Emmerdale’s Joe Tate made a huge return to the village on Christmas Day, with actor Ned Porteous back in the role after previously starring in EastEnders

Emmerdale fans were in for a Christmas Day shocker as Joe Tate, played by Ned Porteous, made a dramatic comeback to the village. After a six-year absence, the character resurfaced as part of a plot to topple Kim Tate (Claire King), alongside her spouse Will Taylor (Dean Andrews).

The storyline took an unexpected twist when Will succumbed to a d3adly heart attack following Joe’s revelations. In the aftermath of Will’s demise, a heartbroken Kim is left to rebuild – with Joe stepping up as the supportive step-grandson and offering his backing to Kim.

However, there are worrying signs that Joe might be grappling with a severe health problem. Earlier this month, audiences saw Joe in his room at the B&B, where he suddenly seemed to fall ill.

Visibly distressed, he rummaged through his bag, spilling pill packets onto the bed before taking the necessary medication. Last week, he requested painkillers from Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley), causing concern for Kim.

Emmerdale’s Joe Tate has been struggling with his health since returning to the village ( 
Image:
ITV)

As Joe takes centre stage in the ITV soap, some viewers have been surprised to discover that actor Ned previously featured in EastEnders as Grant Mitchell’s (Ross Kemp) son, according to Leeds Live, reports MyLondon.

Back in 2016, Ned Porteous donned the role of Mark Fowler Jr, the son of Michelle Fowler (Jenna Russell) and hard man Grant, as well as being cousin to Martin Fowler (James Bye). The character made a surprise entrance when he journeyed from Florida’s sunny climes to London’s East End in pursuit of his real dad Grant, though his stay turned out to be fleeting.

Some d!e-hard EastEnders fans might have forgotten that Pauline Fowler’s (Wendy Richard) daughter Michelle once hopped across the pond to America, and kept Grant oblivious about having his baby.

Mark Jr and Grant Mitchell during an EastEnders scene in 2016 ( 
Image:
BBC/Jack Barnes)
Off-screen in ’96, Mark Jr was welcomed into the world, but it wasn’t until twenty years on that viewers gulped down the juicy storyline – the Mitchell/Fowler lineage revealed with Mark Jr rocking up in the Square to untangle the web surrounding his paternal roots.

His stint was quick; he stuck around for just one month before opting to return to the USA, seemingly eager to sidestep the infamous Mitchell melodrama.

“Being part of two iconic families and the longest kept secret in EastEnders’ history is beyond exciting!” Porteous gushed as he stepped onto the show. Elaborating further, he professed: “I’m honoured to be here and can’t wait for viewers to meet Mark Jr.”

Meanwhile, over in the Twittersphere, Emmerdale fans are lighting up timelines expressing sheer disbelief at Ned’s EastEnders chapter, with one fan tweeting in surprise: “I didn’t know that Joe [has] been in Bridgerton, and EastEnders as Mark Jnr.”

Ned Porteous as Mark Fowler Jr in EastEnders ( 
Image:
BBC)Don’t Miss
One viewer was left gobsmacked, tweeting: “How have I only just found out Joe Tate in #Emmerdale is played by the same actor that played Mark Fowler Jr in #EastEnders”.

Another fan chimed in with surprise: “I didn’t know he’d been in EastEnders.”

Meanwhile, another enthusiast expressed their delight but a hint of nostalgia: “Ned Porteous back as Joe Tate is awesome but I preferred him playing Mark fowler Jr (Mitchell) in EastEnders. We didn’t have him long enough as Grant’s son