Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) staged quite the comeback to Emmerdale over Christmas, initially hellbent on giving Kim Tate (Claire King) a taste of her own medicine.
Having left the village six years prior, the dashing businessman’s return saw him unmasked as the person who had been secretly helping Will Taylor (Dean Andrews) scheme against wife Kim.
But after Will then died of a heart attack, Kim and Joe appear to have put their differences aside – but Ned has hinted there’s more twists ahead for his character.
Speaking prior to his return, the actor said: ‘I’m so excited to be returning to Emmerdale. There’s a lot of unfinished business for Joe, and it feels like the right time for him to make a comeback.
‘Joe has always been a character with a dark side, but there could be something much bigger at play here.
‘Joe is back for a reason, and the devastation at Home Farm is just the beginning of a much bigger story.’
If you’re eager for the lowdown on all-things Joe, let’s take a little trip down memory lane.
Who is Joe Tate in Emmerdale?
Joe is the son of Christopher Tate and Rachel Hughes, which makes him the step grandson of Kim Tate and the nephew of Caleb Miligan (William Ash).
He appeared in Emmerdale as a child in the mid 90s and was looked after by Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell) following his parents’ death.
Joe staged quite a comeback in 2017, with EastEnders star Ned Porteous taking over the role as part of a storyline where he went by the name of Tom Waterhouse, seducing Debbie to get revenge on Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) who he believed had a role to play in his dad’s death.
Despite his twisted plan, however, Joe ultimately fell in love with Debbie, with the two embarking on a relationship and he also moved into Home Farm, taking over the property from previous owners the Whites.
Kim, meanwhile, staged quite a comeback decades in the making shortly after Joe’s arrival and she made it her mission to get her hands on Home Farm, ordering Graham Foster (Andrews Scarborough) to kill young businessman Joe.
Joe seemingly died after an altercation with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), with Graham subsequently disposing of the body, but a shock twist confirmed that Joe was still alive and living aboard, doing whatever he could to stay out of Kim’s orbit.
Six years have since passed, and while there seems to be peace between Kim and Joe at present, who knows if Joe is still intent on retribution…
What is wrong with Joe Tate in Emmerdale?
Since Joe’s return, it has become apparent he is hiding news of a health condition and has been seen taking pills.
More recent scenes saw Joe slumped in his room at Home Farm gasping for air, as he appeared to suffer some sort of seizure.
So far, it remains unconfirmed what condition Joe has been diagnosed with, as he is keeping news about his health a secret from the other villagers.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 or stream first from 7am on ITVX.
