Viewers of the long-running ITV soap Emmerdale have been left reeling after a legendary character, long thought to be deceased, made a sensational return to the village. Graham Foster, played by actor Andrew Scarborough, is officially back on the show six years after his apparent murder.
The Shocking Reappearance
The dramatic comeback began earlier this month during the special Corriedale crossover event, where a mysterious hooded figure was revealed to be Graham. His return to the main Emmerdale village was confirmed in the episode aired on Monday, January 19. In a tense scene, he was seen watching from afar as the villainous Ray Walters tormented Laurel Thomas's son, Arthur.
This marked the start of special episodes dedicated to uncovering the truth behind Ray's mysterious death. The plot thickened when it was revealed Graham had a woman, later identified as Jodie Ramsey, tied up in his van. She managed to escape in the ensuing chaos, adding another layer of intrigue to his unexpected resurrection.
Unravelling a Six-Year Mystery
In Tuesday's episode (January 20), Graham finally reunited with his ex-partner, Rhona Goskirk, and unveiled the elaborate deception that allowed everyone to believe he was dead. Back in 2018, Graham was seemingly killed by Pierce Harris, the rapist ex-husband of his then-girlfriend Rhona.
However, using his SAS background and contacts, Graham staged his own death. He had an insider within the police force, DI Dent, who helped orchestrate the cover-up. When Billy Fletcher and Priya Sharma discovered him, his training allowed him to convincingly appear dead, and neither checked his pulse. Forensic teams, already in on the scheme, made it look like a murder.
After being moved to a safe house, Graham intended to take down Pierce. However, plans went awry. He drowned his sorrows in whisky after realising he had lost Rhona for good, and an old SAS friend put him on a ferry, falsely claiming Pierce had already been arrested.
Fallout and Future Repercussions
Rhona was furious upon learning the truth, confronting Graham about the immense suffering his deception caused. She detailed the further torment Pierce inflicted on both her and Vanessa Woodfield, and reminded Graham that Rhona's husband, Marlon Dingle, had even served prison time for his supposed murder.
Graham, who only learned of Pierce's continued crimes through tabloid newspapers, now works fixing "problems the police can't." His current case, which involves a powerful trafficker, is what ultimately drew him back to the Dales after he discovered a connection to young April Windsor.
Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw has confirmed Graham is back on a full-time basis, promising his return will have "massive repercussions." Key confrontations are still to come, particularly with his foster son, Joe Tate, whom he watched over in hospital, and his former wife, Kim Tate, with whom he shares a complex love-hate relationship. The central question remains whether those he left behind can ever forgive him for letting them believe he was dead for six long years.
Emmerdale airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
