Emmerdale legend makes shocking return from the dead in explosive Corriedale twist

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Spoiler warning for Corriedale, which aired on Monday 5th January 2025.

In a surprising twist during the ‘Corriedale’ crossover event, the character Graham Foster (played by Andrew Scarborough) unexpectedly reappeared on Emmerdale, even though he was previously believed to be dead.

Coronation Street and Emmerdale recently joined forces in a special episode to launch ITV’s new soap schedule, which now features an hour of drama every weeknight from 8pm to 9pm.

The episode mainly focused on the fallout from a major crash that sadly led to two characters dying. Throughout, viewers also saw a mysterious person in a van giving off a threatening vibe.

We finally discovered that Graham was driving a van, and inside was a woman who was tied up as if she’d been captured.

Graham was seen standing over a hurt Joe Tate both at the scene of the accident and later at the hospital. However, it’s uncertain whether Joe will be convinced that it was actually his old caretaker he saw.

Everyone was surprised to see Graham back, especially since he appeared to have died in a murder mystery back in 2020. His return is just one of the many mysteries left after the events in Corriedale.

Who is Graham Foster in Emmerdale?

Graham Foster used to be the legal guardian of Joe Tate, who was married to Kim Tate (played by Claire King). He also previously had a relationship with Rhona Goskirk (played by Zoe Henry).

I have to say, the writers really built a fascinating history for Graham Foster when he arrived on the scene in 2017. Initially presented as just an employee and muscle for Joe Tate, they slowly peeled back the layers to reveal a surprisingly complex relationship. It turns out Graham was practically a father figure to Joe, legally appointed as his guardian during a difficult time at boarding school – Graham was even working as a groundsman there! And the backstory gets even more interesting: Joe actually rescued Graham from a house fire Graham himself accidentally started while grieving. It’s a really compelling, layered past that adds so much depth to their dynamic.

We also discovered that before becoming a school employee, Graham was a military veteran and married to a woman named Cheryl, who was expecting their first child. Tragically, Graham was driving under the influence when their car crashed, resulting in the deaths of Cheryl and their unborn child.

Following his recovery, Graham found support from an old girlfriend, Kim Tate, who helped him get a position at the school. Later, when Kim went to prison, she asked Graham to care for her son, Jamie Tate (played by Alexander Lincoln).

Graham battled addiction, so he asked a bartender named Andrea (Anna Nightingale) to look after Jamie. Andrea and Graham had a brief relationship, but she eventually fell in love with Jamie and they married, later having a daughter named Millie.

After Kim was released from prison in 2018, she told Graham to get Joe out of the way, and Graham attempted to bribe him to leave town. However, Cain Dingle, angry that Joe had hurt his daughter Debbie, attacked Joe, and it appeared he had killed him. Graham then finished the job by getting rid of Joe’s body.

It turned out Joe was actually alive and had been using Tate’s money in Monte Carlo before vanishing completely.

Following a disagreement between Kim and Jamie, Graham began a relationship with Rhona and tried to become independent from Kim.

Rumors started circulating that Graham might be Millie’s father, but DNA tests proved they were incorrect. Regardless, Graham confessed to Jamie about his relationship with Andrea, revealing a secret Kim also knew – the possibility that he was Millie’s father.

During his last few months on the show, Graham made a lot of enemies. The Tate family, Charity Dingle (because he didn’t tell her about her son Noah’s drug use before his overdose), Ryan Stocks, and Rhona’s ex-partner, Marlon Dingle, all held grudges against him. Graham and Rhona were planning to move to France and take Leo, Marlon and Rhona’s son, with them, which further angered Marlon. Several characters were shown vowing revenge or directly threatening Graham.

On his last day, Graham unexpectedly came face-to-face with Pierce Harris, Rhona’s ex-husband and the man who assaulted her, portrayed by actor Jonathan Wrather.

Through flashbacks, it was revealed that Graham had warned Pierce to stay away after Pierce got out of prison. Currently, Pierce attacked Graham, hitting him in the head with a log and then dragging his body into the woods. Graham woke up and talked to Pierce, eventually fighting him and considering killing him in return. Ultimately, Graham chose to spare Pierce’s life and left him there.

  • Who is Emmerdale’s Pierce Harris? All you need to know about Graham Foster’s killer

Even so, Pierce chased after Graham and hit him with his car, causing Graham to tumble down a cliff. Remarkably, Graham survived the fall, and the two men continued fighting at the bottom of the cliff. Ultimately, Pierce struck Graham in the head with a torch, seemingly killing him.

Graham’s body was found, and after weeks of investigating other potential suspects – even bringing Marlon close to conviction – Rhona finally confronted Pierce. She managed to record his confession on a live stream, and he was later convicted of Graham’s murder and died in prison.

After Graham received his just outcome, his wife, Kim, cremated his remains at a private funeral, which greatly angered Rhona.

Graham remarkably survived a treatment similar to the one that killed Grigori Rasputin. That’s quite an accomplishment!

Corriedale airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm on Monday, 5th January.

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Authors

Lewis KnightNews and Trends Editor

Lewis is the News and Trends Editor at TopMob, responsible for our news coverage, quick-response content, and understanding what our audience wants. He’s a huge fan of TV and movies, especially anything with Nicole Kidman, but also loves science fiction, independent films, and the newest shows on HBO. With a background in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Film Studies, Lewis previously worked in advertising before spending three years at The Mirror, where he focused on community management, SEO, and reporting on showbiz, film, and television.

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2026-01-06 00:35