Emmerdale enthusiasts believe they’ve cracked the case on who Joe Tate (Ned

Porteous) has been secretly communicating with and it points to a long-lost family member.

Since his dramatic return to the village over Christmas after six years away, Joe

has been stirring up drama among the locals. His unexpected arrival coincided with Will Taylor’s (Dean Andrews) scheme to topple Kim Tate (Claire King).

However, following Will’s untimely death from a heart attack, Joe owned up to the plot and has since reclaimed his place at Home Farm.

Currently, Joe is playing the doting grandson to Kim while simultaneously engaging in a clandestine romance with Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley). He’s also pushing for a reunion with his half-brother Noah Dingle (Jack Downham), all the while grappling with a serious health concern. The intrigue deepens as Joe has been spotted making secretive phone calls, arousing Kim’s suspicions.

Now, Emmerdale viewers are abuzz with theories about Joe’s mysterious contact, with some convinced it’s his cousin Jean Tate, daughter of Joe’s aunt Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell) and Scott Windsor, reports Leeds Live. Portrayed by Megan Pearson, Jean was first seen in January 2003 and stayed until September 2005 when she left for New Zealand with her mother Zoe.

A curious fan took to Reddit to speculate: “Joe, does anybody feel like with what is going on that another return could be on the way? I think it’s Jamie.”

Another speculated: “Seems that most of the Tate’s have been mentioned lately, but one strong possibility who Joe is working for is…..Jean. Phone calls to whoever only seem to happen at night etc unless it’s to the guy that was helping him, who then has to wait for a phone call back. Jean emigrated to New Zealand and would be around 22 now.”

Another viewer expressed their preference: “I hope it’s Jean. Can’t bear a Jamie return”, while someone else concurred: “I’d happily welcome Jean arriving, but I’m not keen on Jamie. The character didn’t work for me.