Emmerdale fans left stunned as show star’s surprising EastEnders connection is revealed
Emmerdale fans were left stunned when Joe Tate made a dramatic return to the village after a six-year absence.
The character, played by Ned Porteous, 30, resurfaced as part of a plot to overthrow Kim Tate, played by Claire King, 63, and her husband Will Taylor, played by Dean Andrews, 61.
However, with Joe taking center stage in the soap, some viewers were shocked to discover that Ned had previously appeared in EastEnders as Grant Mitchell’s son.
In 2016, Ned played Mark Fowler Jr, the son of Michelle Fowler (Jenna Russell, 57) and hardman Grant, as well as the cousin of Martin Fowler (James Bye, 40).
The character made a surprise entrance as he traveled from Florida to London’s East End in search of his real father, Grant. However, his stay in Walford was short-lived.
Some die-hard EastEnders fans may have forgotten that Michelle Fowler once left Britain for America, leaving Grant unaware that she was pregnant with his child.
Emmerdale fans were left stunned when Joe Tate made a dramatic return to the village after a six-year absence
The character, played by Ned Porteous, 30, resurfaced as part of a plot to overthrow Kim Tate, played by Claire King, 63, and her husband Will Taylor, played by Dean Andrews, 61.
Mark Jr. was born off-screen in 1996, but it wasn’t until 2016 that viewers saw him appear on the square to untangle the web of his paternal roots.
Although his stint on EastEnders was short-lived (Mark Jr. was only on screen for a month before returning to the US), Ned loved being part of the iconic show.
He said: ‘Being part of two iconic families and the longest kept secret in EastEnders history is extremely exciting!’
He added, “I’m honored to be here and can’t wait for viewers to see Mark Jr. meet.’
Following Joe’s return to Emmerdale, fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their surprise at Ned’s connection to EastEnders.
One fan wrote: ‘I didn’t know that, Joe [has] been in Bridgerton, and EastEnders as Mark Jnr.’;
‘How did I only just find out that Joe Tate in #Emmerdale is played by the same actor who played Mark Fowler Jr in #EastEnders.’
While another added: ‘I didn’t know he’d been in EastEnders.’
However, with Joe taking center stage in the soap, some viewers were shocked to discover that Ned had previously appeared in EastEnders as Grant Mitchell’s son.
In 2016, Ned played Mark Fowler Jr, the son of Michelle Fowler (Jenna Russell, 57) and hardman Grant, as well as the cousin of Martin Fowler (James Bye, 40).
Following Joe’s return to Emmerdale, fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their surprise at Ned’s connection to EastEnders
Meanwhile, another fan expressed his preference for the role of Ned in EastEnders: ‘Ned Porteous back as Joe Tate is great, but I would prefer him to play Mark Fowler Jr (Mitchell) in EastEnders. We didn’t have him long enough as Grant’s son. #Emmerdale #Eastenders.’
As Emmerdale fans know, Joe’s return to the village has been nothing short of dramatic.
The show took an unexpected turn when Will Taylor succumbed to a heart attack following revelations from Joe.
In the aftermath, a heartbroken Kim must rebuild her life, with Joe stepping in as the supportive step-grandson.
However, there are worrying signs that Joe may be dealing with a serious health problem.
Earlier this month, viewers saw Joe suddenly fall ill in his room at the B&B. Alarmed, he rummaged through his bag and spilled pill packets on the bed before taking medication.
He later requested painkillers from Dawn Taylor, played by Olivia Bromley, raising further concerns for Kim.
Emmerdale airs on ITV and ITVX on weekdays at 7.30pm, with the exception of Thursdays when episodes are one hour long.