Emmerdale spoilers: Robert battles to save Aaron as John takes revenge in clifftop plunge

There's deadly scenes ahead on Emmerdale as John Sugden and Robert Sugden have the showdown of all showdowns, resulting in more than one character fighting for their lives.

John initially attacks Robert as the latter races to the cottage to save his ex-husband and soulmate Aaron Dingle. John has been drugging Aaron in the days prior to this, with it seemingly all coming out to a horrified Aaron that his husband John is hiding some very dark secrets.

It leaves Aaron trapped as he battles to escape the villain's clutches but fails to do so. In the meantime, Robert arrives and accuses John of murder - while John denies this.

A confrontation between the brothers turns violent and Robert is left lifeless on the ground as he's attacked. With John realising Robert is still alive he's relieved to have not killed again, but he soon spots Aaron fleeing the cottage and sets off to stop him.

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In some seriously tense scenes Aaron searches the woods for his missing friend Mack Boyd, who John has held captive in a bunker in the woods. Aaron seemingly knows this at this point, as he frantically tries to find the hatch and save his friend.

John races after Aaron and the two end up at a clifftop over a gorge, with a distressed Aaron begging for answers on Mack. John tries to give a cover story for everything that Aaron now knows, but it's too late and the wool is no longer over the latter's eyes.

Aaron can't believe a word of what he has to say, and sees who his husband really is for the first time. Begging John to lead him to Mack, he's stunned as John prepares to call the police to confess all.

He stops though the moment Robert appears, desperate to save Aaron from John. John turns on Aaron, making accusations about him and Robert before he does the unthinkable to try to tear them apart for good. John calls the police and frames Robert for what's about to happen, before he jumps from the edge with his arms wrapped around his terrified husband.

As Aaron and John plunge to the gorge below, they are left bloodied and injured and lifeless. Robert screams out and is left in utter turmoil having seen the love of his life dragged off the cliff by a ruthless John.

As he desperately calls for help and dials 999, soon he faces yet more turmoil as he has the anxious wait over whether Aaron has survived or not. In horrifying scenes, Robert is not believed about his version if events as to what John has done, including the events back in the village.

Chas Dingle believes he pushed John and Aaron, and she vows to make him pay. Robert is defeated as no one believes him, and the police question him while he continues to fret for Aaron's life - but who lives, who dies, and will Robert expose the truth? And what does this mean for poor Mack?

Meanwhile Robert may have a lifeline in the form of Paddy Kirk. After spoilers for this week revealed he'd make a startling discovery, it's revealed in spoilers that he may have rumbled John.

He tracks down John and Robert's sister Victoria Sugden and alarms her with his fears for John's welfare. As she tries to contact him unaware of what is unfolding at the cottage, she and Paddy search for him but what will they find?

Later in the week it's unclear if John's game is up, but it's clear one of thee Sugden brothers is in trouble. Cain Dingle, whose son Nate was killed by John, tells Victoria that he and wife Moira Dingle, Mack's sister, want out of their business deal.

Cain says they want nothing to do with the Sugdens, leaving her heartbroken. So has John been exposed, and is Mack's disappearance made public? Or could Robert still be in the frame?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and Threads.