It’s been announced that Chris Coghill is returning to ITV soap Emmerdale as Kev Townsend.
The troublesome character was introduced to us last year. He immediately sparked intrigue from fans of the show, as Kev had arrived in the village looking for Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley).
When he found Robert, Kev kissed him, and then confirmed they are married.
It was a huge shock to everyone, as Robert had just decided to reunite with Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller).
Kev’s journey in the village last year was short, but he caused a massive impact. He was unhinged, terrifying at some points, but also a man who struggled processing difficult emotions.
Here’s everything you need to know about the character, including what he got up to when he was last in the village, and what brings him back to the Dales this year.
Who is Kev in Emmerdale?
Kev’s arrival to the village saw us discover that he is Robert’s secret husband.
It was also confirmed that Kev has a large sum of money to his name, and is terminally ill.
Robert was hoping to stay with Kev until he dies, so he could inherit the cash.
However, local GP Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) discovered that Kev wasn’t dying. The more we got to know the criminal, the more we learnt that Kev was deeply scared of losing Robert, and created a lie about his health to ensure they stayed together.
Robert eventually ended things with Kev because he wanted to focus on his relationship with Aaron. When reality hit Kev that Robert was no longer in love with him, he held his ex, Aaron and Liam hostage in Mill Cottage flat.
Kev – surprisingly – got away with this and headed out of the village.
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Just before he departed though, he said goodbye to Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches). The young man had struck up a friendship with Kev, unaware that he’s actually his biological father.
Kev was back on our screens towards the end of 2025, when John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) captured him as part of a revenge plan.
John claimed that he needed Kev’s help to get rid of Robert, so he could be with Aaron.
Kev ended up alerting Aaron to the imminent danger and left the village after.
Why is Kev returning to Emmerdale?
We don’t know the exact reason why Kev is coming back to the village, but he will return with a new business venture – and it’s going to stir up trouble for a few of the locals.
Kev has launched what appears to be a pop up café called A Slice of Kev-en. Amid his focus of making his new business a success, Kev will also have to decide whether or not to tell Lewis that they’re related.
Discussing the return, producer of the show Laura Shaw said: ‘Both Chris and the character of Kev made a massive impact on the show last year, so Chris is most definitely back by popular demand. With Kev’s son, Lewis, in the village still unaware of who his father is, it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of unfinished business and drama ahead.’
Chris Coghill added: ‘I’m really pleased to be returning to Emmerdale, I had a brilliant time last year. Kev is a complex character that I love playing.
‘He has psychopathic tendencies but also an energy and vulnerability that I think makes him pretty unique. I’m properly looking forward to getting back at it.’
Who plays Kev and what’s he been in?
Soap fans will undoubtedly remember Chris from his previous role as evil paedophile Tony King in EastEnders.
While dating Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), Tony groomed and abused Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty).
He later turned his attentions to Lauren Branning (then Madeline Duggan) before his abuse was finally exposed.
Tony was arrested after Bianca called the police, later visiting their home on bail in an attempt to convince Whitney not to give a statement to the police – leading to Ricky (Sid Owen) attacking him and him being re-arrested for breaching his bail conditions.
Chris’ first TV role was in soapy drama Cold Feet in 1999, before going on to appear in Heartbeat, Doctors, Holby City and Waterloo Road.
He also had a recurring role in Channel 4 drama Shameless.
Fans will have also seen him in Hollyoaks Later and Casualty.
This article was originally published in November 2025 and has been updated.