January 31st 2025.
In a surprising turn of events, actor Ned Porteous made his return to Emmerdale as the beloved character Joe Tate in December. However, fans were quick to realize that this was not the only soap role that he had taken on. In fact, Ned had previously played a major role in the popular BBC soap EastEnders back in 2016, where he portrayed the son of two iconic soap characters.
Joe's comeback to the Emmerdale village was quite the shock for viewers, as well as for Kim Tate. As he uncovered Will Taylor's sinister plan to destroy Kim, Joe himself had a secret to hide. It was later revealed that he was battling a serious illness. Since then, he has been caught up in a scandalous affair with Dawn Fletcher and has been struggling with an addiction to painkillers.
With Ned's return to the forefront of fans' minds in recent weeks, many were taken aback to discover that he had previously played the role of Mark Fowler Jr. in EastEnders. Social media was abuzz with fans expressing their surprise and excitement, with one even writing, "How did I only just find out that Joe Tate from Emmerdale is played by the same actor who portrayed Mark Fowler Jr. in EastEnders?"
Speaking of his time on the BBC soap, Ned shared, "I didn't know he'd been in EastEnders," while another fan added, "Ned Porteous' return as Joe Tate is awesome, but I preferred him as Mark Fowler Jr. in EastEnders. We didn't have him long enough as Grant's son." Mark was the son of iconic characters Michelle Fowler and Grant Mitchell, who had kept his true paternity a secret from him for years.
When Mark began to develop feelings for Courtney Mitchell, who was also his half-sister, the Mitchell family intervened and Grant stopped them from acting on their feelings. Despite their initial decision to keep the truth hidden, it was eventually revealed that Grant was Mark's biological father. However, before anything could be resolved, Mark left for the US after being warned by Sharon Watts not to get involved in Grant's life.
Looking back on his time on EastEnders, Ned shared, "Being a part of two iconic families and being involved in the longest kept secret in EastEnders history was beyond exciting! I am honored to have been a part of it and can't wait for viewers to really get to know Mark Jr."
As the show gears up for its 40th anniversary, Ross Kemp is set to reprise his role as Grant Mitchell in the coming weeks. The soap has promised that his return will be nothing short of explosive, with Ross himself sharing, "I am thrilled to be returning to EastEnders as the show celebrates such a special milestone. The show has always held a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to see what Grant has in store this time around."
This article was originally published on January 13th, 2025. If you have any soap or TV stories, videos, or pictures, please reach out to us via email – we would love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. And if you want to be the first to know about shocking EastEnders spoilers, Coronation Street departures, and all the latest gossip from Emmerdale, join our WhatsApp Soaps community of over 10,000 fans. Simply click on the link and select "Join Chat" to stay in the know with spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Don't forget to turn on notifications so you never miss out on the latest updates!
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