Emmerdale fans were in for a treat on Monday night when Ross Barton, played by Michael Parr, made a dramatic return to the show. His comeback unfolded unexpectedly during an unlicensed boxing match in the episode aired on October 28, where he was revealed as Billy Fletcher’s opponent. This return is set to reignite old rivalries and spark new conflicts within the village.
Long-time viewers of the soap may feel a wave of nostalgia with Ross’s reappearance, as they remember the Barton family saga. Sadly, most of his family had been written off the show by the time Ross left the village in 2018 with Rebecca White, portrayed by Emily Head. Ross’s mother, Emma (Gillian Kearney), had murdered his father, James (Bill Ward), back in 2016.
Emma met her demise in 2017 after inadvertently causing the death of her son and Ross’s brother, Finn (Joe Gill). She was found at the Hotten Viaduct, where it was revealed that Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) had pushed her to her death, while Ross’s half-brother, Adam Barton (Adam Thomas), fled after taking the blame.
Currently, Ross’s only remaining immediate family member is Pete Barton, played by Anthony Quinlan, who left the village in 2020 to join Ross in Liverpool. With Ross back, fans are left wondering what Pete is up to and if he might make a return as well.
Outside of his role in the ITV soap, 40-year-old Anthony has shifted his focus to fitness. After leaving the show, he launched a vegan supplements business and an online coaching service aimed at helping clients “lose weight and get lean.”
In his personal life, Anthony is thriving; he announced in 2022 that he is dating Hollyoaks actress Nikki Sanderson. The couple is still together and recently attended the Pride of Britain Awards.
Meanwhile, Joe Gill, who played Finn from 2013 until the character’s death in 2017, has taken on various roles since then. In 2020, the 30-year-old actor portrayed Hareton Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights, and in 2022, he appeared as a police officer in Brassic.
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