Adam Thomas has been seen wading into the latest farming drama unfolding in Emmerdale, months after he was spotted on the Yorkshire-based set last summer for the first time in seven years.

The actor is best known to fans for having played Adam Barton in the ITV soap. Manchester-born Adam took on the role in 2009, before later leaving in 2018.

Viewers saw at the time that Adam went on the run after confessing to the murder of Emma Barton in an attempt to save Moira Dingle from being convicted of the crime.

But Adam, who also stars in Waterloo Road, took to his Instagram page in June last year to share a photo of himself alongside the iconic ‘Emmerdale’ village sign and declared: “I’m BACK!!!!” The messages soon then came flooding in from fans, who weren’t sure that Adam’s return would be one to be seen on-screen.

But it ended up being part of filming for You Bet! On Tour, the show saw which saw ordinary people taking on extraordinary challenges with celebrity guests, which aired on ITV with Stephen Mulhern last year.

Now though, Adam has been seen adding his thoughts to what is currently unfolding on-screen. This week, it was announced a major new chapter for Emmerdale as Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and his partner Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) were revealed as the new tenant farmers at ‘Emmerdale Farm’ returning the legendary Sugden name to the land for the first time in years.

But resharing the Robert and Aaron update from Emmerdale’s Instagram page, Adam had his say as he commented: “This farm belongs to the Barton’s!!!”

In Wednesday’s episode (March 11) of the ITV soap, with Moira Dingle (Natalie J. Robb) having signed over the farm to the Tates, Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) swiftly moved to appoint Robert to run the operation. Driven by a desire to honour his family legacy and following in the footsteps of his father, Jack Sugden, one of the original farmers in the area, Robert is determined to restore the farm to its former glory. Their first action is to proudly reinstate the dug-up old farm sign, renaming the land from Butler’s Farm to Emmerdale Farm.

Meanwhile, Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) is decisively looking for new land for him and his wife Moira, determined that she too can continue her career as a farmer. With two farms soon flourishing in the village – Emmerdale Farm and the new Dingle Farm – it’s a legacy that Annie Sugden would be proud of.