“In a world where betrayal never sleeps, and buried secrets always find a way to surface, Emmerdale is being engulfed by a nightmare of revenge. Joe Tate, the man who has sown destruction and death across the Dales, is finally about to face his reckoning. But the masked figure behind these chilling acts of retaliation is a ghost from the past, a woman who has returned to demand justice for a brutal death – and her arrival will tear everything apart!”

Joe Tate (played by Ned Porteous) made a dramatic return to Emmerdale last December, six years after his departure, and he quickly proved he’s still one of the most dangerous troublemakers. Not only did he embark on an illicit affair with Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley), but Joe also took drastic, reckless steps while struggling with chronic kidney disease. Facing a bleak outlook without a transplant, Joe drugged his brother Noah Dingle (Jack Downham) in a desperate attempt to see if he was a match.

However, things took a shocking turn when a disoriented Noah stumbled onto the road, causing Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) to crash the limo she was driving into a lake. The horrific accident resulted in the tragic deaths of three women: Suzy Merton (Martelle Edinborough), Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi), and Amy Barton (Natalie Ann Jamieson).

After that tragedy, Joe still needed a kidney, and he set his sights on his uncle, Caleb (William Ash). With the assistance of the dubious Dr. Crowley (James Hillier), Joe managed to steal Caleb’s kidney. But Joe’s secrets and lies couldn’t stay buried forever. They were eventually exposed, making him public enemy number one. The hatred ran so deep that he was pushed out of a window by a mystery person – later revealed to be Dawn.

Since then, Dawn confessed to Joe, and he forgave her, with their controversial romance continuing. However, it’s clear that someone else is seeking revenge, relentlessly stalking and terrorizing Joe.

This week on Emmerdale, Joe was left seething after discovering his car had been vandalized. In the episode aired on Wednesday (June 25), Joe found signs of an intruder in his room and quickly pointed the finger at Dawn’s ex, Billy (Jay Kontzle). Despite Billy’s repeated denials, Joe remained unconvinced and later plotted with his mate Shaun to retaliate against Billy.

But avid soap fans are convinced they’ve cracked the case of who’s really targeting Joe – and it’s an unexpected, earth-shattering twist. On an Emmerdale fan page on Facebook, viewers have been speculating that Alicia Metcalfe (played by Natalie Anderson) could be seeking vengeance on Joe for the tragic death of her sister, Leyla Harding.

“Wonder if it’s Leyla’s sister Alicia that is targeting Joe because she wants revenge,” one fan theorized dramatically. Another agreed: “Yes I think that.” A third added their hope for a stunning comeback: “I’d love it if she returned.”

Alicia became a familiar face in the Dales when she arrived in 2010 as Leyla’s sister and Jacob Gallagher’s (Joe-Warren Plant) adoptive mother. She left for Portugal in 2015 after her romance with David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) ended. Almost a decade has passed since Alicia left, but the pain of losing her beloved sister remains raw. Leyla’s death, though accidental, was a direct consequence of Joe Tate’s selfish and cruel actions.

Alicia’s potential return is not just a mere reunion. It would be an explosion of emotion and vengeance, where a woman who has lost so much will finally confront the man who inflicted such profound pain upon her. Will Alicia succeed in making Joe pay for his sins? And will her shocking appearance plunge Emmerdale into a new cycle of violence and chaos, where no one is safe from a soul consumed by the thirst for justice?