Emmerdale has aired some dramatic events for Laurel Thomas over the past fortnight, but if you weren’t paying close attention, you may have been left wondering about the whereabouts of her teenage son Arthur.

Laurel suffered a heart attack at the local church last week following a heated argument with her husband Jai Sharma.

Tuesday’s visit to the Dales (July 9) sees Laurel return home after being discharged from hospital, and she’s warmly greeted by Jai, Gabby, Archie and Dotty. But where’s Arthur?

Well, Arthur’s absence was quietly explained in Emmerdale’s hour-long episode on Thursday, June 27, a few days before all this drama kicked off.

The conversation took place between Laurel and her stepdaughter Gabby, who was discussing the challenges of living at Home Farm amid baby Evan’s illness.

Dawn and Billy Fletcher’s young son has leukaemia and needs to be protected from germs. This worried Gabby, who pointed out that her own son Thomas often suffers from mild colds.

Laurel suggested that Gabby and Thomas should move back into Mulberry Cottage for a while, which would keep Evan safe.

She mused: “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.”

Laurel’s revelation over Arthur’s trip to the other side of the world came as a big surprise to fans, as there’d never been any mention of his jet-setting until her off-hand reference.

We suspect that Arthur’s trip was deliberately inserted into a script a few episodes before Laurel’s heart attack, just so his absence wouldn’t seem too jarring once the dramatic story began.

Viewers previously saw Arthur’s grandfather Doug Potts depart the Dales for a new life in Australia in 2020, so at least he’ll be in good company over there.

In real life, Alfie Clarke – who plays Arthur – is 16. This means he’ll have been busy completing his GCSEs this summer, which explains his current absence.

Back in June, the young actor posted pictures on Instagram confirming that he’d been celebrating with friends at his end-of-school prom.

Even before his Oz trip, Arthur’s life in the village had been pretty quiet following the departure of his love interest Marshall Hamston in July 2023.

Will life get more eventful once he’s back? And how will he react to Suni’s departure and Laurel’s decision to dump Jai? Only time will tell…