Emmerdale reveals Halloween horror as Kim Tate attacks Thea

Emmerdale airs dramatic Halloween episodes next week as Joe Tate's baby boy is kidnapped – and Kim attacks DS Thea Ramsden with a knife.

This terrifying chain of events has game-changing consequences for the Tates, but who has taken the child, and could this be part of Thea's plot to punish long-lost mum Kim for rejecting her when she was born?

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"Kim can't believe it," begins Claire King, who plays the Tate matriarch. "She doesn't know if it's a kidnapper after a ransom, or if somebody in the family has taken him. She's in complete panic mode.

"Kim has to ring Graham immediately and find out what's happening. She can't tell Joe anything because she and Graham aren't supposed to have the baby in the first place. And she's reluctant to involve the police, because obviously then Joe would end up finding out."

The anonymous kidnapper starts sending sinister ransom demands via a tablet, playing cruel mind games by hanging up family photos around the cottage where Graham has been staying. Realising she and Graham can't deal with this on their own, Kim alerts someone she prays will be able to help…

"She confides in Thea, and hopes she can trust her," explains Claire. "Kim tells her to keep the kidnapping between them for the moment. Thea agrees, unless it escalates to the point where she has to let her fellow police officers know."

As instructed by his tormentor, Graham heads back to the cottage alone – what will he find when he gets there? Meanwhile, back at Home Farm, jumpy Kim is about to get spooked…

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"Weird things start happening on the evening of Halloween," Claire tells us. "The lights start flickering and there's a lot of creaking noises and bangs from upstairs. Kim's thinking someone must be in the house, but she can't find anybody. She grabs a stick and goes upstairs, but finds nothing apart from an open window."

Thea arrives unexpectedly, and Kim shares her fears that someone has broken in. But as she explains the strange goings-on, Kim recalls how much Thea was gunning for her after the fateful crash that killed Dawn Fletcher and Jimmy King. Has she been trusting the person responsible for this crime?

"Suddenly, Kim thinks it must be Thea behind this," explains Claire. "Kim tries to run and hide, but angry Thea follows and locks the back door before she can escape. As they run round the table, Kim slips and Thea grabs hold of her. In a panic, and thinking she's about to get hurt, Kim stumbles across a sharp cheese knife and stabs Thea!"

Instead of admitting to the kidnapping, shellshocked Thea accuses Kim of trying to sell the baby. To her horror, Kim realises she's got this wrong – she's just stabbed an innocent woman.

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"Thea passes out," reveals Claire. "Kim is frantic, she's not sure whether she can save her or not…"

Following the violent confrontation, Graham rushes to the stables at Home Farm, where he finds Baby Tate safe and sound. But his relief swiftly turns to disbelief when the true identity of the kidnapper is finally revealed…

Meanwhile, Kim has managed to drag injured Thea to hospital. Her condition is critical and doctors insist on calling the police. Kim literally has blood on her hands, and knows this could end badly for her…

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"If Thea dies, Kim could end up back in prison," points out Claire. "Obviously, Kim would be beside herself if she knew Thea was actually her daughter. She thought she'd lost her 27 years ago, now she could lose her forever!"

Will Thea pull through, and could Kim get banged up? And who was really responsible for taking Baby Tate?

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

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