Emmerdale viewers have been speculating about the identity of DS Thea Ramsden's (Chelsea Edge) father, with many now convinced it is Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) rather than Steve Marchant. Thea was recently revealed to be Kim Tate's (Claire King) secret daughter, and fans have been piecing together clues to solve the paternity puzzle.
Thea arrived in the village shortly after Doctor Caitlin Todd's (Caroline Harker) death, and while investigating the surgeon's final moments, it emerged she had another reason for being there. The copper had asked her friend Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) to sneak into Home Farm to find something that could destroy Kim, a woman Thea wanted to 'cut off at the knees'. A flashback revealed Thea's intense resentment towards Kim because she is her biological daughter who was put up for adoption. Kim made the decision to give Thea up shortly after she was born and erased her existence from her mind.
Clues from Claire King
After the scenes confirming Thea's identity aired, Claire King shared her thoughts on who Thea's father might be, offering some clues. She said: 'I was thinking, "Okay, so it could be so-and-so's, and it could be so-and-so's," because it was just after I'd left the first time, so we're talking about the turn of the century because she's about 26'. She added: 'It was just after Kim left in the helicopter, so you've got to put two and two together and see who you come up with…'
Some fans believe Thea's father is Steve Marchant, but others are backing Graham Foster. Jamie wrote on X: 'I would love if Thea's father was Graham Graham never got the chance to be a father after Cheryl died while pregnant with his child but Graham has shown he is great with kids (ie: Noah and Kyle)'. Misa said: 'well im convinced thea is graham and kim's daughter because kim met him somewhere between 1989-1998 and the whole episode was focussed on them both talking about the children theyve lost / have #emmerdale'.
Fan theories and predictions
Amanda echoed the Graham theory, writing: 'Im getting vibes that Thea is Graham/Kim baby and not the other dad options #Emmerdale'. Betty put: 'The expression on Kim's face when Graham mentioned knowing what it's like to lose a child leads me to believe that Thea is Graham's and the whole 1999 connection is just some heavy duty Steve Marchant fan trolling!'.
Claire King has predicted an explosive reaction from Kim over the bombshell about Thea, but fundamentally, she has predicted that Kim will want to bolster the clan and form a relationship with her estranged daughter. She mused: 'I think she'd particularly want to establish a bond with her because of the fact she thought she had a bond with Jamie, loved him, gave him the world, but it all went sour. So, I think she would. She'd be hesitant, and she'll be treading very carefully, but I think she would love to have a bond with her daughter.' She added: 'I think it'd be lovely to have all the kids together – Joe, Jamie and Thea – but it would be absolute carnage!'
