Emmerdale's Danny Miller given codename to keep explosive soap return a secret
As Emmerdale favourite Aaron Dingle makes a shock return to the famous Yorkshire village, the soap’s legendary actor and former I’m a Celebrity winner Danny Miller admits he feels more grateful than ever to be back for good after becoming a dad for the second time.
Revealing he received a call asking if he would like to reprise his role just two days after both he and his wife, Steph, secretly discovered they were expecting a baby again, the 32-year-old star admits it’s been far tougher than he envisaged finding another role that is as brilliant as his Emmerdale character.
And Danny – who has played Aaron on and off since 2008 but quit two years ago in October 2021 returning only briefly for the soap’s 50th birthday celebrations – also reveals that once he accepted the offer to return, so determined were soap bosses to keep it a top secret, they even gave him two code names of ‘Albert Jones’ and ‘Wylie Smith’ to not let the cat out the bag.
Even Dominic Brunt wondered if Aaron’s screen mum, Chas, had discovered she had a long-lost son when he saw the code names written on the scripts, reveals the popular and gregarious actor in his only big exclusive sit-down newspaper interview today.
Emmerdale favourite Aaron Dingle makes a shock return to the famous Yorkshire villageHe says: "I am excited to finally be able to talk about my return to Emmerdale playing Aaron. It’s so good to be back permanently. Everyone wanted to keep it a secret and I loved this idea, so I was given two code names on the scripts – Albert Jones which I am guessing they got from my wife’s maiden name and son, and then Wylie Smith is the other alias as he starts at Wylie Farm.
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"And you would be surprised how many people didn’t clock on to who it was at first! Dominic, who plays Paddy, said to me: ‘I didn’t understand who this Wylie was. I thought Chas had another son who they brought back! Its soap isn’t it? It is believable a long-lost son comes back into it!’"
The timing, he adds, couldn’t be more perfect. After spending two years away from Emmerdale, that included a stint on I’m a Celebrity which saw him being crowned ‘King of the Jungle’, Danny is the first to confess he found it tough when he started to look for another role after spending more than a year as a stay-at-home dad.
"My time off was the best decision I ever made as I loved being with Steph and Albert and having no commitments," he says. "It was like a gap year that ran into two. I feel so lucky to have been able to do this. But it is tough being an actor and it’s very difficult to find lead roles.
Aaron Dingle is back on Emmerdale"There are exceptions like Michelle Keegan, Katherine Kelly and Suranne Jones but you can struggle once outside a soap and for many actors, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
"When I got the call, we had just found out secretly we were expecting number two and I don’t know if its karma but I do believe everything happens for a reason. It sounds cringey but I feel like the stars were aligned."
Has it made him realise the grass isn’t always greener on the other side? "It has certainly made me appreciative and loved," he replies. "I owe everything to Emmerdale for inviting me back. I count my lucky stars every day. I’ve got Steph, Albert and Edith now and my job back at Emmerdale means I can look after them."
By his own admission, he has grown up a lot since joining Emmerdale as a fresh faced 17-year-old. "It’s such a nice place to work and so many have seen me grow up," he explains. "They have seen me in my 20s come into work hungover to then grow into a mature father of two and husband who is much happier in life. It’s amazing to be back with my old friends and also brilliant to be playing a very different Aaron."
Indeed, as viewers will discover in the soap’s super stunt week, Aaron has got himself in a lot of trouble after fleeing the Yorkshire Dales following a brief return last autumn for the soap’s 50th birthday. "Cain and Caleb have rescued him from Italy and essentially saved his life," he explains. "He was self-destructing and Aaron doesn’t know who he is anymore.
Aaron has got himself in a lot of trouble after fleeing the Yorkshire Dales"He has got involved with some gangsters and the Mafia in Italy and Cain comes to get him before he is killed. It’s an interesting story and it’s nice to discover more about the foundation of who he is, how much he has lost in his life and how he has been walked all over. Everything has come to a climax and he has admitted he has had enough. He has got a defence wall up now and he doesn’t want to let anyone walk all over him.
"He is full of a lot of anger after discovering Chas was having an affair with Al last year and it’s safe to say it’s going to be a rollercoaster of a journey for them both. I don’t think she quite understands just how toxic he is and the hatred he has got for her!"
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Laughing, he says there has been plenty of banter since his secret return with both Dominic and Lucy Pargeter who plays Aaron’s mum, Chas, joking: "Oh no you are not back again!"
"It’s like a second home to me and Dominic and Lucy are like an older brother and sister to me," adds Danny. "They’ve been giving me lots of advice on how to juggle the job with my family. As Dominic said only yesterday: 'this building is amazing but we are all here to support our families. They come first'. And he is right."
Danny and Steph, who he tied the knot with last year, have uprooted from their family home in Cheshire to move to Leeds, so he doesn’t have a long commute home. Painting a very happy picture, he smiles continually whilst talking about Steph, Albert, now two, and Edith. "I do feel very blessed we’ve got one of each," he gushes. "I would be lying if I said I didn’t want a little daddy’s girl after Albert. Edith is amazing and I am so lucky to have someone like Steph. She is just incredible and so amazing as a mum. She is super woman!"
The actor is happy to have made a shock return to the ITV soapGiven he spent so much quality time at home, is he finding it hard being away from the family now he is back working full-time? Nodding, he admits: "Because I spent so much time with Albert, I have got real bad dad guilt that Edith isn’t necessarily getting the same experience but she still receives everything he got in terms of love and devotion. And they are in such great hands with Steph. Ultimately, if we want them to do things like swimming classes and go on holiday, one of the parents needs to go and earn money to pay for it. Luckily I get to do it at Emmerdale."
He pauses and grinning from cheek to cheek adds: "I used to find settling down such a boring conversation in my 20s when I was single but I love it. Getting married and being a dad has changed my life for the better."
Close friends with Adam Thomas, who is currently starring in Strictly Come Dancing, the actor says he is enjoying watching him on Saturday nights with Steph – albeit with plenty of banter thrown in along the way. "We’ve got a lads’ WhatsApp chat and we are ribbing him," he says. "He has always been quite eccentric and so this is nothing new for him! But he was so supportive of me when I was in I’m a Celebrity, which will always have a special place in my heart, and so I will definitely return the favour. Mind you, he has got big boots to fill after Kelvin Fletcher won the show!"
As for how he thinks viewers will react to his shock return, Danny hopes they will be welcoming. "Hopefully they will say ‘thank the lord he is back’," he jokes. "There are a lot of relationships to repair and it’s going to be a very interesting ride for Aaron. Of course, you never know what is around the corner but I would love to stay here for a while. I love playing Aaron."
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.*Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , and .
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