Emmerdale spoilers follow from Wednesday’s episode (7 January), which is available to watch now on ITVX and YouTube but hasn’t yet aired on ITV1.
Emmerdale’s Joe Tate sets out to destroy Moira Dingle tonight as he unleashes his ruthless new blackmail demands. Joe wastes no time before exploiting his leverage after discovering that John Sugden was killed by his own sister Victoria.
In Wednesday’s visit to the Dales, Joe pays a visit to Robert and Victoria and makes it clear that he expects them to sign over their share of Butler’s Farm. Robert scoffs at the suggestion, prompting Joe to reveal the incriminating footage he recorded of Victoria in the woods. Seems like it’s already game over…
“I have a video – looks like you, doesn’t it?” Joe boasts to Victoria. “Looks like you killing your brother and making it look like a suicide.”
Joe’s sudden return to obsessing over the farm isn’t entirely random. When Robert needed Joe’s help to track down John and Aaron Dingle in the Corriedale road crash storyline, he promised to reward him by signing over his shares.
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Although the sly Sugden had always intended to back out of the agreement, he now realises that he’ll have to comply with Joe’s blackmail to keep Victoria out of prison.
Sadly, Joe’s scheming doesn’t stop there. When he pays a separate visit to Celia Daniels’ farm to chase up a missed payment, he discovers evidence of the dead villain’s human trafficking operation.
Seizing the incriminating documents, Joe hands them over to Robert and orders him to plant them on Moira.
“It turns out Celia has been running her farm using illegal workers,” Joe says. “And well, we are gonna join a couple of dots for Hotten’s finest by hiding these at Moira’s.”
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Robert refuses, but dastardly Joe replies: “It wasn’t a request…”
Joe’s new masterplan could now see him take full control of Butler’s, achieving an aim that he’s had for a while. Moira is arrested for human trafficking next week after damning evidence is found inside her home, so does this mean that Robert is indeed forced to betray her?
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Emmerdale’s producer Laura Shaw recently teased: “The truth about John’s death will be revealed, as Victoria’s clever deception, making John’s death look like suicide, will unravel.
“Evil Joe Tate knows the truth and has damning video evidence which he plans to use to get what he wants from the Sugdens, potentially taking control of Butler’s Farm.
“Robert is also in the thick of it, trying to save Victoria by planting evidence.”
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. This week’s episode reacts to the biggest twists from the Corriedale crossover.