Emmerdale actor confirms big return to soap as he tells fans 'watch this space'

One Emmerdale star has broken their silence on their big return to the ITV soap.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, actor Fred Kettle confirmed he was returning as troubled teen Dylan Penders. April Windsor's pal will now head back to the village, months on from him fleeing to rehab after debuting in huge scenes.

Dylan and actor Fred proved an instant hit with viewers, as he took centre stage in April's big storyline when she ran away from home. His exit earlier this year left fans gutted but now it's been confirmed he will soon be back on the show.

Soap boss Laura Shaw had told The Mirror the return was happening prior to our chat with actor Fred. Now, we've got the lowdown from Dylan himself, as Fred teased trouble on the way as he makes his comeback.

He spilled: "I am so glad to be back. It is going to be a nice journey for Dylan, given his experiences. But he is going to cause a bit of bother in the village."

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Fred also shared how happy he was to have the backing of fans, after the very welcoming response to his debut earlier in the year. Now he's ready to come back to the show, with all kinds of trouble teased as he reunites with April.

The actor also confirmed there would be some new characters tied in to his return, as teased by Laura previously. But Fred remained coy over who they would be and how they would be linked to Dylan.

He shared: "Yeah, we'll have to wait and see. Watch this space. I can't wait for fans to see what happens. It will be interesting to see his return and how the plot develops. But we'll just have to watch and find out."

Actress Amelia Flanagan also had her say on the comeback, excited to film with her co-star again. The April actress told us what could be ahead too, with her wondering where this will leave April.

She explained: "April has had an incredibly tough year with what she has been through, with the pregnancy and the homelessness storyline. Dylan didn't leave on the best of terms with her but I think what is important is now he's back.

"Who knows what will happen. It will be great to explore that relationship further. I think the fans want to see that which is great." Emmerdale boss Laura had previously told us what's ahead for Dylan.

She said: "The lovely Fred Kettle who played Dylan is coming back to the show. He is gonna be bringing his past back to the village with him and that's going to cause huge problems for April and the family there.

"We've got a couple of exciting new castings who are gonna be joining us for that story, but I can't tell you who they are yet but watch this space. It's very exciting."

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.