DALES DRAMA Emmerdale kicks off shock Kim Tate poisoning plot inspired by Australian beef wellington mushroom killer
EMMERDALE’S Kim Tate will soon be at the centre of a shock poisoning plotline inspired by the Australian Beef Wellington mushroom killer.
The iconic ITV character, played by Claire King, will be rushed to hospital after choking and collapsing during a dinner at the Dingle’s.
Teasers for upcoming Emmerdale episodes reveal how the night – meant to “build bridges” between the families – ends with Kim being left unconscious.
At the hospital her husband Graham Foster – who revealed he was back from the dead earlier this year – is told that Kim’s symptoms match with severe mushroom poisoning.
The shocking soap plotline draws parallels with that of mushroom murderer Erin Patterson, which came to the attention of the world last year.
The 50-year-old was sentenced to life in prison and will serve at least 33 years behind bars after she lured her former in-laws to lunch at her home where she poisoned them with a Beef Wellington.
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She was handed three life sentences for the murders of her former parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66.
They tragically died after eating the Beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms.
Erin – who denied the charges – was also handed a 25-year sentence for the attempted murder of Heather’s husband Reverend Ian Wilkinson.
Erin had gathered her ex-husband Simon’s relatives for a Saturday lunch at her home in Leongatha, Victoria.
She served up a Beef Wellington containing death cap mushrooms, and her guests soon fell violently ill.
Her former parents-in-law Don and Gail, and Gail’s sister, Heather, all died within a week.
Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only person – other than Erin – who survived the deadly lunch.
Back in the Dales, the aftermath of the similar mushroom plot will play out.
The potential Dingle culprits will gather in the Woolpack Backroom – and all eyes are on Cain Dingle.
It comes after Sam Dingle tells the group that Cain told him where to go to forage for the mushrooms, leading him to believe he could be responsible for her attempted murder.
Kim Tate’s biggest Emmerdale storylines
First appearing in 1989, Kim Tate (Claire King) is an iconic Emmerdale character. Here’s a look at some of her biggest storylines over the years.
MARRIAGE TO FRANK TATE
Kim has been married three times in the soap, but her first, volatile pairing was with Frank Tate (Norman Bowler)
They were an on-screen partnership for almost a decade – including divorcing and remarrying.
However, Frank ultimately suffered a fatal heart attack, brought on by Kim’s return to the village after being presumed dead.
During the marriage, Kim had affairs with Neil Kincaid (Brian Deacon) and Dave Glover (Ian Kelsey).
FAKING HER OWN DEATH
Kim disappeared from the village in February 1997. A few days later, Frank identified a woman found dead at the wheel of her car as Kim.
However, everyone was in for a shock after Kim revealed she was still alive – and the full extent of her plan.
While she’d fled to the Caribbean, Kim had paid a lookalike prostitute to drive her car around the village to fool people into thinking she was still there. It was, in fact, her body that Frank previously identified.
JAMES’ KIDNAPPING
Kim’s business partnership with Lord Alex Oakwell (Rupam Maxwell), resulted in the death of Linda Fowler (Tonicha Jeronimo), in a car crash.
As an act of revenge, Linda’s mother Jan (Roberta Kerr) kidnapped Kim’s son James.
DEPARTURE
After a decade of causing chaos, Kim left Emmerdale in 1999 as she fled in a helicopter with her son James and £190,000 of Chris Tate’s money.
LATER MARRIAGES
Upon Kim’s return in 2018, she was first revealed to be married to Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough).
However, he was later killed off in a whodunnit storyline.
She later pursued a relationship with her employee Will Taylor (Dean Andrews), marrying him in 2022.
Away from the group attempting to get to the truth, Joe Tate attempts to reassure Kim as she recovers, yet she accuses him of crocodile tears.
Yet who is really responsible for the poisoning?
And will Kim suffer any lasting effects?
Meanwhile, it could be that a sloppy error could expose the culprit.
In the aftermath of Erin Patterson’s mushroom crime, she was found to have dumped a key utensil in the murder plot.
CCTV footage released by the Supreme Court of Victoria at the time of the court case showed her discarding the kitchen device at a local tip just days after her in-laws were fatally poisoned.
Wearing a long coat and sunglasses, Erin was seen unloading the food dehydrator at the Koonwarra Transfer Station on August 2, 2023 – an apparent attempt to erase evidence linked to the deadly beef wellington meal.
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And in a chilling image also released by the court, the meal that left her family dying in agony was also laid out next to forensic evidence bags.
It showed plates containing remnants of the now-infamous dish – prepared and served by her in her Leongatha home.
