirin Kotecha as he returns to ITV soap

He will be heavily involved in the current storyline which sees Charity Dingle attempt to adopt his son Johnny Woodfield - with his permission needed in order for the adoption to go ahead.

The character was played by Adam Fielding during his original stint on the show between 2014 and 2016, but the actor opted to leave the soap - going on to make appearances in dramas including Ackley Bridge and In the Dark in the years since.

His replacement in the role, Rish Shah, has previously been seen in episodes of Years and Years, Doctors and Casualty - while he has also bagged a role in the upcoming third film in the To All The Boys franchise.

Kirin was last seen on the soap four years ago when he went on the run after killing Tess Harris (Nicola Stephenson) in a car accident, and is supposedly lying low in South America - but it's been strongly hinted that his ex-step-mum Priya Kotecha (Fiona Wade) knows more than she’s letting on with regard to his whereabouts.

The character first appeared in the village in 2014, as the hot-headed son of dodgy businessman and convicted arsonist Rakesh Kotecha (Pasha Bocarie) and had an on-off affair with Vanessa Woodfield, eventually leading to the birth of their son.

Emmerdale airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7pm on ITV. Visit our dedicated Emmerdale page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers - if you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.