Emmerdale actress Claire King, who plays Kim Tate in the ITV soap, previously starred in a rival soap – and viewers have been left gobsmacked over her role

Emmerdale fans were left stunned after catching sight of Claire King, famed for her portrayal of Kim Tate on ITV’s Emmerdale, in a competing soap drama.

Renowned for her role as the formidable Kim, soap veteran Claire has caused quite a stir among fans. The 62-year-old actress first graced the Dales with her presence in 1989, swiftly becoming one of the most memorable characters on the show.

In 1999, Claire decided to depart from the show to seek new ventures but made a sensational return to Emmerdale 20 years later.

During her tenure on the soap, Claire’s character, Kim, has been embroiled in numerous explosive plot lines, entailing everything from steamy romances to feigning her own demise it’s been a whirlwind of high-octane drama throughout her stay in the Dales.

The current storyline is no less dramatic, as this week it was unveiled that Kim is the mastermind behind the extortion scheme tormenting her cheating husband Will (portrayed by Dean Andrews). Fans will remember that Will has been tormented recently with blackmail regarding his lustful escapade with former flame Rose (played by Christine Tremarco), reports the Mirror.

Claire King is best known for playing Kim Tate in Emmerdale (Image: ITV)

Yet, what’s set Emmerdale followers abuzz is the recent revelation that Claire had previously appeared in another much-loved soap causing quite the surprise amongst some fans who were oblivious to this fact.

On an Emmerdale Facebook page, one fan shared a snapshot showing Claire in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, with a caption exclaiming: “Kim Tate in Hollyoaks.”

The revelation left many social media users stunned, with one commenting: “I watch Hollyoaks and don’t remember her being in it, when was she in it? ” Another user observed: “She hasn’t changed.”

Claire’s appearance on Hollyoaks dates back to 2005 (Image: PA)

A third expressed surprise, saying: “I didn’t know she was in Hollyoaks!”. Claire’s appearance on Hollyoaks dates back to 2005, when she played the role of prison governor Andrea Mason QC in a six-episode guest stint. In addition to her roles in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, Claire has also appeared in Coronation Street.

She was a part of the Corrie cast between 2014 and 2017, playing the character Erica Holroyd, who was involved in romantic storylines with notable characters Nick Platt (Ben Price) and Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin).

Claire initially gained fame as a member of the girl pop group To Be Continued. She went on to star in the 1987 film Eat the Rich and later landed the role of Kim Tate in Emmerdale in 1989.

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm and Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am