Revelation in Tuesday's episode

The long-running ITV soap Emmerdale delivered a major twist on Tuesday, September 1, as Detective Sergeant Thea Ramsden, played by Chelsea Edge, was revealed to be the daughter of Kim Tate, portrayed by Claire King. The revelation came in the closing moments of the episode, which featured a flashback to a hospital baby unit where a younger Kim Tate was seen gazing at her newborn.

According to ie, a nurse asked Kim if she was certain about her decision to proceed with adoption. When asked if the child had a name, Kim said she had always been fond of the name Anthea. The scene then cut to the present day, focusing on DS Ramsden's police name badge, confirming the detective is the daughter Kim gave up decades ago.

Thea's vendetta against Kim

The revelation confirms that Thea's presence in the village is fuelled by a deeply personal vendetta, as reported by both uk and ie. Thea had been asking her friend and former copper Serena Sugden, played by Casey Al-Shaqsy, to break into Home Farm to find information she could use against Kim. Thea described Kim as the 'devil' who she needed to 'cut off at the knees', according to uk.

In Tuesday's episode, Thea took Kim to the police station to question her about Jimmy King's crash. Thea knew Jimmy, played by Nick Miles, had swerved to avoid another vehicle and wanted to frame Kim as its driver. The only evidence Thea had was a speed camera picking up Kim's movements in Hotten, as reported by uk.

The episode also showed the aftermath of the crash, with Nicola King, played by Nicola Wheeler, breaking down in tears over the loss of her husband Jimmy, who died last week. Joe Tate, played by Ned Porteous, is attempting to process the loss of his wife-to-be Dawn, played by Olivia Bromley, who also died in the crash. Joe is reportedly hellbent on revenge against Caleb Miligan, played by William Ash, according to uk.

Cast and crew react

Speaking about the storyline, Edge told ie: "I have loved joining Emmerdale and keeping this secret." She added: "I think it became apparent fairly quickly to the viewers that DS Ramsden and Serena already knew each other from their work in the police, but little did they know that was just the tip of the iceberg. The real mystery – that Kim is actually Thea's mother – was still to be discovered."

Edge continued: "I hope that now it's out in the open the viewers will follow the story and see how Thea's determination and bitterness develop. As to how far the apple falls from the tree… I guess we'll have to wait and see, but there's certainly a lot more drama to come."

Laura Shaw, Emmerdale producer, also spoke to ie, saying: "While the viewers have been granted access to the mystery surrounding DS Ramsden's true identity, it will be some time before Kim suspects that the child she surrendered is operating within her immediate circle." Shaw added that Kim is completely unaware that the daughter she left behind is right under her nose.

Viewing details

The episode dated September 1 is available on ITVX and YouTube before airing on ITV1, as reported by uk. The next episode airs Wednesday, September 2 at 8pm on ITV1, or streams from 7am on ITVX or YouTube, according to uk. Emmerdale airs weeknights on Virgin Media One and ITV1, as noted by ie.