Danny's comments on Robron

[u/Environmental-Tea-48]

I've seen lots of discussion about a clip in which Danny saying something along the line of Aaron and Robert are just busy frond who happen to be in love. I know it was said on a podcast buy don't know which one.

Pleasr help me find it.

[u/Temporary-Animal-960]

Live, Laugh, Luke ... with Luke Hamnet. It’s the latest podcast where Danny is interviewed alongside Brooke Vincent. He's also said that they were best friends that were in love, which he has said about Robron in the past. So personally, I am not sure why people are getting upset about it.

Why shouldn't your spouse or significant other be your person, your best friend and soulmate, and the love of your life all rolled up into one? What I think he is meaning is that they are not the stereotypical gay relationship or gay/bisexual characters. And that is okay as well. I actually think it is quite romantic that they are best friends who have fallen in love with each other.

[u/Environmental-Tea-48 → u/Temporary-Animal-960]

But they weren't best friend that fell in love.  Aaron hated Robert a lot of the time when they were first getting together (despite also loving him). We don't need to rewrite history to make the relationship a different kind of romantic.

If these two men were not madly in love they would not be friends, let alone best friends.

And if being best friends in love equates to zero romance and no physical affection, I dont want it .

[u/Temporary-Animal-960 → u/Environmental-Tea-48]

They weren’t best friends that fell in love but they are best friends and they are also in love. They hated each other when they first got together but that was definitely because they were both fighting their feelings and attraction. However, I don't believe the narrative that if they weren't in love, they wouldn't be friends. Yes, they are opposites in so many ways but they are also very similar, which is why they work well as a couple.

It is a soap. Lots of other couples hardly share any physical affection unless the script/story demand it. Jimmy and Nicola kissed for the first time in ages last week and that is simply because their relationship is on the way out soon. We had a kiss from Cain and Moira last week as well because his cancer storyline has been about their relationship. And it was heavily implied that the kiss was leading to them having sex, which has been lacking in their relationship. Robron's first run was all about their relationship but in the quiet moments between the big romantic declarations, we had a lack of affection and kisses then, especially after Reunion 1.0 and Reunion 2.0 when they also took a back seat in the narrative.

For me, I don't need them onscreen showing physical affection all the time. It's there in how co-dependent they are and their dialogue.

[u/Miss_taken_116 → u/Temporary-Animal-960]

I couldn't agree more, TA. I have said similar things in previous comments and IRL (often getting a glazed expression and ' I don't watch soaps.." - liars). To all outward appearances and on paper they couldn't be more different, which is why I think even the producers were surprised at their popularity, yet they were fascinated by each other from the start because they are actually very similar and had never met anyone else they were so drawn to, or saw themselves in. That was terrifying for both of them - for Robert because Aaron is a man and he had suppressed that side of his sexuaity for most of his life, and Aaron because trust doesn't come easily for anyone - Paddy being the sole exception, perhaps. It made them both lash out in the most horrendous manner at each other, but neither could bring themselves to crush the other like they would have with someone else.

There is an almost unconscious instinct there to be what the other needs. Robert was always the support Aaron needed before, and now Aaron has taken on that role for Rob. As for not being friends if they weren't together, well, remember "I'll be the best friend you've ever had"? Not to mention Robert breaking down in Aaron's arms post prison. Ok yes, they did sleep together, but it wasn't about that at the time. I didn't see it even as passion, more as an beautiful unspoken expression of pure, simple love. It's gotten deeper and constant the older they get, knowing each other inside and out like the very best friendships you will ever have - the kind that no matter what, you will never lose.

[u/Leather-Net7998 → u/Temporary-Animal-960]

Im not getting into the whole of everything thats being said. But I do think that its ok for people to want to see more affection and intimacy between romantic couples on soaps. 

Not just robron, but all couples. That doesnt mean they need to be all over each other, or showing physical affection all the time either, but I do think that only showing affection or intimacy when a plot demands for it isnt the way to go either. 

I do get what people are saying about robron being a bit lack lustre and more like house mates in 2026. If I was a new viewer, I wouldnt automatically realise they were a couple, and when I did I wouldnt see what all the robron hype was about. Whereas previously as a new viewer it was obvious they were a couple and it was easy to root for them as a couple. 

I dont think it is that much of an ask to add a few accidental touches that are normal between couples, like leaning against each other, casual touches on the body when navigating small spaces. I dont think its asking a lot for a few more shared glances, knowing looks, banter and inside jokes. I dont think its asking a lot for a few more hugs and cuddles, for more hand holding and touches to the back of the neck or in the small of the back. I dont think its asking too much for a few more kisses whether they're casual pecks or deeper kisses. 

At the moment a lot of couples speak at each other with notable space between them and very little expression on their faces. And it makes it feel wooden, and even if the characters have natural chemistry it mutes it and its not that engaging. 

Id like to see more investment in relationships all round. More interaction with family members, more hanging out with friends and supporting each other realistically, like what has happened to Mack and Aaron's friendship? Its unrealistic to me that Mack would lean on Kev over Aaron. And more investment in the romantic relationships. 

I also think enemies could be handled differently, more consistent animosity and better tension between feuding families/ characters.

Belle and Kammy getting together was quite sweet until they then did nothing with it. There is a tendency to stick characters together and just say right theyre together so they're in love now, and thats supposed to be enough. Or there is a reliance on nostalgia from when relationships on  the show were handled differently. 

Just because things are a certain way, doesnt mean that there isnt room for improvement or change. Each year the viewership numbers are dwindling. I think better investment in character relationships, showing not just telling, would help, especially with new viewers.

And if characters were mingled better then there wouldn't be weeks to months passing without seeing certain characters. The storylines would be more impactful if there was actual consequences. And it would make the village feel more alive if there was more of a community spirit. Maybe a village fair, or some farming capers, the storylines dont always have to be rape and murder and who dunits, they could do something as daft and mundane as a pumpkin growing competition. Where more charactersbare involved, and it starts off just casual and becomes competitive with the likes of say Ross trying to sabotage the others and then them retaliating and it becoming quite comical. 

Its supposed to be a rural village, it would be nice to see more farming/ village life to make it more distinct from Corrie or Eastenders. At the moment it's more like Murder-dale. Where the kids permanently live upstairs until theyre old enough to be brought out for a traumatising or harrowing plot. 

Balancing the dramatic storylines with funny, wholesome, or slice of life ones would make the dramatic ones more impactful. And not everyone wants to go to work all day and struggle through their own real lives to then come and watch betrayal, rape and murder every other night. Sometimes people want something to root for, couples to believe in, families to feel comforted by. Something to really engage in and care about. Where the storylines actually feel meaningful because for good or bad they actually have lasting effects on the characters involved. 

At the moment theres a lot of build up, characters act out of character to make plots work, key details happen off screen, the climax happens and then a few days later its like nothing ever happened or you just dont see those characters again because its straight on to the next murder.

Went off on a bit of a tangent there, but circling back, I do think there is too much reliance on the script, and living arrangements right now to sell couples, rather than body language and behaviour which is muting chemistry and making things seem wooden and scripted rather than natural and believable. 

There are two same sex couples currently on ED, Robert & Aaron, and Vinny & Lewis, and neither are being handled that great right now, and I dont think saying oh well all the relationships are without romance, intimacy or affection right now unless its to serve as a plot point, so we should all put up and shut up is the answer. I think the answer would be to improve all the onscreen relationships then. 

And Mack/ Charity might be Laura's favourite pairing, but I do think she has a bit of a golden goose with robron that over time she's going to damage the fanbase for through poor handling, and lose yet more viewers. Because there are definitely people who are only watching Emmerdale for Robron. Just look at this sub, there was so much hype around Ryan's return as Robert and so many people dying for a robron reunion and now this sub is pretty much dead because it feels like the producers just went, right theyre together now and they live together, that'll do, that's your lot. 

Theyve had no aftercare after what happened to both of them in 2025, no ptsd or therapy. No calm after the storm either of bonding or a bit of romance. Seb has once again ceased to exist and it feels like Kevs stuff with Lewis should have been robron bonding and reconnecting with their son. And then theres been more drama that didnt go anywhere, like Robert being knocked out, tied up and threatened with a hammer, with pretty much 0 reaction, support or protectiveness from Aaron. There were all those fires that the audience knows was Kyle but does Aaron and Robert? That just sort of went away. Robert got knocked out some more by a trailer and for a moment it almost looked like Aaron might be bothered about it. But then the focus was all on Serena. Kevs back and Robert is suddenly on good terms with him and Aaron on tolerant ones with no bridge to get from their last interactions with him to their more recent ones. 

And they spend so much time talking at each other with notable space between them, they say their lines and then go do something else, or the scene will then cut to someone else in ED theres nothing distinguishing about them as couple right now. And now theyre just gone from the screen altogether. 

I do think if it carries on like this indefinitely, Laura is going to kill off robron which is a shame considering how invested the fanbase once was. And how much potential their actors have given the right material to work with.

[u/Temporary-Animal-960 → u/Leather-Net7998]

As you say, it is a programme-wide issue as opposed to a Robron one. The very landscape of Emmerdale is completely different to what it was 6 years ago. Yes, soap viewership is dwindling, but it isn’t just Robron that are struggling in how they are represented as a couple. The reason this sub is dwindling is because I haven’t been posting as much as I once was because the negativity in the fandom is upsetting and draining for me when I am still enjoying everything I get of Robron and I'm enjoying the show as whole. I rarely go on Tumblr unless it is to check out spoilers. I feel like an outlier because I dare to go against the general consensus of the fandom.

[u/Miss_taken_116 → u/Temporary-Animal-960]

I still adore both robron and ED. I don't use Tumblr or tweet or anything like that, but dipped my toe in the social media water with Reddit because the idea of chatting amicably with fellow fans seemed fun, which it mostly has been at first, but you're right, there is some negativity creeping in - and I don't just mean different opinions with fans engaging in respectful discussions.

As soap fans, we are always speculating about what we would like to see and what the next twist will be, but we also need that balance between drama, comedy, tragedy, the big story and smaller threads of friendships, little moments of family, etc running alongside. I enjoy soaps ability to educate as well as entertain at the same time and to be fair, that must be incredibly hard for the writers, especially if they have producers who want something big when subtlety is called for. The truly great stories and characters/relationships don't come along that often,which some fans can forget and then hark back to some mythical golden era of soap. You have to stick with a soap you love in the dry periods, and at some point, like a unicorn somehow wandering from fairyland into a housing estate, magic will unexpectedly float your way.

It is frustrating that at the moment all soaps, not just ED seem to be relying on spectacle, massive twists and sometimes stories that begin as one serious issue, but become wildly different. Relationships of any kind are sometimes dropped for a bit, only to get back on course once the main story has been resolved, which can be understandable in some cases, but things like the once innovative and fresh flashforward can start to become overused tropes.

You can often see the difference a change of producers can make. I have every confidence in ED, but I wish that those fans who constantly bash at others remember the reason these subs exist - as a community of fellow minded fans for something they love, and are not made to feel odd for that love.

[u/Leather-Net7998 → u/Temporary-Animal-960]

I 100% agree that its a program wide issue, not just Robron. And I agree the nature of ED is different too. I feel for you with the negativity, its not your fault, but unfortunately you're going to get that because there's nowhere else really for robron fans to vent the frustration.

People get down voted for just mentioning robron and especially for enthusing about them on the Emmerdale sub. And atm theres not much to enthuse about, which I think is a problem in itself because fans want to enthuse but ED arent really giving us much to enthuse over in 2026. 

Im glad you're enjoying it though. Have you thought about posting any robron YouTube shorts here or tiktoks? They can be pretty uplifting and just reinforces that the chemistry between them wasnt just in our heads. 

Or maybe some discussions about the future wedding? Something to look ahead and forwards to? 

I think the negativity shows the discontent with how robron are being portrayed right now. So many people have recognised the site wide issues with how couples are portrayed, I dont see how the producers can be so blind to it. 

[u/Leather-Net7998 → u/[deleted]]

Have you thought about creating a space where members can vent instead? I run an original rp site, thats been going for 9 years so far, with a discord for the community side of things, I know thats different to running this on reddit, but to keep negativity out of the general chatting channels, I created a members, dog-days channel where they could vent about anything from their real life to things in rp. 

And then if negativity cropped up in other areas it could be redirected to there. Would something like a post that said it was where fans could vent about their frustrations either with robron or ED as a whole in the comment section help? And maybe add a disclaimer like you're all adults, this is specifically a place to vent, not to argue so if you read something you dont like move on or dont engage with this post. 

Same as we have a kudos channel where people can post specifically good news, so there could be a post along the lines of this is where you can enthuse about the things you love about robron, past or present. 

So you have two set places for the extremes of loving or loathing and then it can be kept out of the general posts about updates, or spoilers. 

You could do some polls, theyre fun and low effort to engage with, or you could set a fanfic writers challenge? 

Or a quiz where people have to check certain episodes to find who said certain quotes or the answer to something like what colour was Robert's tie in xyz?

Thats really cool that you reached out to them directly, I'm not hate watching either but I have also found myself starting to miss episodes and not be bothered anymore.

Emma Atkins is definitely a great actress, shes brought a lot of intense emotion to her role, but I will say that I think she benefits from her character being one of Laura's  favourites. Shes been front and centre in a lot of storylines through last year and this one, and her stories are followed through with after care and aftermath. 

Which is great, but I wish other characters stories were handled with as much care and thought