Karl Davies

Karl Davies (born 6 August 1982) is an English actor, and voice actor, who portrayed Lyle Anderson in the TV series Kingdom. Previously he had portrayed Robert Sugden in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Career Davies took over the role of Robert Sugden in the soap opera Emmerdale in August 2001. The change in actor allowed the character to be developed and he soon became involved in a number of controversial storylines, most involving a long running feud with his adoptive brother Andy Sugden. He also became known for a number of romantic storylines, with Robert having an increasing number of sexual partners including Donna Windsor, Andy's wife Katie Sugden and 15-year-old Debbie Dingle, the mother of Andy's daughter. As one of the young male characters in the show he was invited to take part in a soap calendar for Now Magazine in 2004 alongside fellow actors Ben Freeman and Kelvin Fletcher. The character's final romantic storyline involved an affair with the married Sadie King, played by Patsy Kensit. This storyline received media attention when Kensit reportedly objected to a relationship with a younger actor. Kensit however clarified the reasons for this in an interview with Leeds Today News stating "When I first heard about the storyline, I said 'but he looks like one of James's friends, so boyish and young'. But Karl is so adorable and we had a lot of fun filming those scenes". The brotherly feud which dominated much of Davies' time on the show was used by producers as the vehicle for a high-profile attempt to compete with rival soap EastEnders in the television ratings war and to secure Emmerdale'''s place as the second most popular soap opera in the UK. The chosen storyline involved Andy's attempts to kill Robert which led to his father, Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) being shot. The story was to prove a success securing viewing figures of 7.6 million compared with 6.4 million for EastEnders. This was the first time Emmerdale has secured such a ratings victory. For his final and highly publicised storyline it was made clear to the media weeks in advance that either Robert, Andy or local vet Max King would be killed in an explosive road accident. It was Max who died when Robert drove his car at him and Andy; he then fled the village to avoid being apprehended.