Overview
- A broadcast episode on Monday revealed a new paternity storyline that has prompted a search for a long‑absent 1990s character.
- ITV has confirmed Paul Opacic will reprise Steve Marchant and the show says upcoming episodes will show him being drawn back to the village.
- Thea Ramsden, the detective at the centre of the plot, uses a solicitor ruse to contact Steve as part of her effort to uncover her parentage.
- Producers and Opacic stress a romantic reunion with Kim Tate is unlikely while they leave open whether a father–daughter relationship can develop.
- Steve’s return brings back his 1990s history of criminal plots, a framing and a long prison sentence, setting new stakes for investigations and family conflict on the soap.