Steve Marchant Emmerdale return ‘confirmed’ as Thea takes a big risk

Thea Ramsden reaches out to Steve Marchant (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock) There’s another spicy return ahead for the Emmerdale villagers as it’s ‘confirmed’ that Kim Tate’s (Claire King) ex Steve Marchant (Paul Opacic) will be making a long-awaited return. He’s been gone for nearly 30 years, having been found guilty of attempted murder and sent to prison while Kim escaped from her crimes. So there are likely to be fireworks when he arrives back. It’s been weeks building up to this moment, ever since DS Thea Ramsden (Chelsea Edge) arrived in town. She arrived to investigate Dr Todd’s death, but it quickly became clear she had some kind of beef with Kim. Turned out, Kim had given her up for adoption at birth and basically ruined her life. And she was out for revenge. Thea flipflopped over how to take Kim down, planning all sorts of wild revenge, but Karma did an about turn and it was Thea who ended up with a knife in the gut, at the hands of Kim following a confrontation over a missing baby. Thea and Kim Tate are on better terms (Picture: ITV) But there’s nothing like nearly losing a slice of your liver to prompt a lovely little family reunion, as Kim and Thea began talking about the past and discussing a way to move forward, and they put the stabbing behind them. Thea even threw away her revenge plans and claimed the attack was down to poachers. For her troubles, Kim gave her the gift of knowing who her father is – Steve Marchant. He is not someone Kim wants back in her life and she tries to convince Thea it’s a bad idea. But Thea is on a mission to learn about her past. She just has to keep Joe at bay, who’s made it clear where his loyalties lie despite them being blood. Thea wants to know more about her past (Picture: ITV) Thea reaches out to Steve without revealing her true identity, and there opens a huge new can of worms, one Kim is desperate to keep the lid on. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Actor Paul Opacic told us: ‘Things were left rather bitter between Kim and Steve, so he’s very surprised when a solicitor contacts him out of the blue. He guesses something is afoot when Kim starts brandishing notes to keep him away. Deals of the Day Cold mornings are coming and this is the dressing gown I want to live in We're adding this discounted NEOM gift set straight to basket Want an LED face mask for less? This Black Friday deal could save you hundreds This teeth whitening sale could save you up to 64% before Black Friday The best Black Friday sleep deals to upgrade your bedroom with Simba’s 33% off sale ‘With the sniff of more cash to be made, Steve wonders what is going on. And soon Thea leaves him a jaw-dropping voicemail.’ What will Steve’s return mean for Kim? Arrow MORE: Hope for Emmerdale fans as Mike Parr declares end of Ross relationship Arrow MORE: All the Emmerdale cast returns, exits and new arrivals in 2026 Arrow MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as Cain’s fists fly against his own family The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.