Soap actress Sally Dexter has teased an Emmerdale return for much-loved character Joe Tate.
Devoted fans of the ITV soap have refused to accept Joe, played by Ned Porteous, was ‘killed’ last October following a clash with Cain Dingle and a trip to the woods with Graham.
Hopes the character has merely been on hiatus have been raised after hints on the programme’s social media and intriguing on screen exchanges involving Graham, Joe’s right hand man.
And earlier this week, Emmerdale favourite Jeff Hordley – who plays Cain – also gave a strong indication that the young businessman may have lived to fight another day.
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“I hope Joe walks back through the door one day!” Jeff told Metro.co.uk.
Now Faith Dingle star Sally is the latest insider to give viewers a wink and a nod to suggest Joe could make an astonishing comeback from the dead.
Speaking to the Express newspaper website, critically-acclaimed Sally brought Joe’s name up when asked about how far Faith would go to protect her granddaughter Debbie, who was due to marry him when he mysteriously disappeared from the village.
“I think she’d do anything to help Debbie, she really would,” Sally commented about her character who advised the mum-of-two to move on in episodes earlier this week.
“But I don’t know that he’s completely dead,” she added, referring to Joe.
Read more: Emmerdale: Best theories on how Joe Tate could return
She concluded: “You never know, it’s Emmerdale, anything can be on the cards.”
That slim possibility is what fans are praying for, with many hoping the last sight of Joe on screen was a hint.
His body was seen being hauled into the boot of a car by Graham, but it was twitching.
The suggestion was Joe’s fixer then finished him off.
However, the body of Debbie Dingle’s love interest has not been recovered, which many fans believe means Joe’s fate could yet be unresolved.
But where has he been since then? ED! rounds up the best theories concerning Joe and the chances of him returning here…
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