Former Emmerdale star Ryan Hawley has joined the cast of Casualty, having first appeared on our screens during last weeks episode.

The actor, 38, is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of Robert Sugden in the ITV soap for five years from 2014. He took over the role from Karl Davies.

The story of Robert and love interest Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), known to viewers as Robron, won a legion of fans, making them one of soap’s most loved couples ever.

The husbands, however, were torn apart back in 2019 when their love story ultimately ended in tragedy after Ryan made the decision to leave the show.

Robert’s final scenes saw him jailed after he was arrested by the police, turning himself in for the attack on Lee Posner, who had raped his sister Victoria.

Since departing Emmerdale, Ryan has gone on to appear in Silent Witness, playing Michael Robson in two episodes, sporting a very different long hairstyle and beard.

Last Saturday (15th June), Ryan returned to our screens in the first episode of Casualty’s latest boxset, Storm Damage.

Ryan plays the role Jamie Cleveland, a member of the board at Holby City Hospital who knows Cam Micklethwaite (Barney Walsh).

Also joining the show alongside Ryan is actress Kellie Shirley as Sophia Peters, best known for her role as Carly Wicks in EastEnders.

The first episode of Storm Damage, titled Sinking Ships, centred around Cam (Barney Walsh), who made a tough decision to delay giving CPR to a baby during his shift.

As a storm threatened Holby, Stevie (Elinor Lawless) made an unexpected connection with a firefighter, whilst Tariq (Manpreet Bachu) continued to show concern for Rash (Neet Mohan).

At the end of the last series Breaking Point, viewers watched Tariq and Rida (Sarah Seggari) by Rash’s hospital bedside, hours after he attempted to end his life.

The beloved doctor experienced an incredibly dark time following the death of his father. Overwhelmed with his emotions and struggling to find any hope, Rash felt their was no other option.

Fortunately, he was found by Tariq and then rushed to hospital.

‘I guess there’s always some pressure but I was also really excited to tell the story because I think the show’s in such a good place and it’s telling such interesting stories’, Neet Mohan previously told us discussing how he felt to be at the centre of such a powerful plot.

‘I had hoped and believed that it would be told in a really interesting way and that we could shine a light on the real NHS and what people are going through, not just in the NHS but in general, which the show does so well. So importantly, what many medical staff are feeling and the pressures they’re under.

‘I think particularly now it felt like a really important story to tell. I feel really honoured to be able to tell it through Rash and I think having someone like Rash, we’ve seen him travel quite a journey, having someone like him at the forefront of this was a really interesting way for the show to tell the story at this particular time.’