Emmerdale star 'threatened' by 'intense' viewers over dark storyline

One star has confessed they've been receiving some "intense" messages from viewers of the soap.

While he didn't specify if the "threats" were made in person or online, the star confessed his character's villainous ways had sparked quite the reaction. Joe Tate actor Ned Porteous has said fans are "enjoying" his dark storylines so much they're wasting no time in letting him know their thoughts.

But one character's fanbase in particular have been warning him not to mess with the villager, "threatening" him to leave them alone. Speaking to The and other press, Joe actor Ned revealed that his character's interference with his half-brother Noah Dingle has sparked quite the reaction.

Some of Joe's troubling actions include him staging a stabbing to steal his uncle Caleb Miligan's kidney, having an affair with Dawn Taylor and also trying to get to the bottom of Anthony Fox's murder. But one twisted scheme saw him have his brother drugged in secret so they could run tests to see if he was a match.

Noah was left abandoned post-drugging and had to be rushed to hospital. But the worst of it is that Noah staggered into the road, causing the limo crash that killed Amy Wyatt, Suzy Merton and Leyla Harding.

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Of all his grim actions, it seems his decision to target his brother Noah has caused the biggest uproar with some fans. Ned explained that he's received "threats" warning him to leave Noah alone, with the soap star confessing it was a little bit "intense".

But Ned sees it all as good fun, he revealed, adding that viewers were "lovely" and "really enjoying" the stuff onscreen. He explained: "Jack [Downham, who plays Noah] has a very powerful fanbase and I was threatened by quite a lot of them.

"I got a lot of 'You stay away from our Noah'. People are quite nice. The fans of the show are really quite lovely. They’re intense, but they all seem to be really enjoying it."

Ned described his soap alter ego as "complex", and was unable to answer whether he would want to be friends with the villain in real life. He said: "I think it’s more if he’d want to be friends with me. I’m not sure there’s anything I could offer him.

"He’s a very complex fella, I like to think, and I don’t think everybody really knows him very well. I think he gets a little bit lost, and feelings scare him. He can’t control that, it’s his weak spot."

With Joe set to feature in a whodunnit later this week his fate and exact details of what happens remain unknown. Ned did address whether or not Joe might be redeemable though if he was to survive.

He told us: "I’m not sure there’s too much charm and charisma you can give someone to get them to forgive you for all that. I’d like to think so."

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , , and .