Emmerdale has got fans excitement levels rising as producers Laura Shaw and Kate Brooks have revealed someone will be returning to the show in 2019.
In a clip posted to Twitter with the hashtag #Spectanuary Laura reveals some of the cast are heading to Belfast – and will be bringing an old face back with them. But who could it be?
New year, new weekly gossip!
EXCLUSIVE: Producers Laura Shaw and Kate Brooks discuss a special life changing trip… #Spectanuary #Emmerdale pic.twitter.com/LTFwTJTc6p
— Emmerdale (@emmerdale) January 3, 2019
“In March we’ve got some special episodes coming up where we go to Belfast,” she says.
“A group of our characters go to Belfast and there’s going to be some fun and japes over there, and what we can reveal is that maybe they’re going to bump into somebody who was in the village quite a while ago, who we’ve not seen for a while, and maybe that person’s going to be coming back to the village.”
We think we can probably take all the “maybes” out of that!
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But frustratingly they stopped short of revealed exactly who could be returning, though we have our suspicions…
Immediately fans jumped on the thread and suggested it could be Mandy Dingle as we already know she’s coming back.
Another return we know to be happening is that of Kim Tate, but she’s banged up in prison, and we also can’t think of any villagers who would actively bring her back!
As the trip is to Ireland, speculation is rife that Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden could be involved. Viewers know Aaron’s stepmum, Liv Flaherty’s mum, Sandra moved to Ireland in 2016, so could the visit be to her? And will she be coming back?
Although Sandra initially went to Dublin not, Belfast, she could have moved!
Of course, the one we all want to return is Joe Tate.
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Ever since he was supposedly killed by Graham Foster (even though Cain Dingle believes he did it) fans have been insistent he isn’t dead and he’s going to come back. Could he be hiding in Belfast?
Debbie is set to launch a search for Joe next week by going to the police – could the search take her to Ireland where she finds her fiancé alive?
The Dingles do have an Irish connection, of course, remember when the Irish Dingles caused havoc at Zak’s wedding to Joanie?!
There’s also several on-the-run characters who could be hiding out there – Adam Barton left last year after taking the blame for his mum, Moira, over the murder of Emma Barton.
And Kelvin Fletcher’s Andy Sugden is also out there somewhere, with viewers desperate for him to come back.
Who do you think is returning? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!