Paul Opacic returns to Emmerdale as Steve Marchant after nearly 30 years

Paul Opacic is set to reprise his role as Steve Marchant on Emmerdale nearly 30 years after leaving the show.

The actor made his debut as the character in 1996, before his final on-screen appearance in 1999.

Opacic will now be returning to the series as Steve, who will appear back in the village nearly three decades after he was framed by Kim Tate and sentenced to a decade behind bars for attempted murder.

After 28 years away from the Dales, ITV has said that Steve will make a shock comeback when Detective Sergeant Thea Ramsden (Chelsea Edge) tracks him down in a “relentless pursuit to uncover the identity of her biological father”.

Paul Opacic (ITV)

In Monday night’s episode, Kim drops a bombshell on Thea when she reveals: “Your father is a man called Steve Marchant. We were married.”

With just a name to go on, the detective kicks off a search to find her father.

Thea originally arrived in the village with the aim of taking revenge on her estranged mother Kim, played by Claire King.

After months of “stalking, escalating tension, and deep-seated misunderstandings”, they reconnected and forged a tentative truce.

After Kim finally discloses Thea’s father’s identity, she goes in search of him but is unsure if he knows she exists.

ITV has said: “Because Kim previously sent Steve to prison, a romantic reunion between the former spouses is out of the question. However, whether Steve can build a relationship with his detective daughter remains to be seen.

“In a calculated move, Thea poses as a solicitor during her initial contact. Cautious and suspicious, Steve is quickly drawn back toward the village in search of answers.”

Opacic said of his return: “Things were left rather bitter between Kim and Steve, so he’s very surprised when a solicitor contacts him out of the blue.

“He guesses something is afoot when Kim starts brandishing notes to keep him away. With the sniff of more cash to be made, Steve wonders what is going on. And soon Thea leaves him a jaw-dropping voicemail.”

Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: “Determined to uncover the truth about her father, Thea devises a clever ruse to lure him into a meeting under false pretences.

The actor initially left the ITV soap in 1999 (Ian West/PA)

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“But will Steve fall for her deception, and does he even realise he has a child – or could he know secrets that even Kim isn’t aware of?”

Opacic was originally cast as Steve for an initial six-episode stint on Emmerdale, with his character introduced as a former university friend of Rachel Hughes (Glenda McKay).

The actor is also known for his roles as Carl Costello in Hollyoaks and Stefan Brent in Coronation Street.