Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) has died in hospital in Emmerdale, leaving Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) heartbroken. The character's death comes just after she gave birth to a little boy, following a week of turmoil for Joe.
A devastating week for Joe Tate
Joe endured a hellish week. First, Caleb Miligan (William Ash) revealed that Dawn had run off with Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle), then he was knocked unconscious when Jimmy King (Nick Miles) crashed his car into the marquee, and later it looked like he might die after the tent exploded.
Joe survived the blast and was rushed to hospital, where his focus turned to Dawn after learning she had gone into early labour. After clearing the air with Joe, Kim Tate (Claire King) and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough), Dawn believed her fresh start was finally beginning.
Sudden collapse and tragic loss
Today's episode began with Joe and Dawn enjoying the birth of their child. Joe left the room to get water, but collapsed in the corridor. He woke up seconds later and failed to tell a passing member of staff what had happened.
When Joe returned to Dawn's room, he believed she had fallen asleep. Seconds later, it became clear something was very wrong. Doctors and nurses rushed in, but Joe was told that Dawn had died.
Grief and a glimpse of what could have been
Dawn's death left her loved ones devastated. Billy arrived at the hospital to see Dawn, but Graham told him she had died. Billy headed to Mill Cottage, angry that Caleb and Ruby Miligan's (Beth Cordingly) plan had ended this way.
The greatest heartbreak was that Joe and Dawn's future together had been taken away. Joe had wanted a family life with Dawn, believing they could put everything behind them. In one devastating moment, that future vanished.
As the episode drew to a close, a dream sequence showed Dawn and Joe in wedding outfits, offering a vision of the life they never got to have. The scene echoed a moment shared by Jimmy and Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) earlier in the week.
Today's episode marked Olivia Bromley's end of her journey at Emmerdale, where she has played Dawn Taylor since 2018.
