Emmerdale is bringing back Joe Tate it has been confirmed. He is behind Will
and Peter’s plot to bring down Kim Tate and will be seen on screen tonight (Christmas Eve).
But why does he hate Kim so much? What happened during his previous
Emmerdale stint? And how and why did he leave last time? We have the answers – here’s all you need to know about Joe Tate in Emmerdale.
Who are the parents of Joe Tate in Emmerdale?
Joseph Tate was born on June 8 1995 to parents Chris Tate and his wife, Rachel Hughes. Joe was named after Rachel’s stepfather, Joe Sugden.
Two years after he was born, Joe’s parents divorced, and his mum Rachel was given custody. However she was pushed off a cliff and killed by her psycho boyfriend Graham Clark, just before Joe’s fourth birthday.
Joe then went to live with his dad Chris. When his father later married Charity Dingle, Joseph decided he wanted to go away to boarding school.
Chris was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in 2003 and took his own life to frame Charity for his murder. Joseph was taken in by his aunt Zoe Tate. They left the village for New Zealand in 2005.
Noah Tate is Joe’s younger half-brother and the two became quite close when Joe returned in 2017.
Tom Waterhouse
Mysterious Tom Waterhouse arrived in Emmerdale in 2017 with his sidekick, Graham Foster. However it was later revealed Tom was actually Joe Tate who wanted revenge on Charity as he believed she was responsible for his father taking his own life.
He managed to get Charity and her daughter Debbie involved in his shady business dealings. Debbie soon fell for ‘Tom’, and before long the pair were embroiled in a relationship. He bought Debbie a house and supported her through her daughter Sarah Sugden’s life-threatening illness.
But things came to a head when Tom revealed who he really was. The romance was all part of his plot and he evicted Debs and her kids, leaving them homeless.
Devastated at Joe’s betrayal, Debbie swore that she would get her revenge. Charity also vowed to make Joe pay for messing with her family.
So how does Kim Tate fit in?
Kim was married to Joe’s grandfather, Frank Tate, making her his step-grandmother.
Kim was in prison for fraud when Joe returned to the village – however, it was later revealed that she was actually the mastermind behind his plot to get revenge on Charity and the Dingles, and Joe had merely been carrying out her bidding.
Joe had led everyone to believe that he owned Home Farm, along with the rest of the Tate fortune. But actually, control of the whole estate belonged to Kim, and Joe was just a pawn in her wicked games.
However Joe hadn’t been completely following her instructions and had been spending her money. When Kim was released from prison she was furious about it and wanted rid of him for good.
She used her henchman, Graham Foster to kill Joe. But Graham cared about Joe like a son. When Graham and Joe first arrived in the village together, he appeared to just be a paid employee, but their friendship clearly ran a lot deeper.
It was later revealed that the pair met while Joe was at boarding school. Graham was the school groundsman, who developed a close bond with mischievous teenager Joe.
After Joe got in trouble for locking his head teacher in a cupboard, his aunt Zoe made Graham the boy’s legal guardian to prevent him from being expelled.
The pair remained close, and when Joe left school and launched his own business, he employed Graham as his right-hand man.
So, despite Graham’s loyalties to Kim (they were actually married!) he just couldn’t off Joe.
Is Joe Tate dead in Emmerdale?
Graham was in a state after Kim ordered Joe’s demise. He was completely torn, but resigned to doing as Kim wished.
But Graham just couldn’t go through with it and gave Joe £100,000 telling him to leave the village for good. Joe was ready to run, leaving his bride Debbie standing at the altar.
However he just couldn’t leave Debbie. By this point he genuinely loved her and wanted to marry her, so risked his life to go back to her.
By this point, Cain had discovered that Joe had jilted Debbie and he was furious. In true Cain style he tracked down Joe and punched him to the ground. As Joe hit his head on a rock, Cain thought he had killed him.
Along came Graham who confirmed Joe was dead. He firmly told Cain to leave and he would dispose of the body. However, as Joe was put in the boot of Graham’s car we saw his hand twitch.
It then seemed as if Graham had finished the job, with Cain believing he had killed Joe and torturing himself. Cain confessed his crimes to Debbie and the pair fell out.
However months later, in March 2019, it was revealed to be a ruse. Kim was shocked to find out that Joe was actually alive and well – and living it up in Monte Carlo!
CCTV footage revealed that Graham had helped him to escape and set up a new identity. Kim ordered a hit man to deal with him once and for all, but by that point Joe had already moved on – and we have not seen or heard from him – until now!
Joe Tate is returning to Emmerdale
Yes, that’s right, Joe Tate is back! He is the one who is the mastermind behind the plot to bring down Kim Tate.
Joe’s arrival comes just before a flashforward scene on Christmas Day which shows devastation at Home Farm. With Kim looking forward to Christmas and renewing her vows with Will, it looks like it will end in disaster.
There will be huge confrontations, heartbreak and lots of twists as Home Farm is changed forever!
Producer, Laura Shaw said of Joe’s return: “We are thrilled to welcome Ned back to village as the complex and captivating Joe Tate. From the moment Joe arrives on screen, it’s clear there’s trouble ahead but Joe’s hiding an even darker secret that could see 2025 start off with a huge bang.”
