Emmerdale confirms Kim Tate WILL return in 2019 - for good!

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"Although Kim's initial return was fleeting, she caused such mischief and chaos that we simply couldn't resist bringing her back. Kim Tate is just getting warmed up for an explosive 2019 which will see her hell-bent on getting exactly what, and who, she wants."

Claire King, who reprised her famous role for the first time in almost 20 years this week, laughed: "You knew she wasn't going to go quietly! It's been great fun keeping it under wraps but now she can really get down to business."

In true Kim style, she managed to make enemies of the entire Dingle clan during the ill-fated masquerade ball with her callous comments about Debbie being dumped by Joe, climaxing with the toxic Mrs Tate being pushed over a banister into a champagne fountain by vengeful Faith. Will this rivalry be revisited when Kim returns in the spring?

"Definitely," smirks King. "Faith should be worried! I don't think Kim will be leaving it like that, do you? She has her work cut out with the Dingles now, there are some tough women in that family. I wonder whether she'd have respect for Charity though, because she may see a bit of herself in her. And they both had Chris Tate as a common enemy. Who knows what might happen?"

Tonight's final episode of a blockbuster week (Friday 12 October) also set up the possible introduction of Kim's estranged son James, who she tasked employee Graham Foster to track down while she served the remainder of her sentence. James - who's father was Frank Tate, but was initially thought to be Kim's dead toy boy lover Dave Glover, would be around 22 now, a similar age to doomed Joe. Will he be joining his malicious mother in the big house next year?

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