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Emmerdale reveals huge Serena Sugden secret after Kev Barton revelation in early ITVX release

Warning: Contains spoilers for Monday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.

Casey Al-Shaqsy as Serena Sugden in Emmerdale

ITV

Published: Monday, 13 July 2026 at 12:16 pm

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We finally know what Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) is hiding in Emmerdale.

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The newcomer arrived on distant cousin Robert Sugden's (Ryan Hawley) doorstep last month, and has proved to be quite an enigma.

Speaking of the new addition, producer Laura Shaw said at the time: "The Sugdens are a core part of the Emmerdale fabric, and we are thrilled to welcome Casey to the family.

"Her character will be at the heart of some extremely gripping and unexpected storylines, forcing her to make difficult choices that will have dramatic consequences for some of the village's biggest names."

There's not a lot we know about Serena. She claimed to have had brief interactions with murderous John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), but this didn't quite add up as he was estranged from his father's side of the family for quite some time.

Serena Sugden walks into the Emmerdale Farm kitchen

Casey Al-Shaqsy as Serena Sugden in Emmerdale. ITV

She's also asked a number of questions about the crimes he committed, and the death of his victim Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter).

There was also another mystery – Kev Barton (Chris Coghill) remembered her from somewhere, but couldn't quite put his finger on how they'd crossed paths. She was insistent that they'd never met, and that he was mistaken.

However, in today's episode, he made a sudden realisation.

It all kicked off when Serena hid her laptop from Robert. She'd been searching for information on Nate's death, and quickly covered by pretending she was reading Jack Sugden's best-selling novel "The Field of Tares".

Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) noticed her incessant questioning about Nate and John, and decided to tip off Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) about her concerns. Moira said that, although it was none of her business, she wanted to warn Robert that something odd was happening.

Robert and Moira chat in the living area of Wishing Well Cottage in a scene from Emmerdale

Ryan Hawley as Robert Sugden and Natalie J Robb as Moira Dingle. ITV

He declined to accept that Serena was a dodgy character, though said he'd keep a close eye on her to ensure that the truth about John's death – and the fact that Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) was his killer.

In the village, Kev had another chance meeting with Serena and she lashed out when he suggested that he knew one another. In that moment, he remembered.

Racing up to Emmerdale Farm, he told Robert that his cousin wasn't a prison guard as originally suspected – but a police officer.

What could this mean for Robert?

Read more:

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

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Authors

Michael Adams wearing a white t-shirt and beige gilet against a white background

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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