Emmerdale icon ‘to return’ 14 years after getting k.i.l.l.e.d off – and Bob Hope will be floored
Emmerdale fans are convinced that a legend who was k.i.l.l.e.d off years ago could be set for a return from the d.e.a.d
Emmerdale viewers are buzzing with speculation about the potential return of a beloved character they believe may have “faked her own d.e.a.t.h”.
Viv Hope, portrayed by Deena Payne, first graced the screen in 1993 and quickly cemented herself as a fan favourite. Over the years, Viv featured in an impressive 2,037 episodes, leaving her mark on the soap’s history.
Her journey was filled with memorable plotlines, from a stint behind bars to her tumultuous love life, ensuring that Viv’s presence in the Dales was anything but dull.
She is also well-remembered for her marriage to Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw) and being the mother to Cathy (Gabrielle Dowling) and Heath (Sebastian Dowling) Hope.
Tragically, after 18 years on the show, Viv’s character met her demise in the devastating Post Office explosion of 2011, which also claimed the life of Terry Woods (Billy Hartman), reports Leicestershire Live.
However, fans are now theorising that Viv might make a dramatic return, suspecting that she “faked her d.e.a.t.h”.
A post on an Emmerdale Facebook fan page sparked the conversation: “Soaps love to have characters miraculously survive their d.e.a.t.h.s. So, who do you think it’s possible for them to bring back, and how could they do it?”.
Eager fans took to the comments to suggest that Viv could have staged her own d.e.a.t.h, possibly due to the shady history of her ex-husband Reg Dawson (Niven Boyd), who was the father of her child Scott Windsor (originally Toby Cockerell, later Ben Freeman).
Reg left Viv and young Scott early on and was introduced to viewers in May 1994, only to be k.i.l.l.e.d off by the end of the year.
One eagle-eyed viewer remarked: “Viv! Her body was sent to London for Kelly, Scott and Donna to bury, so we never actually saw her funeral…,” noting the absence of a key scene. Another fan concurred: “I did think it was strange that her funeral wasn’t shown on screen.”
Jumping in with speculation, a third added: “Yes to Viv! Maybe she faked her d.e.a.t.h because Reg Dawson’s old gangster mates found out about some cash he stashed away and wanted to come after her.”
This prompted another fan to endorse the conjecture, exclaiming: “This is an excellent theory!”
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm
