Emmerdale fans think they have uncovered the connection between Jason Done's upcoming character Steve and an existing resident in the village. The Waterloo Road star is set to join the ITV soap as a new villain, with reports indicating his character already has a pre-existing link within the Dales.
Jason Done's Role and Waterloo Road Past
Jason Done is best known for playing teacher Tom Clarkson in Waterloo Road, a role he held from the first episode in 2006 until his character's tragic death in 2013. Tom fell from the school roof while trying to talk down troubled student Kyle, played by George Sampson. Done was the show's second-longest-serving character.
According to Metro, Jason will appear in upcoming scenes as Steve, a man who already has a connection within the village. A source told The Sun: "This is a huge coup for Emmerdale. They've had massive success with other soaps' stars joining the cast and the hope is that Jason will be another hit." The source added: "Jason's character is a new villain with a surprising connection to the village."
Fan Theories: Caleb Miligan Link
Viewers have speculated that Steve could be linked to Caleb Miligan, played by William Ash. Both Jason Done and William Ash starred together in Waterloo Road, where Ash played Christopher "Chris" Mead from Series 5 to Series 7 (2009–2011). Chris left the BBC series after sacrificing his teaching career to protect vulnerable students Scout and Liam from being taken into care.
In recent Emmerdale episodes, Caleb warned Kerry to keep quiet about their counterfeit shoe scheme. Bear watched from the break area. Caleb and Kerry were shocked to find a label sewn into one of the shoes reading 'help me', and Kerry urged Caleb to go to the police.
On a Reddit thread, fans theorized that Jason's character could be involved in the counterfeit scheme. User separate-rush753 wrote: "He'll be the reason people are stitching 'help me' messages into dodgy, naff looking trainers." User typicalbobcat1088 agreed, adding: "Caleb, possibly to do with the depot and his scams." User kamekidan theorized: "I'm thinking it's something to do with Graham, maybe whoever Graham was caught up with in the New Year has illegal workers or something and it's who Caleb is now dealing with. Remember as well when Graham returned, him and Caleb seemed to know each other already."
Impact on Emmerdale Storylines
The introduction of a new villain with a pre-existing connection could shake up the village dynamics, particularly if Steve is tied to Caleb's counterfeit operations. With both actors having a shared history on Waterloo Road, the casting choice adds a layer of familiarity for fans of both shows. The exact nature of Steve's connection remains under wraps, but the speculation suggests a dramatic arrival is on the horizon.
