Who is Kim Tate, is she returning to Emmerdale permanently and when did she leave?
The Dales haven't seen the last of the glamorous supervillain
KIM Tate made an explosive comeback to Emmerdale in October 2018.
Now she's locked up but we haven't seen the last of her as she's set to make a permanent return in 2019 - here's the lowdown...
Who is Kim Tate?
Kim Tate is played by actress Claire King and first arrived in Emmerdale in 1989 and bought Home Farm with husband Frank and step-children Chris and Zoe.
She famously had affairs with the the Rt Hon. Neil Kincaid and Dave Glover - the boyfriend of Kim’s ex daughter-in-law Kathy Tate.
She first left the soap in 1999 with her son James in a helicopter after trying to seduce Chris and kill him with a paperweight - she also confessed to killing ex-husband Frank.
Kim returned for a week of special episodes in October 2018 which saw her cause chaos in the village after being released from prison.
She ordered the death of fan favourite Joe Tate – Ned Porteous – and upset several of the villagers, including Faith Dingle, who pushed her from a balcony at Home Farm.
Kim revealed she was the true owner of Home Farm and that Joe was basically nothing, his money and lifestyle were all actually hers – and she wanted them back.
She planned to set up home in the notorious big house, along with lover Graham Foster.
But things went wrong for Kim when she was sent back to prison.
Why did Kim Tate leave Emmerdale again?
While Kim was being discharged from hospital after her balcony ‘fall’, she was apprehended by the police who said she had broken the terms of her release by driving without insurance or a licence.
Kim had arrived at Joe’s masquerade ball in an expensive sports car which she had no business to be driving.
She was sent straight back to prison and told she would need to carry out the rest of her sentence.
MORE EMMERDALE SPOILERS
Is Kim Tate making a permanent return to Emmerdale?
Yes, Emmerdale confirmed in October 2018 at the Kim Tate would make a permanent return to the village.
Kim will return to the village for a permanent comeback in six months, when she has completed her prison sentence.
“Speaking exclusively to The Sun Online, actress Claire King said she was glad her final secret was out, revealing: "I'm glad it's got to this point today now where I can just go, 'Oh thank God for that.'
"I'm sick of having all the secrets and I hate having all the secrets. I've had to lie, I've said I'm off to do El Dorado - all sorts of weird stuff. I've said I've got a tour coming up, and I've got a TV job, and when they ask what it is I say 'I can't tell you'.
"And as soon as they say I can't tell you, they start wanting to know more, so I just make up s***."
She added in a statement: "You knew she wasn’t going to go away quietly, so I’m so pleased to announce Kim will be back.
"It’s been great fun keeping it under wraps but now she can really get down to business!"
The multi-millionaire is going to wreak havoc on the village when she returns and take revenge on the person responsible for pushing her over the balcony.
Executive Producer, Jane Hudson added: "Although Kim's initial return was fleeting, she caused such mischief and chaos that we simply couldn't resist bringing her back.
"Kim Tate is just getting warmed up for an explosive 2019 which will see her hell-bent on getting exactly what, and who, she wants."