Emmerdale viewers believe Kim Tate could be heading for a dramatic exit from the village, with fans convinced her newly discovered daughter, DS Thea Ramsden, is plotting against her.
The theory emerged after this week's episodes saw Kim (Claire King) discover that Thea (Chelsea Edge) is the daughter she secretly gave birth to decades ago. Kim had been unaware that Thea, who arrived in the village earlier this year as the new police officer, had tracked her down seeking retribution after being abandoned years earlier.
Kim stabs Thea in shocking twist
Believing Thea orchestrated baby Tate's abduction, Kim unintentionally stabbed the police officer. In Thursday's episode (October 29), Kim took Thea to hospital, where she learned the truth about their relationship, leaving her completely shocked.
Kim spoke candidly to Thea about the adoption, and it appeared Thea had softened her stance towards her mother. Rather than revealing that Kim was responsible for the stabbing, Thea told police she was not prepared to discuss the incident at this stage.
Fans suspect hidden agenda
However, viewers suspect Thea harbours a hidden agenda and is scheming to engineer Kim's shock departure from the village. On an Emmerdale Facebook fan page, one viewer commented: "I still don't trust Thea, she will use this to her advantage, I'm sure of it."
Another follower added: "I think she'll eventually tell the truth and Kim will get arrested and sent to prison." A third chimed in: "Oh no, is this the end of Kim Tate then? !" A fourth then pondered: "Think so.."
Claire King discusses secret daughter storyline
Discussing the storyline surrounding Kim's secret child, actress Claire King told Digital Spy: "The audience actually gets to know about it before Kim does. It'll be quite a good surprise for them to see Kim's reaction as well."
Addressing whether Kim ever anticipated encountering her daughter, Claire revealed: "I think to a certain extent, she always says, 'I've never forgotten you', but I think she really wanted to just wipe it out of her brain. Because she thought she was giving her daughter to a good home and that she was happy."
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
