Not many things in life are worth cancelling your birthday for. But a once-in-a-lifetime Coronation Street/Emmerdale crossover episode topped off with an explosive car crash stunt and a heartbreaking death? The cake and candles can wait.

That’s the dilemma Ryan Hawley faced when he was told that his beloved Emmerdale character Robert Sugden would be taking front and centre stage in the ITV hour long drama special Corriedale.

 

 

‘It was my 40th birthday, and I cancelled it,’ he admits. ‘Because they said, ‘you know, there’s that’, and I was like, ‘well, yeah. I want to be part of (Corriedale)’, and after having seen it, I’m immensely proud not just to be part of it, but to be part of an incredible cast, who I thought every single person was just incredible, and it’s amazing what we can do.’

Just as well, seeing as Robert Sugden’s set to have a starring role in the union of the two classic soaps, as he and his boyfriend Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) find themselves at the mercy of Robert’s half-brother and Aaron’s ex-husband, the sociopathic John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth).

The murderous former army medic’s return was always teased when eagle-eyed fans spotted his mugshot showed on a wanted poster in Weatherfield police station during an episode of Coronation Street last year. Now big bad John is back, and determined to win back Aaron at any cost – even if it means killing Robert.

The episode was written by Owen Lloyd Fox and directed by Duncan Foster, both of whom have extensively worked on Coronation Street and Emmerdale throughout their careers.

Aside from Robert, Aaron and John, it will feature a mix of classic Dales characters and Weatherfield icons.

Fortunately, Ryan managed to reschedule his cancelled birthday and celebrate at a time when he wasn’t involved in a life-or-death disaster. But there’s one thing he’d never do to celebrate his 40th – watch Corriedale. The actor admits that he finds it difficult to watch himself onscreen, despite how amazing the episode was.

‘I don’t particularly enjoy the experience. But honestly, I was blown away by how good everyone was and, everything that has already been said about Duncan. Everyone just enjoys working with him because you just, you know 100% you can trust him and he’ll get a great performance out of you. He knows absolutely everything.

‘He knows how every moment is going to work. You’re just like: ‘just put your trust in him’ and he’s delivered clearly, and Owen as well, who’s someone whose work is kind of invisible to most people who don’t appreciate writing, I guess, as a lot of the viewers probably don’t. I was blown away by what I read and what I’ve just seen now. So to have the vision to know that that’s going to work is, I find, incredible, incredible talent.’

But Robron’s ride of terror with John Sugden isn’t the only drama on the roads that night. While Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) and Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) speed off to the airport, Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) is in hot pursuit with Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) as the truth about her surrogate baby secret is about to be exposed.

Meanwhile, Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) and Ronnie Bailey’s (Vinta Morgan) wedding party are en route back to Weatherfield in a minibus driven by Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) with Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) as a passenger, terrified to be trapped with his abusive boyfriend Theo Silverton (James Cartwright).

Then there’s Carla Connor (Alison King), who’s on a mission with Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) to save the love of her life Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) and her daughter Betsy (Sydney Martin) from the clutches of bunny-boiling Becky (Amy Cudden) before it’s too late.

And the drama doesn’t end with the explosion. With a queue of traffic forming behind the crash site, the driver of a van glances into the back at a bound and terrified woman…

The episode ends in Hotten General, where the injured are treated and families grieve the loss of loved ones, with only one thing for certain. Their lives will never be the same again.