Earlier this month, it was announced that Ross Barton (Michael Parr) will be making a return to the Emmerdale village in the coming weeks – though it seems he is coming back alone.

This is despite the fact that his exit in 2018 saw him depart the village with girlfriend Rebecca White (Emily Head) to start a new life together in Liverpool.

Ross and Rebecca both went through some traumatic ordeals before their departure from the village, with Ross falling victim to an acid attack and Rebecca being held hostage by nephew Lachlan White.

Now, it seems that Ross is coming back alone, which leaves us wondering if something has gone wrong in their relationship.

Fans of the ITV soap have taken to Twitter/X to speculate about what could have happened between them, and whether this really is the end for the couple.

Others were really hoping that Rebecca would also come back to the village, though it appears that that may not be happening.

With Ross being the nephew of Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb), it is possible that he is returning to the village after receiving news of her brain tumour.

Moira’s behaviour had been very out of character over the weeks leading up to her diagnosis, and it had caused some tension in her relationships.

After she was caught up in the barn fire, Moira’s doctors discovered the tumour, which, although non-cancerous, has left her apprehensive about her future and concerned about the possibility of surgery and other treatments.

Speaking about his return to the ITV soap, Michael Parr said he was ‘over the moon’ to be coming back.

‘Ross is a character I’m extremely fond of and I’m excited to explore what he’s been up to over the past five years.

‘After seeing the scripts, I can’t wait for the audience to see what’s in store. One thing I can say is Ross’s return will no doubt create fireworks.’

Could audiences be set to discover exactly what has gone on between him and Rebecca, and why he has returned to the village alone?