Emmerdale viewers are buzzing with speculation that Les may make a dramatic return to the iconic soap following the tense scenes of Matty Barton’s exit from prison.

The character, portrayed by Stacey J Gough, made a strong impression when he recently debuted as Matty’s (played by Ash Palmisciano) cellmate.

Fans will recall the traumatic storyline where Matty was wrongfully imprisoned after Josh Cope (Osian Morgan) and Samson Dingle (Sam Hall) implicated him in a stabbing incident during their botched robbery at The Hide.

Matty, who is a beloved resident of the village, found himself involuntarily involved when Josh shoved Samson towards him at a moment when Matty was holding a knife, leading to Samson’s accidental stabbing.

Les in Emmerdale

Les became a hit with fans recently (Image: (Image: ITV))
Despite Matty’s innocence, both Josh and Samson falsely accused him of deliberate violence, resulting in his incarceration. Inside the prison walls, Matty’s vulnerability was heightened due to fears that his status as a transgender man would make him a target for violence.

Luckily, cellmate Les showed compassion and solidarity, standing up for Matty against the transphobic inmate Robbo, played by John O’Neill. But just as Matty was adjusting to prison life with his new ally, Les got released, leaving Matty isolated once again, reports the Express.

Matty and Les in Emmerdale

Matty met Les in prison (Image: (Image: ITV))
In a desperate bid for freedom, Matty manipulated a situation forcing Les to assault him before his release, a move that garnered him a temporary hospital stay but ultimately led to his return behind bars.

Since Les’ brief but impactful stint on Emmerdale, there’s been a clamour from the audience for his continued presence on the show. Amidst various fan calls for his character to be made permanent, one particular viewer expressed on X: “Emmerdale has introduced so many useless characters in the last couple of years, I hope they’ve got the sense to make Les permanent. He’s been great so far.”

Les on Emmerdale

Fans reckon Les will be heading back soon (Image: (Image: ITV))
Emmerdale enthusiasts are buzzing with speculation that Matty Barton’s former cellmate Les might be returning to the iconic soap. After witnessing heartfelt scenes hinting at Matty’s struggle with his prison ordeal, fans are anticipating he might face PTSD, a plot twist that could pave the way for Les to come back to “help” him navigate through this challenging time.

On an Emmerdale-focused Facebook group, one fan speculated, “Such a shame the writers haven’t kept les Matty’s cellmate on as a permanent character what does everyone else think? ”

Another chimed in suggesting, “Maybe they could bring him back down the line? Matty could have some sort of breakdown and he comes back to help? ”

Agreement was widespread among the thread, with a third supporter expressing, “I thought the same,” while another anticipated, “Yup I think Matty will have a breakdown quickly tbh bless him.” Solidifying this prediction, another commenter added their voice: “He’ll probably come back if Matty starts suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder.”