Newcomer Kev Towsend has burst into Emmerdale village, with an intriguing connection to one of the soap’s most iconic characters.

The man of mystery’s casting was announced earlier this year, with actor Chris Coghill stepping into the Dales for the role.

On the new addition to the village, Emmerdale boss Laura Shaw said: ‘We are delighted that someone of Chris’ calibre has joined our cast.

‘I think the viewers will be intrigued to see how the character of Kev will cause shockwaves this autumn.

‘Kev has a strong connection to one of our characters and it’s safe to say his arrival is going to be a massive surprise that will have major repercussions for some of our villagers.’

Who is Kev in Emmerdale?

As we now know, Kev is Robert Sugden’s (Ryan Hawley) husband.

Kev made his first appearance in the village last week when Robert was incredibly surprised, albeit pleased, to see him arrive on his doorstep.

After being invited in, we learnt that the fellas met while in prison. Sexual tension was bubbling beneath the surface, and when they kissed, it was revealed that they were actually married.

When did Kev marry Robert in Emmerdale?

Kev is actually still behind bars following an armed robbery, but due to a terminal illness he was allowed day release to visit his partner. The two met on the inside.

Robert was shocked to the core to hear of his diagnosis, and made a promise to visit him every day.

As it turns out, there’s the added bonus of inheriting Kev’s fortune once he dies.

Who plays Kev and what’s he been in?

Soap fans will undoubtedly remember Chris from his previous role as evil paedophile Tony King in EastEnders.

While dating Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), Tony groomed and abused Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty).

He later turned his attentions to Lauren Branning (then Madeline Duggan) before his abuse was finally exposed.

Tony was arrested after Bianca called the police, later visiting their home on bail in an attempt to convince Whitney not to give a statement to the police – leading to Ricky (Sid Owen) attacking him and him being re-arrested for breaching his bail conditions.

Chris’ first TV role was in soapy drama Cold Feet in 1999, before going on to appear in Heartbeat, Doctors, Holby City and Waterloo Road.

He also had a recurring role in Channel 4 drama Shameless.

Fans will have also seen him in Hollyoaks Later and Casualty.

What has Chris said about his new Emmerdale role?

On joining the long-running serial drama, Chris said: ‘I am really happy to be joining the cast of Emmerdale.

‘Kev is definitely going to shake things up a bit and I’m looking forward to getting cracking!’

It’s undoubtable that as the weeks go on, we’ll begin to learn more about the very complex character, who is bound to stir the pot for Robert and Aaron (Danny Miller).