Emmerdale fans are convinced that Ross Barton has already made a return to the village, after he was last seen on the soap back in 2018.

Emmerdale fans are abuzz with the theory that Ross Barton has secretly slipped back into the village.

Fans were delighted last month when it was announced that Michael Parr is set to return as the Emmerdale rogue, Ross, after a five year absence. The announcement was made with a mischievous clip shared on the soap’s social media pages.

Ross, Moira Dingle’s (Natalie J Robb) nephew and father to Charity Dingle’s (Emma Atkins) son Moses, faced his share of drama in Emmerdale, including an acid attack horror sparked by Debbie Dingle’s (Charley Webb) plans gone awry.

Just this week, an eagle-eyed fan in an Emmerdale Facebook group caused a stir by asking, “Did anyone else spot Ross Barton sitting in the cafe last night? ” attaching a screenshot of a scene featuring Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) and John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth). In the snapshot, a mysterious, bearded man resembles Ross, igniting speculation he might have made a clandestine comeback.

The post prompted other fans to weigh in, with one writing: “I think it is him and he’s doing it to tease the viewers.”, reports Leeds Live.

Fans think they spotted Ross in the background of a recent scene (Image: ITV)

Another noted their observational skills: “Oh yes … you are observant.” A third chimed in with surprise: “Omg, no I never noticed him. Well done to you.” While another corroborated the resemblance: “Looks very like him.”

Despite the buzz around Ross’ potential return to Emmerdale, some fans remain sceptical. One viewer remarked: “I just had another look and enlarged it and no it’s not Ross they are just teasing us!”

Another chimed in with: “Looks a lot like him, but if it was then Aaron would’ve recognised him.” A third fan added: “It’s not him, I double checked too.”

Michael Parr has expressed his excitement about reprising his role as Ross (Image: ITV)

Michael Parr has expressed his excitement about reprising his role as Ross, stating: “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 airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm