Is Thomas King returning to Emmerdale?

The character is poised to make an unexpected comeback after a decade away (via The Sun) with actor James Chase in the role. While it isn't clear at present what might have brought Tom back to Emmerdale, his reunion with Belle, his uncle Jimmy (Nick Miles) and Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), who he stalked in the past, promises to be explosive.

Who is Thomas King?

Introduced in 2004, Thomas King Jr is the son of Carl (Tom Lister) and Colleen King (Melanie Ash) and the brother of Anya (then played by Ceryen Dean).

He and his sister had a tumultuous family life following their parents' divorce and Colleen's decision to move to Saudi Arabia with them. Despite living abroad, Tom and Anya often returned to see their father in the village.

When Carl was murdered in 2012, Thomas and Anya came back to the village to attend the funeral, staying with their uncle Jimmy and his wife Nicola (Nicola Wheeler). Then, Thomas learned Carl's ex-fiancée Chas was thought to be responsible for his dad's death after he tried to rape her.

Thomas relocated to the Dales in 2013. He was revealed to have been stalking Chas, who he believed was his father's murderer. Chas, then in a relationship with the real killer Cameron Murray (Dominic Power), had been receiving anonymous calls at The Woolpack as well as creepy photographs of her and Carl with their eyes scratched out.

After he was caught out whilst he was defacing the pub's living room, Thomas begged Jimmy to let him stay, telling his uncle that his mother didn't care for him. Jimmy caved, offering the teen a job.

But Thomas's revenge against Chas didn't stop there. He manipulated Sean Spencer (Luke Roskell), convincing him Chas had been talking about his father Dan (Liam Fox) behind his back, with his brainwashing resulting in Sean throwing a brick through the pub's window, only just missing Chas.

Thomas and Sean continue being involved in petty crimes, with the former catching the eye of Belle Dingle. The two embarked in a relationship despite their respective families' disapproval, planning on leaving the village together in Dan's stolen camper van.

What happened to Thomas King?

Thomas and Belle's plan to escape didn't get them very far.

Belle's mother Lisa (Jane Cox), worried that Thomas could attack her daughter like his father did with Chas, called the police.

Meanwhile, Thomas had a change of heart and drove back to Emmerdale. Once back in the village, a devastated Jimmy arrange for the teen to be sent to Saudi Arabia. Nicolas noticed how sad he was over seeing his nephew leave, possibly for good, and she asked Thomas to stay.

The teen then went to see Belle, who blamed their ruined relationship on her parents, confessing Thomas how much she hated them. Feeling guilty, Thomas stole Dan's van again and headed for the airport. After the vehicle was found, Jimmy phoned Colleen in Saudi Arabia, who told him Thomas was there with her.

Who played Thomas King?

The role of Thomas was originated by Jack Ferguson, who portrayed the character between 2004 and 2007.

In 2009, Connor Hill took over the role for a year, while Mark Flanagan played the troubled teen in 2012 and 2013.

Now James Chase has reportedly been cast as the adult version of Thomas.

ITV had no additional comment on the character's return.

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Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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