Emmerdale star makes shock return after disappearing from screens six months ago
EMMERDALE’S Arthur Thomas makes a shocking return to the Dales after six months away.
Next week in Emmerdale, Jai Sharma is annoyed when Caleb Milligan asks for more money to bribe their council contact.
Jai delivers a harsh warning not to be messed with.
Chas Dingle is unconvinced at Jai and Caleb’s attempts to act like ‘mates’.
Caleb heads off to cause havoc at Home James Haulage.
Jai ridicules Victoria Sugden as she tries to change a spare tyre.
Later, John Sugden plays the protective big brother as he confronts an intimidated Jai.
Meanwhile, a loved-up Gabby Thomas and Vinny Dingle are interrupted by Arthur’s return to Mulberry.
Arthur soon gives Jai a piece of his mind about the impact the divorce stress is having on Laurel Thomas.
Jai’s unsettled to see Arthur means business.
Arthur – played by Alfie Clarke – is the son of Laurel and Ashley Thomas, half-brother of Gabby and brother of Dotty.
Arthur’s last appearance was in March when his friend Heath Hope died in a car accident caused by his twin Cathy and the duo’s friend Angelica King.
Arthur mourns Heath and consoles both April and Cathy. He has his classmates sign a shirt for Heath and presents it to Heath’s stepmother Brenda Walker, who is touched by Arthur’s efforts.
Eagle-eyed viewers may remember that Arthur’s absence was mentioned on Emmerdale’s hour-long episode on Thursday June 27.
Viewers were informed that he had headed off to Australia as Laurel said: “Arthur’s in Australia and there’s more than enough room in the inn.
“Gabby, you and Thomas are family – you’re always welcome. And, to be honest, I could do with another woman in the house.”
Forgotten soap storylines
The nation's soaps have had many gripping storylines play out over the years. However, some plots proved to be far less memorable. Here are some forgotten stories from Weatherfield, Walford and more...
- Ken and Audrey’s romance (2015): After the death of wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride), Coronation Street original Ken Barlow (William Roache) started to move on in his life. He started to develop a spark with old friend Audrey (Sue Nicholls), with then-Corrie boss saying it would be like “Ross and Rachel”. In the end, nothing ever came of it and the two remained platonic pals.
- Beth’s bigamy (2016): Despite being happily married to Kirk (Andrew Whyment), a troubling secret came to light about Beth Tinker (Lisa George). It transpired that she had never divorced from her first husband, Darryl (Paul Loughran), father of her son Craig (Colson Smith). Although Craig and Kirk were shocked – and Beth was arrested – the storyline didn’t didn’t go much further.
- Kat Slater’s secret son (2017): Capitalising on the popularity of Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (Shane Richie), the two received a spin-off back in 2017. Titled ‘Redwater’, it saw the two travel to Ireland where they met long-lost son Luke, now called Dermott Dolan, played by Oisín Stack. Despite the high-tension events during Redwater, Kat seems to have put the experience behind her as Dermott’s not been mentioned since.
- Alfie’s brain tumour (2015): Having learned in 2015 that he had a brain tumour, Alfie kept the news from Kat until their trip to Ireland. At the time, actor Shane Ritchie revealed fans would see a change in Alfie as he battled the illness. It would appear that at some point after leaving the Square, was told the tumour was non-malignant. By the time Alfie returned in 2022, fans were left confused over what had happened to the storyline.
- Kathy and Buster’s affair (2016): In 2016, Walford legend Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) fell into the arms of convict Buster Briggs, played by Karl Howman. Buster was the long-time lover of Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and fathered both her sons – Mick (Danny Dyer) and Dean (Matt Di Angelo). When Buster left, he begged Kathy to join him, but she refused for the sake of her family. Meanwhile Buster didn’t even stop to say goodbye to Shirley before exiting with a broken heart. Fans expected a showdown between the two women, but this never came to pass.
- Jacob’s OCD (2016): After his dad, David (Matthew Wolfenden), was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) developed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This manifested in the form of cleaning. Jacob’s OCD made a brief return one year on, after David had another scare after finding a lump. Jacob frantically searched the bins for a “lucky coin” that had accidentally been thrown away. Despite stressful situations – such as being groomed by his teacher Maya, losing his fiancee Leanna to a serial killer, dealing with mum Leyla’s drug addiction, and surviving a stabbing – the condition doesn’t appear to have returned.
- Marlon and Charity’s fling (2003): Few fans would likely remember few will remember the one-night stand between Charity (Emma Atkins) and Marlon (Mark Charnock) in 2003. The pair slept together when Charity was staying with Marlon while still under suspicion for husband Chris’s supposed “murder”.
- Alex Browning’s revenge plot (2014): Fans expected a confrontation when Dr Browning’s son Alex (Ojan Genc) mer stepmum Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe). After all, Mercedes, with Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) and Lindsey Butterfield (Sophie Austin) had murdered Alex’s dad, double-murderer Dr Paul Browning, after he kidnapped and attacked his new wife. In fact, the soap teased Alex would seek revenge for his father’s death upon arriving. However, he instead gave Cindy’s son Hilton (his half-brother) a life-saving transplant, became his godfather, and leaving the village soon after.
Arthur joined his grandfather Doug Potts who departed the Dales for a new life in Australia in 2020.
In real life, actor Alfie Clarke is 16 – which means he was completing his GCSEs this summer and explains his current absence.
Arthurs storylines have included the accidental baby-swap which saw him being given to Greg and Melanie Doland, who gives birth nearby on the same day.
Arthur’s dad Ashley Thomas died in 2017, and the youngster battled to come to terms with the loss.
In 2022, Arthur came out as gay to his family and friends.
While he was away, his mum Laurel suffered from a heart attack and was taken to hospital.
Now he is back and reunited with his mum Laurel who has gone through a huge amount of drama, including her divorce to Jai.
Can Arthur help her?
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX.