Frank Tate (Emmerdale)

Frank Tate
Norman Bowler as Frank Tate (1997)
Emmerdale character
Portrayed by	Norman Bowler
Duration	1989–1997
First appearance	21 November 1989
Last appearance	27 May 1997
Introduced by	Stuart Doughty
Classification	Former; regular
Profile
Occupation	Businessman
Family Tate Wife Jean Tate, Sr. (until 1984) Kim Barker (1986–1993, 1994–1997) Sons Liam Hammond Chris Tate James Tate Daughters Zoe Tate Grandsons Joseph Tate Noah Sharma Granddaughters Jean Tate

Francis Ronald "Frank" Tate is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Norman Bowler.

Businessman Frank Tate arrived in Emmerdale in November 1989. He was born on 1 October 1937. As patriarch of the Tate family, he arrived with his second wife Kim, son Chris and daughter Zoe. Frank had previously married been married to Jean, who died in 1984. It was later revealed that Kim, who had started off as Frank's secretary, had an affair with Frank while Jean was dying of cancer.

Frank, having made his fortune in haulage, and Kim bought Home Farm along with all the land belonging to it. The two continued to run Tate Haulage along with Chris. Frank and Kim's married life was shattered in 1992 when Kim had an affair with gamekeeper Neil Kinkaid. Frank subsequently threw her out and they divorced. Frank was deeply affected by his separation from Kim, and turned to alcoholism to drown his sorrows. In 1993, Frank was deemed a hero during the plane crash that rocked Emmerdale in December that year when he helped local farmer Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) rebuild the bridge that had been demolished by the crash and let emergency services across. During the plane crash, Frank withheld Kim from running into her burning stables to rescue her horses. Frank and Kim soon reconciled and they remarried in 1994.

With his life back on track Frank stopped drinking and he and Kim enjoyed their remarriage. However, in 1996, Home Farm employee Dave Glover soon caught Kim's eye, and they began an affair. Frank hired a spy to watch over Kim and Dave, and eventually caught them in bed together, uttering the line "What do you call this Dave - overtime?". Kim later discovered she was pregnant and gave birth to baby James in September 1996. Frank paid Kim £1 million to name the baby as his, although Frank was eventually revealed to be James's biological father. Dave died on Boxing Day 1996 while rescuing baby James from a fire.

In 1997, Kim took her next plot against Frank by faking her own death, subsequently getting Frank wrongfully imprisoned for her murder. After Frank was released from prison however, Kim shocked him by turning up on his doorstep on 22 May 1997. Kim revealed that the woman who had in fact been killed was a double, and, after a heated argument, Frank suffered a massive heart attack. As Frank lay dying on the floor, Kim uttered the last words he ever heard, which were "You're a dinosaur Frank, and we all know what happened to them". Frank was discovered by his daughter Zoe the morning after, and with his last breath, he tried to tell her of Kim's return, but suddenly died and the true circumstances of his death were never exposed.