seems to have revealed the identity of Kim Tate's new love interest, and it's not who you'd expect.

Kim, portrayed by Claire King, has been a mainstay on the popular soap since 1989, playing a key role in numerous major storylines as the village's femme fatale.

Her time in the Dales has been filled with drama, from her various feuds to even faking her own death. Her romantic entanglements, including her affair and marriage to Frank Tate (Norman Bowler) and her recent relationship with Will Taylor (Dean Andrews), have often been the subject of village gossip.

However, Kim was left devastated at Christmas when her husband Will passed away. Viewers will remember that their relationship was tumultuous throughout last year, with the pair frequently attempting to undermine each other.

Despite this, they managed to rekindle their romance and renewed their vows on Christmas Day, only for Will to tragically die of a heart attack later.

Since then, Kim has tried to move on, immersing herself in work. But fans can't help but speculate that the ITV soap has hinted at who might be Kim's next romantic partner, reports Leicestershire Live.

Newcomer Kammy (Shebz Miah) made his first appearance last week, quickly causing a stir when it was revealed he had been stealing items from local farms.

In a dramatic twist, Emmerdale's savvy Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) and Ross Barton (Mike Parr) stumbled upon Kammy engaging in a shady plan, which originally aimed at nabbing a tractor from Kim's Home Farm. The plot took an unexpected turn when Kammy mistakenly snatched Kim's horse, leaving Ross to deal with the fallout as he attempted to return the animal.

The situation escalated when Kim caught Ross red-handed, gun in tow, looking for clarity. Skilfully wriggling out of trouble, Ross turned the tables, charming Kim into offering him a job as Home Farm's new security man.

The chemistry didn't stop there. Buzz among fans has hit fever pitch, with viewers forecasting a hot new romance brewing between Kim and Ross.

"Kim and Ross the new power couple? ... I think so!" a fan prognosticated on an Emmerdale Facebook group. Support for the potential pairing flowed freely, with another commenter affirming, "Actually want this. I've said it for a while as well." A third supporter echoed the sentiment: "I think so too."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm