Things are about to get dangerously personal in Emmerdale as Jon Sugden’s campaign to destroy his brother Robert takes a dark turn—dragging Robert’s former enemy Ross Barton straight into the fire.

In a spoiler clip released for next week, fans finally get a glimpse of the truth Jon is using to blackmail and unravel Robert. After placing a hidden listening device in Robert’s home, Jon uncovers a damning secret. While the show keeps the exact discovery under wraps for now, all signs point to something that could reignite an old feud—and it all connects back to Ross Barton.

The teaser shows Jon deliberately seeking out Ross in the village. At first, he plays coy, pretending to accidentally bump into him, then bottling it as if too scared to speak. But Ross isn’t buying the act. “You can’t just stop me and walk off,” Ross says firmly, sensing Jon’s urgency. “Spit it out.”

It’s then that Jon drops a bombshell: “It’s about my brother. You have a right to know.”

Ross’s face darkens. He’s dealt with enough from Robert in the past to know this won’t be good. Viewers already suspect Jon is feeding Ross a major piece of information—and if spoilers are to be believed, it’s tied to one of Emmerdale’s more recent, secretive criminal subplots.

So what’s the big secret?

Fans recall the recent drug storyline involving Ross and his brother Lewis Barton. The Barton boys discovered their cannabis plants—meant for a specific purpose—had been stolen. Suspicion first fell on Mackenzie Boyd, but it soon became clear he wasn’t the culprit. Viewers, however, were shown the truth: it was Robert who stole the plants and sold them to local villain Ray.

Now, it seems Jon has found out about Robert’s betrayal—and he’s weaponizing it. Not only does it affect Ross directly, given his connection to Lewis, but it also puts Robert in serious legal and moral jeopardy.

Adding even more fuel to the fire, Robert has also been lying to Moira Dingle—Ross’s aunt—about his reasons for purchasing her land. With the trust between these characters already strained, Jon’s revelations could completely upend multiple relationships at once.

It’s clear Jon knew exactly what he was doing by going to Ross. Their shared history with Robert ensures the fallout will be intense. Ross, who has never been one to back down from confrontation, is now armed with new evidence and rage. A showdown between Ross and Robert seems inevitable—and Jon will be standing back, watching it all burn.

The question now is: how far will Jon go to ruin Robert? And what will Ross do with the truth in his hands?