Ross Barton and his time in Emmerdale: Affair with Debbie, acid attack, painkiller addiction and return to the soap
Ross struggled with painkiller addiction in 2018
Tonight’s episode of Emmerdale (Monday, March 10) saw Ross Barton open up to April about his former addiction to painkillers. This came as April remained desperate to help Dylan, who is battling an addiction of his own.
April is determined to be there for her pal, but Ross knows firsthand the powerful hold addiction can have. He issued April a warning, speaking about his own struggle with painkillers following his 2018 acid attack.
This is the first time Ross has brought up his own painful history since actor Michael Parr reclaimed the role last year. Since returning, he’s found himself at the heart of the action – for better and worse for everyone else involved.
But what’s the full story with Ross and his painkiller addiction?
When did Ross Barton join Emmerdale?
Ross first joined Emmerdale in 2013, attempting to steal Laurel’s car. Laurel managed to escape, but Ross drove off in her car. She then tracked him down and tried to attack him with a pair of scissors.
It was later revealed that Ross was the son of James and Emma Barton, making him the nephew of Moira Dingle.
Despite this shaky start, his complex-but-charismatic nature meant that Ross became a fan favourite with viewers. And no cheating or dognapping was going to change that.
Biggest storylines
Ross was part of many a memorable storyline during his five years in the village.
He teamed up with Charity for a dodgy dognapping plot and became involved in many dangerous schemes including one to kill his own brother, Pete. He was also a drug dealer and carjacker in his time.
Affair with Debbie
Ross’s affair with Debbie, who was engaged to his brother, was big news in 2015 when the truth came out at the wedding, right before a helicopter was knocked out of the sky and came crashing into the venue.
Pete beat Ross to what he thought was death. He then drove his brother’s body into the woods and buried him. But Ross was actually alive and was later seen to be waking from a coma in hospital.
Love for Donna
Actor Michael Parr really came into his own and won over the viewers with the more heart-wrenching storylines.
He was in a relationship with Donna Windsor, and was heartbroken over her terminal lung cancer diagnosis. Knowing she was dying anyway, Donna ended up throwing herself off a building as she fought to bring a gangster to justice. Ross was utterly distraught and only his relationship with Donna’s daughter April saved him from complete despair.
Acid attack
The most hard-hitting story saw Ross suffer from depression after becoming a victim of an acid attack. The assault itself had been arranged by his former lover Debbie Dingle, who had meant for another of her exes, Joe Tate, to be the target.
Ross was left with permanent scars on his face and Michael and Emmerdale received huge praise for the storyline.
Ross Barton’s painkiller addiction on Emmerdale
Following the attack, Ross developed an addiction to painkillers. Struggling to cope with the pain of the initial attack and an infection in the weeks following, Ross was in denial about his increasing reliance on the pills – and lied to Rhona that he’d sought help.
This came to a head when Liam refused to give him any more drugs. He hit an all-new low when he lashed out at Rhona, pushing her to the ground and leaving her terrified for her safety. Realising how bad things had gotten, he immediately apologised and sought help for the problem.
How many children does Ross have?
Ross shares one child with Charity – Moses Dingle, who was born of their one-night stand in 2015. When he left the soap in 2018, Ross did so with Rebecca White and her son, Sebastian.
However, tragedy struck in Ross and Rebecca’s time away – she died during a routine surgery, and Seb went off to live with a mystery aunt.
Why did Ross return to Emmerdale?
Prior to his return, Emmerdale teased: “With old wounds still to heal, his presence in the village is likely to stir up feelings and ignite some new rivalries.”
The soap soon made good on its promise, with Ross arriving amid an explosive bare-knuckle boxing storyline for Billy. Getting in deep with gangster and boxing promoter Jade, Ross found himself in hot water.
This led to the kidnap of April, and a rescue attempt by Ross. This, in turn, led to her learning the truth about mum Donna’s death. When April went missing, Ross pitched in helping Marlon with the search, and was relieved when she eventually turned up (relatively) safe and (relatively) sound.
But can he and the other villagers ever learn to trust Dylan?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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