Andrew "Andy" Sugden (also Hopwood) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Kelvin Fletcher. He first appeared on-screen during the episode broadcast 4 July 1996. On 1 August 2016, it was reported that Fletcher would be leaving the show after 20 years but the actor himself didn't confirm his exit until on 16 August 2016, when Andy left the village and went on the run after being framed for the attempted murder of Lawrence White (John Bowe). After the episode, Fletcher confirms in the soap's twitter account that he had left the show.