Emmerdale fans are convinced that DS Thea Ramsden, played by Chelsea Edge, is secretly Jean Tate, a character who departed the village as a young child in 2005. The theory emerged after Thea urged her friend Serena Sugden to gather information on Kim Tate, saying, "Joe isn't the devil. Kim is. She's the one that I need to cut off at the knees."
Fans share their theory online
Viewers took to social media to discuss the possibility. One wrote on a Facebook fan page: "Could DS Ramsden be Jean Tate? Revenge on Kim.. but not going after Joe.. interesting." Another responded: "Now that would be a twist!" while a third remarked: "I always thought she'd come back one day." A fourth commented: "I thought this too. Thea could be a middle name."
Who is Jean Tate?
Jean is the daughter of Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell) and Scott Windsor (Ben Freeman), making her Joe Tate's first cousin. She was conceived during a one-night stand between Zoe and Scott, with Zoe having no memory of the encounter due to her schizophrenia. Jean was born in 2003, and Zoe chose to raise her independently.
In 2004, Zoe suffered a schizophrenic breakdown, barricading herself in Home Farm with baby Jean and Joe and accidentally starting a fire. Scott later gained custody of Jean while Zoe recovered. In 2005, Zoe moved to New Zealand with Joe and Jean, who has not been seen since.
What happens next?
Whether Thea is indeed Joe's cousin Jean and what she has against Kim remains to be seen. Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
