There is a lot more to Joe's return than meets the eye.
It certainly wasn't a happy Christmas on Home Farm this year as Will Taylor (Dean Andrews) died of a heart attack, leaving Kim Tate (Claire King) heartbroken in Emmerdale's Christmas offering.
However her attention was slightly elsewhere as the mysterious Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) returned to the village, revealing that Will was scheming against her and betrayed his wife.
In the days since Christmas, Joe Tate has made himself back at home in the village, even though his return has been an unwelcome one. But there is one part of his return that has stood out to viewers: his ill health.
But what is wrong with Joe Tate? Read on for everything we know so far.
Emmerdale are yet to confirm what is exactly wrong with Joe Tate, but it's clear he's doing all he can to mask it.
When in the B&B unpacking his belongings, Joe could be seen in pain, clutching his arm before he removed a flurry of pills from his bag and swallowed one.
While it isn't clear what is bringing him pain, there is certainly more than meets the eye when it comes to Joe's return.
The show's 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."
Could this secret have something to do with his ill health? Viewers will just have to wait and find out.
Read more:
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.
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Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
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