THE mystery surrounding Joe Tate has rocked Emmerdale ever since he was seemingly murdered last autumn.
However, I can reveal the young businessman will be brought “back from the dead” in explosive scenes on Emmerdale next week.
Joe, played by Ned Porteous in the ITV soap, will be seen in Monte Carlo, five months after he was presumed killed.
It emerges he survived Cain Dingle’s assault and Graham Foster helped him flee abroad to save him from stepmum Kim Tate’s wrath.
A soap 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.
ITV
“Unsurprisingly, it comes as a huge shock to the rest of the village. And 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.” The fake millionaire appeared to have been killed off after Cain punched him and caused him to hit his head on a rock.
The attack came when Cain thought Joe had ditched Debbie at the altar — when he was in fact ordered to leave by Graham, via soap villain Kim.
But recently fans had been convinced Joe was alive, after Kim discovered Graham was hiding someone abroad.
Similarly, Graham has been conducting shadowy phone calls with an unknown individual.
Emmerdale bods previously insisted Joe was dead — and actor Ned even posted a farewell video following his character’s “death”, and moved to Tinsletown.
Ned is clearly more of a Home Farm than Hollywood kind of guy.
READ ON FOR MORE OF ANDY HALLS’ BIZARRE TV COLUMN
Pottery show ready to Clay
THE Great Pottery Throw Down is back for another spin.
The show, hosted by Sara Cox, was axed by the BBC last year – despite 30,000 viewers signing a petition to save it.
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I can reveal Channel 4 has rescued the pottery-making programme, which also featured Johnny Vegas as one of the judges, alongside Keith Brymer Jones and Kate Malone.
But bosses are planning to dump it on More4, which suggests the move is about keeping Love Productions, which also makes The Great British Bake Off, happy.
A TV insider said: “There was disbelief when the BBC axed Throw Down. But yet again, the BBC’s loss is Channel 4’s gain – although earmarking a place for it on More4 is puzzling.
“Perhaps bosses don’t have the confidence that it will appeal to core viewers in the way Bake Off does.
BBC Handout
“But it will help prove More4 is more than a load of Come Dine With Me reruns.”
The Throw Down deal means Channel 4 has nabbed almost the entire set of Great British shows and spin-offs from the BBC, with only The Great British Sewing Bee – which started its fifth series on BBC Two last month – remaining.
If C4 want that, it will face a fight messier than a potter’s wheel.
Lou’s Bali dressed
FOR someone who’s made a name for herself being one of the UK’s most privileged young toffs, Made In Chelsea’s Louise Thompson doesn’t seem to own many clothes.
She got her kit off again and showed off her abs as she holidayed in Bali with husband-to-be Ryan Libbey this weekend.
It’s just one of a huge 31 posts the fitness model has shared in the past week from her all-inclusive trip.
bizbit
ANNE Hegerty has defended her I’m A Celeb co-star Emily Atack. The Chase star dubbed the online troll, who said Emily’s “not pretty enough” to play Blondie’s Debbie Harry in a new Sky series, the c-word. Good on her.
Strictly tempts DJ Matt
STRICTLY Come Dancing may have not one but two Virgin Radio hosts on this year’s show – with Matt Richardson eager to join Chris Evans.
Matt, who is currently hosting The Hangover Games which airs on E4 on Tuesdays at 10pm, said: “I’d do Strictly because it would make my mum happy.
Getty Images – Getty
“She would love me to do Strictly because it’s so wholesome and nice whereas everything I do is usually rude and crass. The Hangover Games is quite a dirty show because it’s all gross things.”
But Matt said he wouldn’t be caught in a kissing scandal like Seann Walsh and Katya Jones last year.
He joked: “I would really try not to. Knowing Seann as well, I was like, ‘Oh mate, come on.’ It was so silly.
“If you’re going to kiss, kiss inside. You’re on the biggest show on telly, kiss indoors.”
must watch
WHAT? Harry’s Heroes: The Full English, ITV, 9pm.
WHY? Harry Redknapp and John Barnes round up a team of Nineties English football legends, whose waistlines have expanded since they hung up their boots, to get them back in shape.
soapbox
PREPARE to say a final farewell to one Weatherfield favourite this week – as the Underworld’s roof collapses in Coronation Street.
Tonight, Sally and Gina along with colleagues and a host of locals stage a protest at the factory.
The sisters clamber up the scaffolding to place banners on the roof but, once there, a row quickly breaks out between them.
It’s not long until the roof gives way and buries everyone inside with debris.
On Neighbours, Finn reacts badly to the truth of his lost years and his agitated reaction alerts Clive to Karl’s unprofessional act.
A guilty Karl is verbally reprimanded by Clive for risking Finn’s recovery.
Soon afterwards, both Karl and Clive are startled to find Finn’s room empty.
