Kim Tate disappears in dramatic Christmas flashforward as Will Taylor’s sick plan is revealed in Emmerdale
KIM Tate vanishes in a dramatic Christmas flashforward, revealing Will Taylor's sinister plan in Emmerdale.
A surprise visit from Peter 'Pete' Barton (Anthony Quinlan) at the Home Farm makes Will (Dean Andrews) uncomfortable and piles on the pressure for their Christmas Day plans.
A happy Kim (Claire King) sets off from the stables on a Christmas Eve ride.
But, soon in the fields, Kim’s horse wanders alone... and her rider is nowhere to be seen.
What has happened to Kim?
Has Will gone ahead with his plans?
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In a flash forward, at Home Farm, eerie Christmas music plays as a Christmas tree lays on the ground and evidence of a struggle surrounds it.
But, what events have led to this dramatic scene?
Meanwhile, at Piper’s grave, a pensive Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) admits to Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) that she never saw the body.
Suspecting that her abusive ex Tom King (James Chase) may have been lying about her death, Belle asks Vinny to get a shovel so they can see for themselves.
Having dug up the grave, Belle and Vinny prepare to open Piper’s coffin.
Belle’s mind races when she discovers that Piper’s body isn’t inside.
Later, Belle considers visiting Tom in order to find out where Piper is.
On Christmas day, Belle visits her dad’s grave.
She’s overwhelmed with joy when Piper runs over to her, having been found by Vinny and Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham).
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
Biggest soap stunts
Soaps are no stranger to dramatic stunts in the storylines. Not only do these moments create a spectacle for viewers, they also fundamentally change characters' lives.
Here is a look at some of the biggest soap stunts from over the years.
CORONATION STREET
- Tram crash (2010): The ITV soap marked its 50th anniversary with a intense tram crash - and live episode to boot. Overall, the crash and its effects were broadcast across a week in December 2010. Its resulting chaos saw regular characters Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) die.
- Richard Hillman tries to kill the Platts (2003): Of all the men unlucky-in-love Gail tied the knot with, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) is probably the one she regrets most in hindsight. In 2003, murderer Richard tried to kill his step-family: first by gassing them with car fumes and then driving Gail (Helen Worth), Sarah (Tina O'Brien), David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Bethany (Amy and Emily Walton) into a canal.
EASTENDERS
- Queen Vic fire (2010): In September 2010, EastEnders bid farewell to matriarch Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) as a permanent fixture on the soap - she returned as a guest before the character's death in 2016. In the build-up to her initial exit, Peggy had trapped crack cocaine-addicted son Phil (Steve McFadden) in the Queen Vic. However, he escaped and set the boozer on fire.
- Bus crash (2017): In April 2017, a total of 11 Albert Square residents had their lives at risk in a terrifying bus crash. The stunt saw a double decker bus - the 764 to Barking - lose control and crash through the Albert Square market before hitting a low-level bridge. Notable passengers at the time included Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper).
EMMERDALE
- James Barton's death (2016): Interestingly about James' (Bill Ward) death was that it came in a spiral of events. After wife Emma (Gillian Kearney) locked James up in a jealous rage, he escaped and they tussled on a bridge over the bypass. Emma pushed him and James fell into traffic, in turn causing a 12-vehicle pile up, As well as James dying, key characters including Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) were injured.