The Tate and Sugdens are about to welcome some new additions, Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw has confirmed.
The ITV soap’s longest-running families, who have been on our screens since 1972 and 1989, have began to look a little thin on the ground in recent years.
While Kim Tate (Claire King) rules the roost alongside step-grandson Joe (Ned Porteous) at manor house Home Farm, and Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) is currently in power at Emmerdale Farm, the clans are looking a little thin on the ground compared to the unruly Dingles.
Of course, the three characters all have extended family members; the Tates are joined by Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) and her plethora of children, and Robert’s niece Sarah (Katie Hill) lives in the village with husband Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant), there’s plenty of room for some new faces!
“At the heart of last year, I wanted to cement the families in our show,” producer Laura Shaw revealed to Inside Soap.
“Everyone always talks about the Dingles, but I felt like we needed to build up some of the other families – that’s probably what I’m most proud of.”
Shaw has remained tight-lipped over who the arrivals will be, or what their connection will be to the existing characters.
Speaking of Joe’s return to the Home Farm estate, she said: “What that story did was really cement Kim and Joe as surrogate mother and son, which was important to me, to try to build that family of Tates up at Home Farm.
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“Similarly, we brought Dawn and the kids in to bolster it, and then we were missing the dad of the family, so we went mad and brought Graham back!”
Shaw continued: “Well as I said about building the clans, I’ve been trying to do the same with the Sugdens as well as the Tates.
“Obviously, Isabel [Hodgins, Victoria Sugden] is on maternity leave at the moment, but Sarah’s married Jacob – he’s taken the Sugden name – what I want to do over the course of the next few months is remind everyone that Sarah’s also a Sugden.
“There’s going to be a couple of arrivals to strengthen both the Tate and Sugden clans!”
The news comes as Patsy Kensit’s return to the serial as Sadie King was announced.
The star will reprise her role after two decades later this year, in a story that’s bound to cause a lot of trouble for ex-husband Jimmy (Nick Miles), lovers Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and Robert, and nemesis Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).
Read more:
- 4 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle hunt for mystery arsonist and Dawn Fletcher in grave danger
- Emmerdale airs surprise jury verdict in Bear, Paddy and Dylan’s trial in early ITVX release
- Emmerdale star teases “complex year” ahead for Charity Dingle after nightmare labour in early ITVX release
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.
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