One of Emmerdale’s biggest characters dead as star makes most horrifying exit

It’s the end of an era (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) This article contains spoilers for tonight’s (Thursday, August 27) Emmerdale, which has not yet aired on TV but is available to watch now on YouTube and ITVX. We knew it was coming, but that hasn’t made tonight’s Emmerdale death any less heartbreaking. What was supposed to be a week of joy as Dawn Taylor and Joe Tate (Olivia Bromley and Ned Porteous) tied the knot in a glamorous ceremony turned into a nightmare pretty much from the outset. While Joe anticipated finally getting the fresh start he’d worked hard for, he had no idea that beloved fiancée Dawn planned to run away with Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) and the kids. It wasn’t until Dawn was on the road that Joe found out the truth, with smug Caleb Miligan (William Ash) explaining his revenge plan evil-villain-style in the Woolpack. However, Caleb hadn’t anticipated Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) getting to Dawn first and planting seeds of doubt in her mind that Joe was really behind Billy’s attack. Dawn Taylor returned to the marquee before tragedy struck (Picture: ITV) Dawn had it out with Billy on the side of the road and finally got him to admit the truth that Joe was innocent. Devastated, Dawn headed to the marquee in her wedding dress to make amends with Joe, but tragedy struck when Jimmy King’s (Nick Miles) car ploughed into the tent. In tonight’s episode, Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) stumbled across the accident on her bike, and was horrified to find Jimmy trapped inside his car. Jimmy King was killed off in dramatic scenes (Picture: ITV) Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. It quickly dawned on both of them that Jimmy wouldn’t be able to get out, so Nicola climbed into the car beside him and listened as he revealed his plans for them to renew their wedding vows. As he presented her with an eternity ring, a magical dream sequence showed us what the future could have held for the legendary couple as they exchanged their vows and danced together. Then, tragically, it was all ripped away as we were dropped back into the present, where Jimmy had breathed his last. Will Joe Tate make it out alive? (Picture: ITV) This may not be the last Emmerdale death this dramatic week holds, as it wasn’t long before sparks from the electrics and petrol from the car came together in a deadly combination. While Dawn and Nicola managed to escape the marquee, they had no choice but to leave Joe behind, who was trapped under fallen debris. As further villagers arrived on the scene, Graham rushed toward the tent in an attempt to save Joe, but before he could get close, an explosion sent him flying back. Deals of the Day Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them Simba's cooling mattresses are now up to 30% off ahead of the bank holiday The best hosepipe ban-friendly products to protect your garden this summer Has Emmerdale just killed off two characters in one episode? Or will Joe somehow make it out alive? Arrow MORE: Who dies in Emmerdale explosion? Big spoilers confirm what happens next Arrow MORE: Is Jimmy leaving Emmerdale and does he die? Arrow MORE: Is Dawn leaving Emmerdale? Latest on Olivia Bromley’s potential exit storyline The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.