Emmerdale is screening a Christmas Day episode devoted to two of its most popular characters.

The  ITV soap will feature ex-couple Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), who were together known as Robron.

It sees Robert, estranged from Aaron, the “real love of his life”,  have a “perpetual nightmare” on Christmas morning.

Series producer Iain MacLeod said of the episode: “Think Groundhog Day and A Christmas Carol with a little nod to the film Don’t Look Now thrown in and that’s been our approach.”

Emmerdale (Tim Whitby/PA)
Emmerdale (Tim Whitby/PA)

He promised a little comedy, saying: “Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a healthy dose of the Dingles and a comedy cameo which we hope will please our viewers.

“Watch out for the ghost of Christmas Future, as you might recognise them.”

He said there were risks in filming “such a standalone episode”, which would be “heartfelt and hilarious”, but added we “hope the audience will appreciate we’ve tried to do something a bit different”.