Emmerdale viewers were left utterly stunned during the celebrated Corriedale episode when a character long believed to be dead made a sensational return. Graham Foster, supposedly murdered and cremated back in 2020, is back in the village, and actor Andrew Scarborough has exclusively revealed the incredible secrecy behind the plot twist.
Six Months of Covert Operations
Andrew Scarborough, 52, was invited to reprise his role as the enigmatic Graham last summer, but the storyline was shrouded in absolute secrecy for half a year. Only his very closest family were let in on the secret before filming began two months ago. The production team went to extraordinary lengths to prevent leaks, assigning Scarborough the code name 'Bruce Wayne' – Batman's alter ego – on all scripts and documentation.
"I've had six months of secrecy," Scarborough confessed. "I had to come and go through a special entrance, I wore a hood, or a hat, and I probably looked very suspicious. In all documentation and scripts, I was called Bruce." He described feeling "very flattered" by the clandestine alias, though he was given a playful welcome on his first day back when he saw the name 'Bruce Forsyth' on his call sheet, a wind-up from old friends on set.
"An Unbelievably Entertaining" Comeback
Fans had believed Graham was killed by Rhona Goskirk's jealous ex-husband, Pierce Harris, with his ex-wife Kim Tate even arranging his cremation. Now, a series of explosive episodes will unveil the truth. Scarborough compared the return to iconic soap resurrections like Bobby Ewing in Dallas, but insisted Graham's comeback is "more real" and "unbelievably entertaining".
He admitted to nerves about the audience reaction after six years away, but has been "extremely chuffed" by the positive feedback from fans. "They told me, 'we are glad to see you back, we’ve missed you,'" he shared.
The actor, who also starred in Downton Abbey and ITV’s Code of Silence, explained that Graham's background as a highly trained SAS operative made faking his death entirely plausible. "He is very highly connected with some of the 'institutions' like the government, high ranking police," Scarborough noted. "I always presumed that if anybody could come back from the dead – he could."
Explosive Fallout in the Village
Graham's sudden reappearance at Home Farm is set to send shockwaves through several key characters. Kim Tate, who believed she had cremated him, will be the most technically shocked, though Scarborough predicts she is "a cool cat" who wouldn't show it. Her son Joe and Graham's former love Rhona will also be deeply affected.
Scarborough teased complex dynamics ahead, describing Graham and Kim's relationship as a complicated mix of poison and tenderness where they "fight like cat and dog, but there is a lot of love there." He also hinted at future plot potential, questioning whether Kim is technically still married to Graham now he's alive, and if Rhona's past relationship with him could be rekindled, though she would "have to forgive him first."
Despite the drama, the actor is thrilled to be back, describing the Emmerdale set as "like putting on a pair of slippers again." A particularly moving moment was reuniting with Harvey, the young actor who plays Leo, with whom he filmed his last scene six years ago. "He's now grown up and he gave me a massive hug. I was just like 'Oh, God', it was really lovely," Scarborough said.
Emmerdale airs every weekday at 8pm on ITV1 and STV1. Episodes can be downloaded on ITVX.
