Kev Townsend’s (Chris Coghill) Emmerdale return is both as expected and delightfully unexpected in equal measure. Whatever you thought was going to happen, it’s not that.
Been thinking he’s been off furthering his life of crime? Wrong, he’s been perfecting the rise of his genoise sponge as he sells cakes out of his van. Plot twist we didn’t see coming.
Gone are his days of robbing pawn shops at gun point (for now), he wants to open a business called ‘A Slice of Kev-en’. Did bad lad Kev just go all wholesome on us?
Let’s not get carried away, and let’s not forget about that pawn shop he robbed, as that might just come back up.
Kev’s return has been big news for Emmerdale fans, who’ve been speculating what could bring him back – he could have been behind the barn fires, for instance.
But no, Kev is forced back into the picture when his biological son Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches) is kidnapped – and it’s Kev’s fault.
Lewis was bundled into a van by a mystery assailant, who reveals themselves to Ross Barton (Mike Parr) when they make their ransom demands. Kylie tells Ross she wants Kev to return her beloved ‘Penny’ to her, or Lewis won’t make it back in one piece.
That’s terrifying news for Ross to hear, especially when he doesn’t know where Kev is or who Penny might be.
It turns out that Penny is a whacking great diamond that Kev stole off Kylie, and she now wants it back. Tricky, as he claims he’s got rid having sold it to a pawn shop.
Kev is wholly unbothered by this threat, and it soon becomes clear why – he lies about having got rid of the diamond as the rock is hanging around his neck. Did he never get rid of it, or did he steal it back when he robbed the pawn shop with Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson)? He has no intention of handing it over and he doesn’t care what happens to Lewis.
Kylie is getting impatient and texts Ross a picture of a tray of scalpels, making it clear she intends to cut off a piece of Lewis for every moment she’s kept waiting.
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It’s only when things get nasty that Kev starts to have a rethink and as if by magic, the diamond appears to be back in his possession.
Ross doesn’t suffer fools gladly and sends Kev to the ground with a vicious punch. Now Ross has his insurance policy and plans to use Unconscious Kev as leverage. He arranges to meet Kylie for the exchange, but will it work?
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