Emmerdale fans were stunned during Monday’s dramatic Corriedale episode.
Corriedale featured the explosive return of Graham Foster in Monday’s hour-long episode.
On 5 January, the worlds of Coronation Street and Emmerdale collided in a groundbreaking crossover, kicking off ITV’s new “soap power hour” scheduling strategy for both shows.
Fans were in for a huge shock when Graham, who appeared to have been killed off on Emmerdale in 2020, was seen alive and well in Corriedale.
Disguised, Graham was spotted amid the multi-vehicle crash on a remote road, driving a van with a mysterious woman named Jodie tied up in the back.
His identity remained a secret until the very end of the episode, when he was seen at the hospital quietly checking on Joe Tate, who had been injured in the crash.
Longtime soap fans will recall the bond between Joe and Graham, but for newer viewers, here’s a quick recap:
Who is Graham Foster in Emmerdale?
Graham, who served as a legal guardian and father figure to Joe Tate, first appeared on the ITV soap in 2017 as Joe’s right-hand man.
In 2018, Graham helped fake Joe’s death when Joe was forced to go on the run after Kim Tate—who had been married to his grandfather, Frank Tate—ordered his murder.
Initially, it seemed that Joe’s ex, Debbie Dingle’s father, Cain Dingle, had accidentally killed him during an argument, when a single punch caused Joe to hit his head on a rock.
It was later revealed that Joe’s right-hand man, Graham, had actually covered up the fact that Joe was still alive and on the run abroad, living off funds from Kim’s companies. Joe eventually returned in the Christmas episodes of 2024.
After Joe’s 2018 exit, Graham—who had been in an on-and-off relationship with Kim for years—became her right-hand man when she returned to the village.
Fans were shocked in 2020 when Graham seemed to be killed off by Pierce Harris. At the time, Graham had just begun a relationship with Rhona Goskirk, and Pierce, Rhona’s rapist ex-husband, had been released from prison only a week before Graham’s apparent death.
However, Monday’s Corriedale episode revealed that Graham had survived and had been living in hiding over the past few years.
Who plays Graham in Emmerdale?
Graham is portrayed by Andrew Scarborough, known for his roles in Bad Girls and Downton Abbey.
Since leaving Emmerdale in 2020, Andrew appeared in the British war film The War Below (2021) and has also featured in shows such as Midsomer Murders, Father Brown, 7 Keys, and Chimera.
What have Emmerdale said about Graham’s return?
ITV soap boss Iain MacLeod told Digital Spy: “Well, you know, there’s never really an ending in a soap, is there? That’s as close as you’re going to get—the end of that episode with that incredible final scene over the sunset.”
“But generally, the stories continue indefinitely. You want moments that start in that episode—like the return of the mysterious hooded figure, Graham.
“I hope it took you by surprise, though perhaps some of you might have recognised his eyes in the rearview mirror, who knows! You want something entirely new, and of course, there were subtle hints throughout the episode about the mystery prisoner he was transporting in the back of his van. So you aim for something that moves the story forward…”
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