Aaron Livesy Dingle

[Telly Watcher]

I've really been very disappointed with how the Emmerdale court scenes for week starting 11 April 2016 have been shown. The general Gordon character dissing by 14yo Liv and other Emmerdale characters for the prosecution about some of unrelated "Gordon's white lies" issues is one thing but real evidence about what really happened between Gordon and Aaron many years ago seems to be really missing for me to decide about this all right now, as there seem to be no hard facts, non-emotional, physical evidence or admission from Gordon. As far as I can tell, Liv had no real statement to make about sexual abuse between Gordon and Aaron. I, for one, do not rate 14yo Liv as any kind of reliable person as a witness in court, when she was about 2yo when Aaron claims he was last raped when he was 12yo (so about 13 years ago!). [In fact, I confidently predict that I am going to hate Liv being in Emmerdale in the future...] If I was a juror then I'd fail this case as being anywhere near convincing enough for me "beyond all reasonable doubt" for facts that Aaron was abused by Gordon. There just doesn't seem to be enough credible evidence to convict Gordon for me. I'm sorry, but the prosecution has really failed for me as a virtual juror from what I've seen on ITV this week.

Also, IMO. there have been way far too many short serious court scenes switching to "comedy" scenes with David, Kerry and Leyla, etc. This has really ruined my Emmerdale viewing experience for this week for the Aaron court scenes. If I had been an Emmerdale producer/editor, I would never have done this.

There have been hints and positive suggestions revealed already about the outcome of Gordon's trial. I do not want to break news about the trial outcome as a worldwide first on soapboards, however. Later, after 19:30 hours tonight, I'll show on soapboards what got revealed unintentionally beforehand... The truth is out there right now, if you know where to find it! I just cannot tell you all about this right now until later when Emmerdale has aired from 19:00-19:30 hours on ITV, 15 April 2016.

As a final note, I was very disappointed about Robron last night. I thought that Aaron said previously that he wanted to take things slowly with Robert? Well, for me anyway, it seemed like Robert and Aaron didn't have much of any long time to catch breath again after getting back from the courtroom before snogging. This for me was something really far too soon. I'd really expected and wanted a scene like this between Robert and Aaron to happen around Christmas 2016. But I forgot that this is soapland and the British Soap Awards with Danny Miller nominated for Best Actor are going to the final public voting stages next month in May 2016...

[Dalesfan]

There was no doubt that was going to be the verdict. It had to be. Aaron has justice. I am disappointed that the story has just been more about Robron getting back together though. There was no reason that it had to happen bang in the middle of the verdict. I Would have taken it more serious if they had waited until after. When Aaron's head was clear. But they had to get it in now while there is hype. And not forgetting the upcoming awards

[Telly Watcher]

There have been hints and positive suggestions revealed already about the outcome of Gordon's trial. I do not want to break news about the trial outcome as a worldwide first on soapboards, however.

I won't be able to tell on soapboards how I found out about Gordon's verdict by Friday afternoon yesterday.

It was something I noticed from a different viewpoint. I doubt if anyone else will see it like this. I can tell here that the definite conclusion from it was the Guilty verdict though.

Gordon's verdict was the biggest secret in Emmerdale for ages. This time I couldn't share here.

[Telly Watcher]

Emmerdale's current abuse plot has kept Danny Miller awake at night: "It's been difficult."

"You get trusted with these stories and it is difficult to switch off from it."

Emmerdale star Danny Miller has revealed that the pressure of Aaron Livesy's current abuse plot has been keeping him awake at night.

The ITV soap is airing emotional scenes all this week, as Miller's character Aaron desperately hopes that his evil father Gordon will finally be punished for sexually abusing him when he was a child.

The actor has previously described the hard-hitting storyline as the toughest he's done to date, and has admitted that he felt a huge responsibility to portray it right.

"You get trusted with these stories and it is difficult to switch off from it," the actor said on Lorraine today (April 15).

"Like you say, these things are happening as we speak - we had a job to do and it's remembering that.

"One night, I woke up and had an idea about a certain scene. I wanted to try and keep hold of that thought. It is difficult but there are people there who are great to support you and help you to switch off. I am very well supported by Emmerdale."

Miller also praised the show for the amount of research that has gone into the plot, which has received universal praise from viewers.

He said: "It is a storyline that touches people in different ways. But the only feedback we have had is positive because we have dealt with it in the right way and with the research we've done, we got the message across that we needed to.

"The feedback has been none other than positive. People have been really supporting of it and wanting justice."

Speaking about his 'Best Actor' nomination at the upcoming British Soap Awards, Miller added: "It would be nice to win something for Emmerdale. They work hard - I am not saying the other soaps don't - but they work hard and get overlooked a lot."

Last night's episode of the soap saw Aaron reunite with his on-off lover Robert Sudgen, as they anxiously await the verdict of Gordon's trial.

By Sophie Dainty, Digital Spy
http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emme...een-difficult/

[Telly Watcher]

Danny Miller appeared on ITV's Lorraine show on Friday 15 April and talked to Lorraine about his toughest ever storyline, which sees his character Aaron Livesy take his father, Gordon, to court over childhood abuse.

"Will Emmerdale's Aaron get justice?" | Lorraine, 15/04/16, 6m 0s
http://www.itv.com/lorraine/showbiz/...s-danny-miller

Emmerdale​ actor Danny Miller reveals he owns a garish pair of LEOPARD PRINT pants, but reserves them for one special occasion ... what could it be?

Watch him reveal all over a bowl of Kelly's Brekkie Briefs!

"60 Second Cereal with Emmerdale's Danny Miller" | Lorraine, 15/04/16, 1m 56s
http://www.itv.com/lorraine/showbiz/...s-danny-miller

[Telly Watcher]

It’s been an exhausting but important watch – and, as we knew that they would, Emmerdale have done incredible justice to the difficult storyline that is Aaron Livesy’s abuse at the hands of his father Gordon.

It was by no means an easy subject matter to tackle and there was so much importance riding on it – this was something that needed to be done in the correct way as it is a prominent and extraordinarily sensitive topic which will have affected countless viewers.

Utilising deep research, the writers, producers and cast teamed together to produce some hard hitting drama that hasn’t just served themselves and their audience well – but the issue of coming forward to report child abuse as a whole.

Here are 10 factors that have made it one of the most powerful soap storylines of all time:

1. Research

Emmerdale have done their homework – and it has shown. For the acting and writing to have been able to portray an abuser and a victim so effectively, the teams behind the scenes must have put in the hours to have ensured everything was tackled right. From subtleties such as facial expressions through to important sides like points of law, everything has been done properly and the show have not shied away from exploring the grittier aspect of things.

Seeing Aaron open up to Robert about exactly what happened to him and listening to Gordon condemn his son as a liar and a fantasist were not easy to watch – but these things are happening in our world.

2. Danny Miller

The entire cast involved in this have done a stellar job in portraying how this would affect the various parties but Danny in particular has pulled off the performance of his career and proven that soap actors are just as capable of delivering true drama as anyone else. We have cried for him, got angry for him and agonised for him throughout this entire journey – he has poured his entire being into what must have been an incredibly difficult role and he has nailed it.

3. The writing

Of course, Danny and his colleagues can only deliver the material if it is there in the first place – and the writing has been raw and emotional throughout. The scene on the Woolpack staircase where Aaron blurted out the truth to Chas and Robert vowing to be there every step of the way were particular highlights.

4. The unity of characters

Chas previously despised Robert but was able to put that aside when she saw how much he was helping her son. Cain was able to put aside his instincts to kill Gordon for Aaron’s good. The likes of Adam, Lisa and Victoria have been there on the sidelines to show a real unity between characters as they fought for justice.

5. The Robron feels

Underpinning it all was the strong love between Aaron and Robert and the redemption of a previously malicious character. By being the one Aaron opened up to and standing by him patiently and taking all of Aaron’s changing moods, Robert has proven himself worthy of being trusted again and this aspect of the story has helped to make the whole thing even more emotional. The payoff as the verdict loomed which saw Aaron embraced by Robert after that kiss showed that no matter what was going to happen, they would be there for each other.

6. Gary Mavers

A story about a victim of rape bravely going after justice would not be believable unless the abuser was. With by far the toughest of the acting roles, Gary Mavers made everyone absolutely despise Gordon with his deep and researched portrayal of a malicious and evil abuser who was clever enough to manipulate and come across as a normal man. It must have been daunting to play a man who raped a child – but Mavers has been unflinching in his dedication to doing the role justice and he has done an amazing job.

7. Liv

Bringing in Aaron’s kid sister added a new layer and also introduced us to the wonderful young star Isobel Steele. It also gave us an insight into the way Gordon attempted to evade justice by callously toying with his daughter’s need for a father figure to try and use her to his advantage, which was an important aspect to show.

8. The outcome

Emmerdale could really only have gone one way with this and we are so glad that they avoided the drama of a miscarriage of justice as it could have risked putting real life victims off from reporting their cases. While it can’t be denied that the right outcome isn’t always reached in real life, it was important that Emmerdale showed that justice DOES happen. And equally as important to convey that Aaron wouldn’t be whooping for joy but would be feeling empty and conflicted. After all, like Aaron said, the memories wouldn’t ever go away and the recovery from such an emotional journey would take time. This has all been handled in the right way.

9. The fans

The viewers have invested in the story and gotten upset, angry, outraged and hopeful along the way with the characters, proving how powerful it has been. Reactions have been extremely passionate and it has been great to see how much viewers have cared in going on Aaron’s brave journey with him.

10. It will help victims

The story doesn’t end here, but at this point, it’s fair to say that it has told Aaron’s story honestly, without rose tinting and this can only help to encourage real life victims to have the bravery to come forward.

Soaps have a platform and millions of people watch and take note of the messages and issues that they cover. Not only will it encourage some to report, it will also encourage many to listen.

And that is the most powerful aspect of all.

By Duncan Lindsay for Metro.co.uk

Read more and see video clips at:
http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/15/emmerd...-ever-5819660/

[Telly Watcher]

Emmerdale fans will see Aaron Livesy's life turned upside down yet again next week, as he receives two sets of shocking news.

The first bombshell comes when Aaron realises that his evil father Gordon has sent a letter to him from prison, which his boyfriend Robert Sugden has deliberately concealed from him.

Aaron makes his discovery when he attends Gordon's sentencing in court following the jury's recent decision to find him guilty of child sex abuse charges.

Just after Gordon hears how long he'll be spending behind bars, Aaron is left confused when his dad mentions the letter that he sent to him a week ago.

A furious Aaron later confronts Robert for keeping secrets from him - but that's nothing compared to another big shock that's still to come...

Danny Miller, who plays Aaron, explained: "Gordon gives the letter to Pete, who then passes it to Robert. Robert and Adam have a chat and they both decide that it's probably best to keep it from Aaron.

"They don't realise that they've made the wrong decision, because regardless of what was in that letter, it was Aaron's decision to make. The fact that he doesn't know what was in that letter is frustrating for him. You'd want that little bit of closure.

"At the same time, it'd be too easy for Aaron to just go into prison and see what Gordon has to say. Because of that, the consequences are bigger than Robert ever thought."

He added: "I think this will hinder Aaron's process of getting over things a little bit. Aaron doesn't know what was in that letter. Gordon could have admitted everything and refused to apologise - and Aaron could move on from that.

"Or the letter could have said: 'I'm really sorry for what I did, I want to see you and apologise face-to-face'. Again that would have been a huge weight off Aaron's shoulders. But the fact that he can't read what Gordon said is frustrating for him."

Just as Aaron is weighing everything up, there's a second massive shock when DS Wise arrives at The Woolpack with some big news to share - which sends the troubled mechanic into a spin.


© ITV
DS Wise arrives with shocking news for Aaron

Viewers will have to tune in next week to find out what DS Wise has to say, but it's something that will have huge consequences for Aaron, Robert and Liv in the coming weeks.

Emmerdale airs these scenes on Thursday, May 12 at 7pm and 8pm on ITV.

By Daniel Kilkelly, Digital Spy
http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emme...om-the-police/

[Perdita]

The life of Aaron Dingle took another unexpected turn in tonight's episodes of Emmerdale when it was revealed that his abusive father Gordon Livesy had died in prison.
With Robert having burned the letter that Gordon had written prior to his death, Aaron now has no opportunity to find out whether his dad was truly sorry for the pain he'd inflicted. And what's more, Aaron is growing increasingly suspicious that Robert might have had a hand in Gordon's demise.
Here, actor Danny Miller talks to RadioTimes.com about his high-profile year on Emmerdale - work that has now been rewarded with a nomination for Best Actor at this year's British Soap Awards...
When Gordon was re-introduced, did you always know that this would be the outcome?
To be honest, no. The initial idea was for Gordon to be sent to prison and for Aaron to see him deteriorate. But the writers eventually decided to give Gordon the worst possible outcome. And for Aaron to not get the admission he needs from his dad. Now Aaron will never know whether Gordon was ready to admit that he'd ruined his life.

It seems Aaron is only allowed a couple of episodes to be happy before he gets yet more bad news…
Yes, they managed to give him the hint of a brighter future before pulling the rug out from under him again. But there are people out there in the real world who have really bad luck. And at least his dad is now dead and can't haunt Aaron or taunt him from prison.
Why do you think the pairing of Aaron and Robert has been so successful?
As a nation, we like to root for the underdogs. Just look at Leicester City! When I look back six months, though, I didn't think there was any way back for Aaron and Robert. Especially when it was revealed that Robert had killed Katie, who was Chas's best mate. But the clever writers put their heads together and realised that Robert had been fighting his feelings for Aaron all along. Here was a man who was putting his marriage on the line for a man. Robert loves Aaron. And he was there for him throughout this dark period of the trial. Aaron didn't want him around, but Robert showed that he had his best interests at heart.

So is this a story of redemption for both Aaron and Robert?
Yes, you thought Robert was some kind of demon, but he's shown that he can be this really lovely lad. And the viewers know that Aaron is at his happiest when he's with Robert. Obviously, we have the cliffhanger tonight with Aaron's suspicions about Robert, but there is this definite feeling from the fans that Aaron now deserves to be happy. And for me, on a personal level, I love working with Ryan Hawley and I know that the feeling's mutual. So I think the chemistry between us comes from that. And all credit to Ryan for the way he's playing it.
Do you ever laugh about the fact that a year ago Robert had Aaron chained to a radiator?
We have had many a joke on set. Particularly with Lucy Pargeter, who pointed out that Robert is now living at the Woolpack despite Chas knowing that he killed her best friend. But things move on. And the only other way of doing things would have been to put Robert in prison for Katie's murder - and that would have been a waste of a great character and a talented actor.

Have you ever typed the hashtag Robron into Twitter?
I'm not the best at social media - I can tweet, retweet and put a picture up, but that's about it. I know that Robron is a thing, though, and I have used the hashtag when I've been promoting the show. But I only realised that a lot of people were talking about it when someone explained to me what 'trending' meant on Twitter. From what I hear, it's all good stuff. And the fact that the storylines get discussed on social media is positive news for all of us - we want people to talk about historic sex abuse and speak out.
Now, I believe that you had to film the scene in which Aaron told Chas about his rape TWICE - is that true?
Yes, it's true. And it was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do. When I originally read the script, I became very emotionally attached to it. And Mike Lacey, who directed the episode and who's a very approachable guy, asked me how I felt about just going for it in one take. I was up for it, even though it was five pages of dialogue, the most I've ever done in my career. But after we filmed it, Mike felt that the stage directions needed to be changed and that Chas had to be seen consoling Aaron earlier than she did in the script.
I agreed - after all, it is my job and I couldn't really say no. So I had a ten-minute break, went off, had a chat with my dad on the phone, listened to some music and then felt like I could do it again. And actually, it was good to be able to change the bits I hadn't necessarily liked when we first shot it. It felt more comfortable that Chas was there for Aaron. So, yes, we did do it twice and the result was amazing. But it was all down to the team, not just me and Lucy, but the crew too.

Of which scenes are you most proud?
The two big analyses of Aaron's story - so either the one with Robert or with Chas. We did a ridiculous amount of work on both of them - everyone put in so many hours, but I felt like we created something that really worked. And the scripts really opened my eyes to why people keep these things quiet for so long.
What is it that keeps you at Emmerdale?
It's the people - both cast and crew. And yes, I was starting to get a CV together while I was away from Emmerdale, but I've had fantastic, controversial storylines since I've been back. When you're creating this kind of drama, there's no reason not to want to do it. We work long hours, but it's enjoyable and it's nice to get a nomination like this as a reward.
Did you expect to make the shortlist?
I'd never really thought about it in terms of making the shortlist. I feel that Emmerdale has been overlooked in recent years so, for that reason, I hadn't been getting my hopes up. But it's great to be shortlisted - I'm absolutely made up.


Radio Times

[Ruffed_lemur]

Really disappointed that Gordon is dead. I don't feel he's been punished.

[Perdita]

Really disappointed that Gordon is dead. I don't feel he's been punished.

I feel like that too ... but at least he can´t torment Aaron or Liv any more like he might have done from prison, sending letters, visiting orders etc ...Just need to find out now what the letter from him to Aaron said .. come on Robert, spill!!!