Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale’s Joe Tate is excitedly preparing to marry Dawn Fletcher next week – but Dawn is secretly planning to leave him standing at the altar!
Dawn arranged to flee with her ex-husband Billy and the kids, though Joe thwarted their exit by surprising his fiancée with an impromptu ‘Sten’ do. Has Joe already rumbled the pair’s escape plot, or is he blissfully unaware of what’s going on?
It makes a change to see Joe potentially about to be wrong-footed, as actor Ned Porteous is up for the Best Villain prize at this year’s Inside Soap Awards for his evil antics over the last 12 months.
Ahead of the life-changing wedding week, we caught up with Ned while he took part in an Inside Soap photoshoot to celebrate this year’s nominations. You can check out the stylish pictures in this week’s issue of the magazine, out now.
See our full video from the photoshoot at the top of the page, then read on for Ned’s exclusive Digital Spy Q&A…
Hi, Ned! How does it feel to be nominated for Best Villain at the Inside Soap Awards 2026?
“It’s great, it’s nice, thank you very much! It’s lovely to be nominated for anything first and foremost, and it’s just been a pleasure to play the character up to now, so whenever there’s any recognition of the work going well, that’s good for us.”
On the day of Joe and Dawn’s wedding, does Joe have any idea that he is set to be jilted?
“We don’t know! We’re presented with a couple of options, really. Either he’s head over heels for this girl and true love and happiness awaits him, or there’s a plan afoot. You’re really going to have to watch and find out. Drama will ensue…”
How does Joe feel when Caleb tells him that Dawn has left the village?
“Well obviously with Caleb, he and Joe don’t necessarily see eye to eye, there’s some ongoing beef there. So when Caleb tells Joe about potentially what’s happened with Dawn and with Billy, he can’t completely write it out. He doesn’t want to pretend that it’s not real, because there could be something here, he needs to get onto it.
“But also, he’s his arch nemesis, so he doesn’t want to trust this guy. Caleb’s going to do anything he can to get to Joe, to make him feel bad, so there’s a bit of a tie up there. How does he react? We’ll find out…”
What can you tease about the wedding week and how it unfolds for Joe and Dawn?
“There’s not too much I can tease without giving anything away. All I can say is, having been a part of it from the start to the end, a lot of work has gone into this week. There is a quality to this selection of episodes that I think has been raised. We’re using a new camera for a lot of the shots, so it’s going to have the visual quality of the Emmerdale and Corrie crossover, Corriedale.
“A lot of work has been put into it, from the story writing to the production team, to hopefully the actors as well! I’m very proud to be a part of it and I can’t wait for everyone else to see it, because it’s something special, I think.”
How will Joe and Caleb’s feud escalate, both during this wedding week and beyond?
“Maybe it won’t, maybe they’ll become bosom buddies! Who knows? I think we can always expect a bit of drama with Joe, we can always expect that his villainy is going to shine through – with any of his relationships. I think Caleb offers him a match and a tension that can only lead to exciting storylines going forward.”
We know that there’s going to be a new Tate arriving – is there anything you can tease about that?
“Absolutely not! No, you’re going to have to tune in every damn day and see…”
Are you excited about the idea of expanding the Tate clan further?
“I’m absolutely excited about that. The Tate clan is my favourite clan, and I’m only happy to see it grow, potentially.”
Why should fans get behind Emmerdale in the Best Soap category?
“Because it’s the best soap! End of.”
See a full Inside Soap interview with Ned alongside co-star Olivia Bromley in the new issue of the magazine, out now, containing exclusive new photos of six cast members. Votes for the Inside Soap Awards 2026 can be cast by clicking here.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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