Emmerdale teases grave danger in ITVX release as storylines collide in Joe Tate plot

Suffering with chronic kidney disease, Joe had rejected lover Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) when he was feeling unwell.

But as a new day 'dawned', Joe was on much better form and he tried to win her over, with Dr Crowley unimpressed that Joe was prioritising a woman over his health and their ultimate goal.

Which brings us to Joe's scheme: to acquire a kidney donor by any means possible.

Joe insisted he wanted a relative for the job, but with Crowley pointing out that he was running out of time, he wondered if Joe was prepared to die in his efforts to do things his own way.

Meanwhile, Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) remained fearful over paying off her blackmailer, who was threatening to expose her for posting racy content online.

When meeting the culprit at the cricket pavilion, Manpreet was stunned to come face-to-face with Joe, and angrily confronted him.

Joe insisted he wasn't her blackmailer, and eventually offered to give Manpreet the money to pay off the mystery person.

But in a call to Crowley, it was revealed to viewers that the pair had set up the whole thing, with Joe acting as Manpreet's saviour in a staged meeting with a random man to hand over the cash.

After telling Manpreet that she didn't need to pay him back, Joe claimed that he had inherited a genetic condition called AAT (or AATD), which Manpreet recognised as Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, from paternal grandfather Frank Tate (Norman Bowler).

Joe feigned concern for his uncle, Frank's only living son, Caleb Miligan (William Ash), and unsubtly hinted that Manpreet could help by obtaining a blood sample for Joe to hand over to his consultants.

Of course, Joe's real plan was to have the blood tested to find out if Caleb was a match as a kidney donor for him.

Having planted the seed in a concerned Manpreet's mind, Joe made out that he couldn't possibly expect her to help him in this way.

Out in the village, though, it was clear that Joe had set his sights on the man he vowed must save his life.

Is Caleb in terrible danger? It certainly seems so, and official Emmerdale spoilers have revealed that Caleb apparently goes missing next week when he's supposed to be spending time with his loved ones.

Has Caleb ended up in the clutches of Joe and Crowley?

Anyone affected by chronic kidney disease can read more on the NHS website or visit Kidney research UK.

Read more:

• Emmerdale casts Heartstopper star as mysterious new regular
• Emmerdale star reveals he knows who killed Nate after horrific twist discovery
• 5 Emmerdale spoilers: Joe Tate's secret revealed and newcomer Kammy arrives
• Emmerdale star Natalie Ann Jamieson on Amy's tragic death: 'As a soap exit, it's iconic!'
• Emmerdale's Natalie Ann Jamieson on Nate body twist: "She's taken it to the grave!"
• Emmerdale 2025 preview: 12 spoilers for the year ahead

Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.

Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.