Thea

Emmerdale fans have learned Thea’s dad is Steve Marchant, and are now wondering if he and actor Paul Opacic, is returning to the ITV soap where his ex Kim Tate happens to live

Steve Marchant in Emmerdale has been confirmed as Thea Ramsden’s father.

But who is he and is he returning to the show? Actor Paul Opacic played the role of Kim Tate’s dodgy second husband until 1999, where he was set up by her and left in prison.

On Monday we found out that Thea’s dad is Steve, according to Kim, who finally found out Thea was her long-lost daughter Anthea last week. Thea now wants answers on her dad, and Kim told her it was Steve.

With Thea wanting to find out more and even possibly track down her father, who Kim hasn’t seen in nearly 30 years, can we expect Steve to be returning to the show? It’s not yet known but fans certainly believe so.

Taking to X, one fan said: “This is the best decision they could have made btw. Graham would not have fitted the timeline at all and miss Thea is Steve through and through!!! 90s Emmerdale forever and long live Kim Tate hell YEAH.”

Another fan predicted: “What are we betting Steve turns up on Christmas Day with a ‘Hello Kim.'” A third fan added: “Steve return in the bag and hopefully Dave Glover too, we are so back.”

A further post read: “Steve would be out for revenge too.” There is so much history there and now adding a secret child into the mix, if Steve does return it’s going to be explosive.

Many fans had guessed ever since finding out that Thea was Kim’s daughter that Steve could be the dad. Other possible fathers, according to fans, included Frank Tate, Chris Tate, Graham Foster and Dave Glover.

One theory online read: “My out of left field theory: Kim had a one night stand with Chris Tate and is too embarrassed to admit to it. It’s easier to just say Thea is Steve’s daughter. Until Thea and Joe start to become attracted to one another, and that’s when she’ll be forced to tell the truth before they take it any further. A repeat of Maisie Wylde and Ryan Lamb who were half siblings.”

Some fans aren’t sure about Steve either, suggesting the dates don’t add up. A fan said: “According to my research on the Emmerdale Wikia, Steve was on remand when Kim would’ve fallen pregnant.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a soap has retconned something, or something fans don’t know about is later revealed. So is Steve her dad, and will he want a relationship with her?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Emmerdale actress Claire King, who plays icon Kim Tate on the ITV soap, has teased the fallout to Thea Ramsden’s stabbing, hinting it could lead to a shock death

An Emmerdale character faces a gruesome death next week on the ITV soap.

As DS Thea Ramsden is stabbed during a showdown with her secret mother Kim Tate, Kim actress Claire King warns that the detective might die. As a terrified Kim frets over missing Baby Tate, some Halloween horror leaves her fearing for her safety.

Things come to a head when Thea shows up at Home Farm, with Kim unaware that Thea is her long-lost daughter. As tensions rise, and Thea is accused of kidnapping Baby Tate, Kim tries to escape but is grabbed by Thea.

Kim panics, and stabs Thea leaving her injured. But will Kim’s secret daughter survive? Hinting at Thea’s fate, Claire shared: “Thea turns up, and at first Kim doesn’t think it’s Thea at all, so she tells her what’s going on—the noises, the bangs, the things like that.

“Then Kim suddenly thinks, ‘Oh my gosh, it is it’s Thea.’ So she tries to run and escape. She hides, but Thea comes through, locks the back door before she can bolt through it. So as she’s running round the table, she kind of slips, and Thea manages to grab hold of her.

“And in a panic, she’s thinking, ‘I’m going to get hurt.’ So, and she just happens to stumble across a cheese knife, sharp cheese knife, and in her panic state, she stabs Thea.”

On whether it could lead to Thea’s death, Claire teased: “The knife has gone in. She’s not bleeding out, but she does pass out, and and Kim’s in total panic mode. She doesn’t know whether she can save her or not.

“I think she’d be absolutely beside herself if she realised that Thea was her daughter at this point because she spent all this time trying to get to know her, having lost her 27 years ago, and and now she could lose her forever.”

If Thea survives, Claire reckons Kim could face big trouble. Claire said: “Thea’s been stalking Kim for a long time, so she knows that she could do her harm.

“And this is the worst-case scenario now because she thinks that, you know, Thea will actually get her back and put her in prison for this. So it’s it’s whether, it’s how Thea is going to respond to this in hospital when she gets treated.

“The police would get involved, and obviously if something happens to her, um, or if the worst-case scenario, she dies, she could end up back in prison again.” Claire also talked about the changes to villainous Kim over the years, but added she was still “ruthless”.

Claire said: “I think she is mellowing, but it’s mainly because we’ve been seeing a lot of children about and babies, and and the horses and things, and those are the things that make her soft. But underneath she’s she’s still got a a steely hard core, you know. And a very ruthless side.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .