As Emmerdale confirms Nate is corpse in lake, all the questions soap must answer

We put the pieces together earlier this week and now it has been confirmed that Nate Robinson is the body in the lake in Emmerdale. But with the one person who saw him there now dead, we have A LOT of questions that the soap needs to answer.

Nate left in September 2024 in somewhat strange circumstances – and fans have long suspected all wasn’t as it seemed. Now they have been proven right with this week’s dramatic episodes.

Nate's last scene Emmerdale
Nate supposedly went to Shetland in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV)

What happened to Nate in Emmerdale?

So, if we back up to September 2024, Nate was rekindling things with estranged wife Tracy. They were about to move to Shetland together, where he had been offered a job building a wind farm.

However, Moira Dingle, in the midst of battling her brain tumour (although no one knew it yet) made a pass at Nate and all hell broke loose. Caleb witnessed it, told Cain, who punched the living daylights out of Nate. Tracy then dumped him, unable to trust him and Nate decided it was best if he went to Shetland alone.

The last time we saw him, he was talking to John Sugden. Nate was getting wound up about how badly he’d been treated and had decided to confront Moira. He told John that’s where he was going, stormed off to do so and the next thing we know Tracy gets a text from him in Shetland saying he’s got there, but not to call him because his head is a mess.

Nate then never responded when he was told his grandad Zak Dingle had died and didn’t turn up at his funeral.

All of this has made viewers vey suspicious – and it turns out we were right to be!

Nate Robinson's body floats back down into the water and we can see the distinctive bracelet (Credit: ITV)
Nate Robinson’s body floats back down into the water and we can see the distinctive bracelet (Credit: ITV)

Nate confirmed dead in Emmerdale

Yes, us Emmerdale fans know when something isn’t right and the abruptness of his exit has had us questioning this for so long.

This week the girls of the village went on a night out in a limo and it crashed on to a frozen lake. Amy Barton was making her way to safety across the ice when it cracked and she fell in. In the water she saw a hand wearing a very distinctive friendship bracelet – the same ones Frankie likes to make, and the one that her daddy, Nate, was wearing before he left.

Everyone guessed it was Nate’s body, however it was only tonight (Thursday September 20) that confirmed it.

Amy was fighting for her life in hospital with hypothermia. But she began to stir and whispered to husband Matty: “Nate,” and “underwater”. Matty thought she meant she’d been underwater, so she said again: “Nate”, but he didn’t seem to understand.

We understood, of course, she was telling him Nate was under the water.

What happens next…

At the end of the episode the limo was pulled from the lake by police divers. Vanessa and Tracy watched as it looked like Suzy’s body had been recovered.

But it seems Nate’s body is still in the water. The closing shots saw the body, wrapped in tarpaulin and chains, with just the arm floating free, sinking back down to the depths.

So Nate’s body remains undiscovered. But now we know about it, it has to be found, right?

Questions about Emmerdale’s Nate that the soap need to answer

Amy unconscious in hospital on Emmerdale
Amy is dead so can’t tell anyone what she saw (Credit: ITV)

When will the body be found?

Now Amy is dead, there is no one to reveal what she saw. Matty is in far too much pain and agony to focus on her final words. But once things settle a little, will he remember and try to get to the bottom of it? Or is Emmerdale going to leave Nate in the lake for months, making us all frustrated? Please, Emmerdale, don’t drag this one out!

John in the Emmerdale village.
Fans are convinced that in Emmerdale John is lying about who he is (Credit: ITV)

Who killed Nate in Emmerdale?

It’s the big one, really, isn’t it? It’s obvious he didn’t just trip and fall to his death in the lake. He was murdered, wrapped up and put there. And who do we know who is an expert at disposing of a body?

Umm hmm, that’s right, John Sugden.

He has recently got rid of Anthony Fox’s corpse and he was the last person to see Nate alive, so he is a very good bet to be the killer.

Other suspects include Caleb and some fans are even wondering if it was Moira!

Why would John kill him?

So assuming it was John who offed Nate, why did he do it? He barely knew the guy!

Is he a serial killer on the lookout for any victim who crosses his path? Or did Nate find out something about John meaning he had to be silenced?

We need a motive for this murder so we’re expecting a full-on flashback to explain everything, Emmerdale.

Who's grave is Cain standing at? (Credit: ITV)
Whose grave is Cain standing at? (Credit: ITV)

Is it Nate’s grave Cain is stood at?

Speculation has been rife ever since New Year when the soap aired five flashforwards over one involving Cain. He was seen standing and weeping at a grave, fresh from attending the funeral.

Theories over the dead person have included Caleb – who was seen flatlining – Moira – who was suffering a brain tumour – and Liam – who was also involved in the crash.

But it seems now we have our answer: is it Nate’s funeral? Is Cain grieving over his lost son, especially after beating him to a pulp the last time he saw him?

Will Jurell Carter return to Emmerdale as Nate?

Jurell Carter, who played Nate in Emmerdale, left the soap last year when his character seemingly moved to Shetland.

But now his body has been discovered (although is still at the bottom of a lake!) the ending of his story is yet to be told.

We can only assume Emmerdale will employ a flashback technique to tell us what really happened to Nate. So will Jurell return for those scenes?

Emmerdale’s Nate for a comeback?

It’s not known right now whether Nate will appear in any flashback episodes or whether we will just see his killer disposing of the body. The soap may use the arm and bracelet technique to show us it is Nate.

Jurell could also have filmed the scenes before he finished on the soap in 2024. They could already be in the bag, just waiting to be used.

Or Jurell may pop back to finish off his character’s story – although he made it clear at the time of his exit he was not expecting to go back.

At the time of leaving, the actor told us: “The character of Nate and myself share a mindset of wanting to go on to a next chapter, but also just being emotional and sad over leaving everything behind. That’s how I feel as an actor, in terms of leaving a show that I love.”

He continued: “At the minute it feels like I’ve just got some time off and I’m going back soon. But knowing that I’m not, it’s such a weird feeling. I’m definitely going to be watching and supporting because I’ve made friends for life with the cast, so it’s special.”

Where is Jurell Carter now?

Jurell has secured steady work since leaving the Dales. Last Christmas he voiced the Sephora ads – and sounded very different!

He is currently treading the boards. Jurell is appearing in a touring production of Boys From The Blackstuff – an adaptation of the powerful TV drama written by Alan Bleasdale.

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