Emmerdale’s Ross Barton is set to fall victim to a shocking acid attack this week.
The handsome mechanic – played by Michael Parr – will find himself in hot water after he agrees to help his on/off girlfriend Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) take down Joseph Tate (Ned Porteous) for leaving her heartbroken and homeless – a malicious plan he concoct in order to get revenge on her mother Charity Tate (Emma Atkins).
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, Michael said: "Debbie has been screwed over by Joe – and Ross still has a bit of a thing for her. There’s a connection and because Ross doesn’t have a family anymore, he needs to start making some friends rather than enemies. He thinks he can be Debbie’s knight in shining armour."
Ross manages to persuade Joe to employ him as he believes that’s one way to get inside information that will help Debbie.
But she’s too impatient and wants the job done now and this, in turn, leads to the pair squabbling and falling out.
Ross later realises that he’d rather be on Joe’s side because the businessman pays him well, takes him to parties and is polite to him.
But he burns his bridges at both ends as his conniving plan is discovered and he’s sacked on the spot.
He explained: "Ross is gutted, as he was about to stop playing games for the Dingles and be loyal to Joe.
"But after Joe finds out and fires him on the spot, Ross knows he’s messed things up. He feels hard done by, so he takes his revenge and steals Joe’s car."
Realising that Ross is no longer part of her revenge plot, Debbie persuades desperate Simon McManus (Liam Ainsworth) to pick up his dirty work.
However, it all ends in a catastrophic injury as Simon accidentally attacks Ross with acid – thinking it was Joe getting out of his car.
Michael said: "This storyline is a big responsibility, and one that I was very nervous about taking on. I know it’s a reality for some people, so it’s important to get it right and do the story justice. The ‘Emmerdale’ team has done extensive research, and we really want to raise awareness of the devastating consequences an attack like this has on a person’s life … It’s a big subject, and that excites me. It’s like being back at drama school, where you would get a play and then have to research all the themes and topics. It’s great to have something to sink my teeth into."
Emmerdale’s Ross Barton to fall victim to acid attack
