fans were left stunned during Tuesday's episode as Joe Tate made a dramatic return after a six-year absence.

The Christmas Eve instalment saw Joe reappear in the Dales. It was revealed that he has been the mastermind behind Pete and Will Taylor's plot against Kim Tate.

Fans were stunned as he appeared again during the Christmas Day episode, as he left Kim shocked by revealing Will and Pete's plot. But they have predicted Kim will dump Will for Joe as they saw an affair coming on the horizon.

One said: "Wonder what's gonna happen with Kim and Joe," as another agreed: "Wonder if Kim is going to have a fling with Joe."

A fan replied: "I hope so #KimJoe."

Meanwhile, the episode ended on a huge cliffhanger as Kim confronted Will about his plot against her, resulting in him collapsing to the floor with a heart attack.

An impassive Kim watched on as her husband fought for his life, leaving Will's fate hanging in the balance. Will he survive? And will he live on to see his wife have an affair with Joe?

Actor Ned Porteous is reprising his role as Joe, following a six-year break. His return is set to shake things up at Home Farm and send shockwaves throughout the village, particularly given his last sighting was in 2018.

Long-term soap enthusiasts will recall Joe and his sensational departure, but for newer viewers, his reappearance and past with Kim may be puzzling. Let's delve into Joe's backstory and why he exited the village in 2018....

Ned first graced the village as Joe in 2017, portraying the orphaned son of Christopher Tate and Rachel Hughes, reports .

A dozen years after his initial departure, Joe made his way back to Emmerdale under the pseudonym Tom Waterhouse in 2017.

He quickly embarked on a romance with Charity Dingle's daughter Debbie Dingle, using his alias Tom as part of his vendetta against Charity.

Joe held Charity responsible for his father Chris' demise, who was married to Charity when he poisoned himself in 2003 to frame her for murder following her affair with .

However, the truth about Joe soon came to light when he heartlessly evicted Debbie and her children, ending their relationship and confessing that she was merely a pawn in his vendetta against Charity.

Shortly after, Joe reclaimed his childhood home, Home Farm, and moved back in. He reconciled with Debbie and formed a bond with his half-brother Noah Dingle.

In 2018, Joe made a dramatic exit from the show, forced into hiding after Kim, who was once married to his grandfather Frank Tate, called for his execution.

Initially, it seemed that Debbie's father Cain had unintentionally killed him during an argument, where a single punch led to Joe hitting his head on a rock. However, it was later revealed that Joe's right-hand man Graham Foster had concealed the fact that Joe was still alive.

Fast forward to 2019, Kim discovered that Joe was on the run after he was sighted overseas, living off funds from her business. He remained unseen until his surprise return in Tuesday's episode.