Emmerdale spoilers follow.
A new era kicked off for the Tates when Emmerdale revealed that, back in 1999, Kim secretly gave birth to a daughter and gave her up for adoption.
In a flashback, archive footage of a young Kim was reflected through a hospital room window, accompanied by a new voiceover from actress Claire King explaining her alter ego’s decision to walk away from her child, who she named Anthea.
ITV
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That baby girl grew up to be DS Thea Ramsden, who is now out for revenge after suffering a terrible childhood thanks to an illegal adoption.
It sounds like we may be waiting a while to find out exactly what happened to her. But the biggest question we have on the matter is: who is Thea’s father?
While there’s one character we must acknowledge as the frontrunner here, it would be remiss of us to ignore some other possibilities. After all, in a recent interview, Claire herself teased that there was more than one option: “I was thinking, ‘Right, okay, so Thea could be so and so’s or she could be so and so’s.'”
With that in mind, read on as we explore all the options for Kim’s baby daddy below!
Steve Marchant
ITV/Shutterstock
At the time of Kim’s exit, Steve was her estranged husband. Having set him up to take the fall for a money-making scam after his attempted murder of Kathy Glover, Kim acknowledged that their marriage was well and truly over as she reclaimed the Tate name.
But there’s still every chance Kim could have been carrying Steve’s child when she boarded that helicopter.
Alongside inheriting Kim’s unflinching exterior, Thea’s traits match Steve’s conniving nature. So, as well as him being Kim’s only known love interest ahead of her departure, it would certainly make sense for Thea to be his offspring.
There’s already unfinished business between the former spouses, so perhaps actor Paul Opacic could make a surprise return to Emmerdale so Steve can meet his daughter? That could pave the way for a showdown with Kim over those 10 years he spent behind bars.
But while Steve seems the most likely player in this story, let’s mull over some wildcard candidates.
Chris Tate
REX/Shutterstock//ITV
Kim and stepson Chris became bitter enemies over the years, but there was one line of dialogue during Kim’s 1999 escape that we can’t help reflecting on, given what we now know.
Shortly before bashing Chris over the head and stealing a wad of cash, Kim declared: “You could have had anything, maybe even me.”
While this moment was in keeping with the pair never actually crossing that line, we’ve been thinking it over. What if Kim’s statement was a follow up to a one night stand that we weren’t privy to, and she was actually teasing that they could have become a couple if things turned out differently?
Instead, maybe Kim chose not to raise Thea because she wanted to protect her from the twisted man Chris had, by that point, become.
Chris died in 2003 and his youngest son Noah Dingle has left the village. So what better way to uphold his legacy than by giving his firstborn, Joe Tate, a half-sister in Thea – and a potential ally if her penchant for scheming is anything to go by?
Remember, Emmerdale did share that they would be building up the Tates, and if we take that promise literally, making her Chris’s daughter would mean Thea is part of that bloodline.
Just imagine the classic, soap-style family tree controversy – Thea would be both a half-sister and niece to Kim’s son Jamie!
Graham Foster
ITV
When we learned of Kim’s history with Graham, the story went that they met at a function while she was living at Home Farm during her first stint. Although an early explanation from Graham claimed that the pair didn’t give in to passion for quite a while, this could still tally with Kim falling pregnant.
If this theory holds up, it could take Graham in a stronger direction. Since he returned from the dead back in January, he’s not had much material beyond conforming to Joe’s expectations as his right-hand man, although they do share a genuine familial bond.
Graham turning out to be Thea’s dad would give him a bigger tie to the Tate dynasty, cement his connection to Kim – and give him some much-needed purpose. Graham has always been haunted by the tragic loss of his baby due to his drinking, and we’ve seen just how much love he has to give; so Emmerdale might just give him this second chance to prove his worth.
There was also that brief scene between Thea and Graham where she was eyeing him very carefully. Not only did this channel Graham all the way, suggesting it’s in the genes, but the moment could have had a double meaning. Might Thea already be aware that he’s her father, and the fact that both her parents live in such prosperity only adds to her resentment?
Whatever direction this story takes, we’re sure to expect explosive results for Kim!
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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