Emmerdale has been delivering a series of dramatic scenes lately, largely due to the comeback of Joe Tate.

Actor Ned Porteous returned to his role last month after a six-year hiatus, leaving Kim Tate, portrayed by Claire King, in shock.

Ned, 30, first graced the village as Joe back in 2017, playing the orphaned son of Christopher Tate and Rachel Hughes.

However, in 2018, Joe made a dramatic exit when he was compelled to flee after Kim, who had been married to his grandfather Frank Tate, ordered his death.

Initially, it seemed that Debbie's father Cain had inadvertently killed him during an argument, where a single punch led to him hitting his head on a rock. But it was later revealed that Joe's right-hand man Graham Foster had concealed the fact that Joe was still alive and hiding abroad, living off funds from Kim's businesses, reports .

Joe reappeared last month during the Christmas episodes, but it seems he's harbouring a significant secret as his health has been causing concern.

With Joe's return, many viewers have been discussing Graham, who was Joe's confidant. Fans will remember that Graham, played by Andrew Scarborough, was tragically killed off in 2020 by Pierce Harris.

After his departure from the ITV drama, a visibly moved Andrew, 51, released an emotional goodbye video, stating at the time: "Thank you to the fans, because the show isn't capable of existing without the fans, and I've had such lovely feedback and backing from the fans about Graham."

He continued, reflecting on his character's enigmatic nature: "I don't think they initially understood what he's about - nobody does, actually, I still don't know what he's about. But people have bought into it, they've bought into the magic and mystery of him and it was a bit special."

Andrew added with emotion: "I think it's better to go while there's still the mystery, because there's plenty about him. I just want to say thank you very much, and I'm close to tears, actually."

Since his exit from Emmerdale in 2020, Andrew has been seen in the British war film The War Below in 2021, and has featured in popular series such as Midsomer Murders, Father Brown, 7 Keys, and Chimera.

airs every weekday at 19.30pm on ITV1, ITV X, STV and STV Player with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. It is also available each morning from 07.00am on ITVX.

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