‘I just love him’: Danny Miller reveals Emmerdale co-star is ‘the nicest man he’s ever met’

The most dangerous man in Emmerdale at the moment is John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth). The killer with the saviour complex is currently desperately covering his tracks (again) as his plan to frame a man called Owen for the death of Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) looked on the brink of being found out. 

John killed Nate accidentally after trying to save him following the barn fire, but he was as clinical in disposing of the body as he had been in concealing the body of Anthony Fox (Nicholas Day) after Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly) killed her abusive father. 

His need for the acclaim that comes from saving people’s lives has meant he’s deliberately put various people in danger, including Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson), so he could then ‘save’ them. He’s successfully hoodwinked most of the village into thinking he’s a hero. He’s even won awards. 

When his back is against the wall he has few qualms about leaving someone to die (Owen) – or deliberately and savagely hunting them down with a bow and arrow like he did recently with Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), who made a discovery that threatened to blow up John’s world and very quickly paid the price. 

Next in the firing line could be John’s husband, Aaron Dingle. Danny Miller, who plays him, told us that, as he leaves the village with John, both men have their motives for going. While John is escaping from the increasing pressure, Aaron is trying to turn his back on the fact that he still has feelings for Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). 

‘John’s suggesting it for his own reasons and it marries up to what Aaron would like to do, which is get away from the guilt, move away from the village and maybe just start a new life away from what he thinks is a terrible place, at that moment in time, for him and John. So he ups sticks and goes with John’s idea.’ 

Soon, however, it becomes apparent to Aaron that there’s something ‘off’ about John’s behaviour.   

‘He becomes a bit erratic,’ Danny said. ‘He’s going out all the time and he’s out for these long runs. Aaron’s wondering what he’s struggling with. He finds out that where they are might not be just a random place and he puts two and two together and starts to work out that maybe Mackenzie and Robert are right.’ 

This realisation puts Aaron at risk of becoming John’s next victim, and the killer’s first move is to drug his husband.  

‘John offers him this whisky. It’s something him and his mum used to do together. Aaron wants to appease John and be a part of that. John’s lost his mum, so Aaron joins in and he has it – not noticing that John doesn’t have a drink. He’s just so in love he doesn’t have a clue what John’s doing.  

‘It goes on from there that John nips out, again, and Aaron decides to have a little bit more whisky, not knowing what might be in there.’ 

While Aaron is currently oblivious to the danger he’s in, Danny told us that he’s pleased Aaron will soon begin to work out what John is really like. 

‘A lot of fans stop me in the street and say “How can you not spot the signs?”’ he commented.  

‘But I think love is blind, is what I’ve played for the last six months of watching John crumble under all this spotlight and pressure. So it’s nice that Aaron can finally become of the same opinion as the viewers.’ 

Danny is amused by the fans’ hatred of John as a character, because Oliver Farnworth, who plays him, couldn’t be further from the troubled villain he portrays.  

‘Oliver Farnworth is the nicest man I’ve ever met,’ he enthused.  

‘I don’t say that lightly. I just love him. I’d love Oliver to stay for as long as I’m here. He’s a beautiful man. Very professional.’ 

Sadly Danny probably won’t get his wish for Oliver to stay as we know that soap villains always get their comeuppance sooner or later. But how many more victims will John claim before that happens?