Emmerdale Ross Barton's past with Rebecca White explained amid ITV soap return

Emmerdale fans witnessed Ross Barton, portrayed by Michael Parr, making a dramatic comeback to the popular ITV soap on Monday evening after a six-year absence.

In a surprising turn of events during an illicit boxing match in the episode broadcast on 28 October, Ross was revealed as Billy Fletcher's, played by Jay Kontzle, opponent. His return to the village is expected to reignite past conflicts and ignite new feuds.

However, viewers were left puzzled during these scenes as they wondered about the whereabouts of Rebecca White, played by Emily Head, since Ross departed the village with Rebecca in 2018 to embark on a new life in Liverpool.

Audiences may remember that actor Michael first joined the beloved ITV soap in 2013 and his character Ross was notorious for his stormy relationships with characters such as Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb). He soon began a relationship with Rebecca in 2017 but around the same time, she also had an affair with Robert Sugden while Aaron Dingle was in prison.

In classic soap fashion, Rebecca found out she was expecting and was unsure who the biological father of her baby was until it was disclosed that Robert was the father. Despite their intermittent romance, Ross and Rebecca rekindled their relationship in 2018 following Ross' harrowing acid attack due to mistaken identity, reports Leeds Live.

Later in 2018, Ross exited the village with Rebecca and her son Sebastian to start afresh in Liverpool. However, with Ross now back in the village without Rebecca, viewers are left wondering her whereabouts.

Discussing his comeback, actor Michael, who plays Ross, recently teased: "All will be revealed the week after, you'll find out where he's been, who he's still in touch with, and what's been going on in his life. But I don't want to give anything away just yet."

On his return, he added: "I'm over the moon to be returning to Emmerdale. Ross is a character I'm extremely fond of and I'm excited to explore what he's been up to over the past five years. After seeing the scripts, I can't wait for the audience to see what's in store. One thing I can say is Ross's return will no doubt create fireworks."

Emmerdale continues on weekdays at 7:30pm on both ITV and ITV X

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