Alexander Lincoln has joined ‘Emmerdale’ as Kim Tate’s son.
The 25-year-old actor will star as Jamie Tate in the ITV soap, a character who was last seen on screens as a toddler in January 1999, but the trainee vet will be left "shocked" when he is reunited with his mother – played by Claire King – after being offered a job in the vets.
Alexander said: "Jamie is shocked. He doesn’t expect to see Kim at all, as he thinks she’s still in prison. Under the circumstances, it’s pure shock and a bit of frustration as he wanted to start a new life.
"Admittedly that was back in the village, but he wanted to stay away from Kim’s ways."
While Jamie isn’t so sure about coming face-to-face with Kim, Alexander has praised Claire for being a "massive help" during his early days on the soap.
He said: "Claire is lovely and the ‘Emmerdale’ team are so wonderful. It’s such a welcoming environment to come into. I was told at my induction that everyone is really nice and I was like, ‘Everyone says that.’ But genuinely, everyone is so lovely.
"To come into the family, you’re welcomed straight away and Claire has been a massive help, holding my hand the whole way through."
Alexander admits he was particularly "nervous" during his ‘Emmerdale’ call back, because he had been shooting a film until 1am the night before, and has thanked Claire for "walking [him] through" the process.
He added to Digital Spy: "At the time of auditioning for this, I was filming an LGBT rugby film.
"I got the call back for ‘Emmerdale’ and I had been filming until 1am the night before, so I was knackered. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m out of my depth already.’
"I didn’t know my lines at all, I had my script with me and I was sweating away, nervous. I owe it to Claire for walking me through and [‘Emmerdale’ director] Tim O’Mara, who directed the audition scene."
Claire recently reprised her role as Kim after her week-long cameo last year, and she admitted soap work is much harder nowadays than it was during her first stint on the show from 1989 to 1999.
She said: "The process has changed so much. It’s a whirl, pretty intense.
"The hardest jobs in this business are pantomime and soap. It’s the slog, the grind, the day-in, day-out, learning so many lines, so many scenes."
Alexander Lincoln joins Emmerdale
