Emmerdale’s Joe Tate is set to make an explosive comeback after he was presumed dead.
The soap bad boy – portrayed by Ned Porteous – was thought to have been bumped off last October, but he is expected to pop up in Monte Carlo, where he has been living thanks to his friend Graham Foster’s (Andrew Scarborough) help.
A source said: "Everyone was convinced he died in October.
"But he has been alive all this time and secretly living abroad with Graham’s help.
"Unsurprisingly, it comes as a huge shock to the rest of the village."
Joe was thought to have died after Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) punched him and he hit his head on a rock, so the dodgy Dales resident will be "stunned" to hear he is in fact alive.
The source added to The Sun’s Bizarre TV column: "Cain in particular will be stunned. He’s been living with the belief he murdered Joe, with Debbie Dingle blaming him for her loss.
"But as Soapland has seen time and again, unless a body or burial is seen, it’s likely a character could come back at any point – and that’s the case with Joe."
As well as Cain being pleased by Joe’s return, Jeff will no doubt be happy to see Ned on set again as just two months ago he said he hoped Joe might "walk back through the door one day".
And the actor had discussed the possibility with his co-star Charley Webb, who plays his daughter Debbie Dingle, who was due to marry Joe before he went missing and was presumed death.
He said: "Both Charley and I have talked about it. We’ve not spoken to Jane Hudson, our exec producer, but me and Charley love working together."
Emmerdale’s Joe Tate ‘to return from the dead’
