An unexpected figure looms up in Emmerdale soon as Joe Tate (Ned Porteous)’s blackmail storyline reaches crunch point – and Joe finds himself in some very deep trouble.
Just as Joe was recovering from his surgery after stealing Caleb Miligan (William Ash)’s kidney, and was looking forward to a more settled future with Dawn (Olivia Bromley) and the kids and building a business empire with Kim Tate (Claire King), his car was keyed and he started getting blackmailing letters.
The kind of note that’s made from cut-up bits of newspaper started appearing mysteriously around Home Farm bearing ominous messages.
And having made enemies of almost everyone in the village thanks to the kidney stealing and his actions leading to the deaths of three women in the limo crash, there were plenty of suspects.
‘I think there’s enough people in the village who have it in for Joe, who could warrant a reason to be blackmailing him,’ Ned Porteous told us.
Soon the messages become demands for money – an eye-wateringly large sum, though Ned said that the cash wasn’t the most worrying aspect for his character.
‘It’s less the money, more the idea that someone had got into the house because that’s the feeling you’ve lost your safe bubble when someone breaks in to your kitchen and left the note. That’s the home of the people that you really care about. He’s more worried about the fact that his girl and her kids are going to be in danger.’
It’s Joe who’s in immediate danger when he gets into a dispute with his henchman, Shaun (James Boyland), who then turns on him threateningly. Joe is saved on that occasion by unlikely hero Sam Dingle (James Hooton).
But when Sam’s not around, Shaun strikes again and hits Joe with a shovel, knocking him out cold.
And when he wakes up, he has a terrible realisation. He’s in a makeshift hospital room with rogue surgeon Crowley (James Hillier) looming over him.
‘He’s very confused and very scared and not sure where he is. Getting knocked out by surprise is, I’m sure, not very fun and then waking up somewhere with this guy… it’s a very powerless situation for Joe to be in, which he’s not a fan of.’
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Obviously this is a massive understatement as Joe is totally at the mercy of Crowley, who was the man Joe employed to illegally remove Caleb’s kidney and transplant it into Joe.
So we know that he’s not even on nodding terms with the Hippocratic oath and will do just about anything for money.
But what, specifically, does he have in mind for Joe? Is he taking his own revenge? Is he working for someone else?
And is it the final curtain for Joe Tate?
