Joe Tate made a shock return to Emmerdale on Tuesday’s episode

Emmerdale fans were in for a shock during Tuesday’s episode as Joe Tate made a dramatic return after a six-year absence.

In the Christmas Eve episode, which was released on ITVX at 7am, ahead of its 7.30pm broadcast, Joe reappears in the Dales. It is revealed that he is the mastermind behind Pete and Will Taylor’s scheme to bring down Kim Tate.

Actor Ned Porteous is reprising his role as Joe, following a six-year break. His return is expected to create waves at Home Farm and send shockwaves throughout the entire village, particularly since he was last seen in 2018.

Long-term soap viewers will recall Joe and his departure, but for newer audiences, the character’s reappearance and past relationship with Kim might be puzzling. Here, we delve into Joe’s backstory and why he left the village back in 2018.

Joe Tate’s past

Ned first graced the village as Joe in 2017, portraying the orphaned son of Christopher Tate and Rachel Hughes, reports Leeds Live.

Twelve years after his initial departure from the village, Joe made a comeback to Emmerdale, adopting the pseudonym Tom Waterhouse in 2017.

Before long, he began a romance with Charity Dingle’s daughter Debbie Dingle, using his ‘false’ alias Tom as part of his vendetta against Charity.

Joe held Charity responsible for his father Chris’ death. Chris, who was married to Charity, poisoned his own drink in 2003 in an attempt to frame her for murder following her affair with Cain Dingle.

However, Joe’s ‘true’ identity was soon unmasked when he evicted Debbie and her children, ending their relationship and coldly confessing that she was merely collateral damage in his vendetta against Charity.

Shortly after, Joe repurchased his childhood home, Home Farm, and moved back in. He reconciled with Debbie and formed a bond with his half-brother Noah Dingle.

In 2018, Joe made a dramatic exit from the show when he was compelled to flee after Kim, who had been married to his grandfather Frank Tate, tried to have him killed.

Initially, it seemed that Debbie’s father Cain had unintentionally murdered him during an argument, where a single punch resulted in Joe hitting his head on a rock. However, it was later revealed that Joe’s right-hand man Graham Foster had concealed the fact that Joe was still alive.

Fast forward to 2019, Kim discovered that Joe was on the run after he was sighted overseas, living off funds from her business. He hadn’t been seen since until his reappearance in Tuesday’s episode.