Claire King's 'Emmerdale' character Kim Tate is set for an "explosive" confrontation with step grandson Joe Tate.

Ned Porteous

Ned Porteous

Although it was believed that Joe (Ned Porteous) had been killed by Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), it was recently revealed that he is actually still alive and Claire is hoping that Joe will return to 'Emmerdale'.

She told The Sun Online: "I can't see him coming back in the foreseeable future but if he did come back and they saw each other I imagine it would quite explosive, wouldn't you?

"Kim and Joe are cut from the same cloth, and he was from the other side of the Tate family that Kim did not get on with."

Since Joe's suspected death, he has been living in Monte Carlo thanks to his friend Graham Foster's (Andrew Scarborough) help.

A source previously said: "Everyone was convinced he died in October. But he has been alive all this time and secretly living abroad with ¬ Graham's help.

"Unsurprisingly, it comes as a huge shock to the rest of the village. Cain in particular will be stunned. He's been living with the belief he murdered Joe, with Debbie Dingle blaming him for her loss.

"But as Soapland has seen time and again, unless a body or burial is seen, it's likely a character could come back at any point - and that's the case with Joe."

As well as Cain being pleased by Joe's return, Jeff will no doubt be happy to see Ned on set again as just two months ago he said he hoped Joe might "walk back through the door one day".

And the actor had discussed the possibility with his co-star Charley Webb, who plays his daughter Debbie Dingle, who was due to marry Joe before he went missing and was presumed death.

He said: "Both Charley and I have talked about it. We've not spoken to Jane Hudson, our exec producer, but me and Charley love working together."


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