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Emmerdale fans are concerned a popular character may be departing the soap following a mysterious hint.

Ned Porteous arrived on the long-running ITV soap in 2017 as the antagonistic Joe Tate. And it's safe to say he wasted little time stirring up trouble in the village.

Throughout the years, he's been involved in numerous major storylines - from his various rivalries to a shocking organ-theft plot twist, Joe's stint in the Dales has been packed with drama.

Particularly at present, as in recent weeks his brutal nature has re-emerged after he blackmailed the Sugdens and set up Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb).

His romance with Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) - with whom he conducted an affair last year - has also been progressing well and last week, the couple decided to try for a baby, reports the Daily Star.

Moreover, he recently launched into a feud with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and is intent on wreaking havoc in his life after Cain and Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) pinched his pricey car.

Joe arrived in the village with the flashy new motor after forming a connection with Dawn's son Lucas. Deciding to teach the villain a lesson, Cain and Sarah nicked the vehicle.

Yet, as Joe attempted to track down his missing car, the villagers couldn't resist ridiculing the antagonist in comical scenes leaving Joe furious. So much so that he informed Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) he intended to make Cain's life a nightmare.

However, with all the turmoil currently unfolding in the Dales, viewers believe Joe's departure may be on the cards. The actor Ned recently shared images of his professional headshot on social media.

His followers were swift to read this as an indication that the star is considering fresh opportunities, as actors generally refresh their headshots when seeking new roles.

One person said: "Amazing photos. But you're staying in Emmerdale, right?" Someone else chimed in: Please don't be leaving Emmerdale?" A third chimed in: "I hope this doesn't mean you're leaving Emmerdale. " Another added: "Ned has posted new headshots. That happens quite often when the person is leaving. ".

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Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX