Emmerdale has been full of drama with the arrival of new character, Shaun. Fans will recall that Joe Tate is grappling with chronic kidney disease and his prognosis is grim without a transplant.
After attempting to drug his half-brother, Noah Dingle, in a desperate bid to secure his kidney, he discovered they weren't a match. This revelation led Joe to turn to another family member, his uncle Caleb Milligan, who was found to be a suitable donor.
This week saw Joe and his personal physician, Dr Crowley, hatch a dark scheme to target Caleb and extract one of his kidneys.
Their plot almost came undone when Kim Tate enlisted Ross Barton for security duties and to keep an eye on Joe. During a covert meeting between Joe and Dr Crowley, they were interrupted by Ross who had been surveilling them.
The encounter left Dr Crowley rattled, leading him to refuse to proceed with the plan unless Ross ceased his meddling. This prompted Joe to orchestrate an attack on Ross' brother, Pete Barton, by his accomplice Shaun, forcing Ross to leave the village to visit his injured sibling in hospital, reports Leicestershire Live.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, with Ross out of the picture, Joe set his plan in motion as another accomplice, Gina, tried to spike Caleb's drink. When the plan went awry, Joe resorted to violent tactics, meeting with Shaun once more and instructing him to stab Caleb and steal his car.
Soap fans on Twitter, now X, were quick to spot a familiar face in Emmerdale, recognising actor James Boyland, who plays Shaun.
One viewer pointed out: "For anyone interested, that man talking to Joe Tate a few minutes ago in the woods on @Emmerdale, he slept with Carla on @itvcorrie in around 2019 when she had her psychotic episode after Rana's death. #Emmerdale #Corrie."
Curiosity was also sparked elsewhere, with another fan tweeting: "WHO WAS THAT MAN IN THE WOODS #emmerdale" and another adding: "I recognise him! Hollyoaks? #Emmerdale."
James Boyland, the actor behind Shaun, is no stranger to the small screen, having appeared in various television shows including Coronation Street, where he portrayed three different characters named Jordan, a burglar, and Don between 2010 and 2020.
This isn't James' first stint on Emmerdale either; he previously played Dan Cravely for five episodes in 2010. His other acting credits include Tony Grimes in DCI Banks in 2011, Communist Comrade in Peaky Blinders in 2014, and Wild Hunt in The Witcher: Blood Origin in 2022.
Meanwhile, some eagle-eyed soap fans believe they've figured out Shaun's true connection in the village, potentially linked to a well-known family. A speculative tweet read: "@emmerdale Hang on, Joe's side kick is a Barton? ! ! ! ! #emmerdale."
Another person responded: "I think he arranged for that bloke in the car to beat Pete up (or get someone to) to get Ross away from there for a few days, to stop him spying on them and save his scheme. Unless the bloke is someone Barton related I don't recognise?"
A different viewer replied: "Dawn said "I hope he's OK" and Joe said "These Bartons are full of tough stuff". Didn't know he was anything to do with any family in the village."
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
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