Ruby buried alive in coffin in Emmerdale and loses air as Joe ‘collects his fourth kill’

Ruby buried alive in coffin in Emmerdale and loses air as Joe ‘collects his fourth kill’ | Soaps Reporter Published September 14, 2026 11:59pm Completely trapped (Picture: ITV) Bereaved Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) is out for bloody revenge. Not life-destroying revenge, not merely ‘I’ll make you suffer’ revenge. Cold, brutal, unashamedly evil revenge, and he’s starting with Ruby Milligan (Beth Cordingly), which in turn will get at Emmerdale’s Caleb Milligan (William Ash) too. Two birds with one stone, Joe’s nothing if not efficient! He blames Ruby and Caleb for Dawn’s (Olivia Bromley) death, despite the fact that had she actually gone through with their plan, she might still be alive. And surely, had she never believed them, more people would have been in the marquee at the time of the crash?! So in a roundabout way, maybe Ruby and Caleb saved lives that day. It’s thin, but we like it. Joe does not. That’s because Ruby and Caleb convinced Dawn she was marrying a violent madman (er…were they wrong?!) by spinning the yarn that Joe had been the one to knock Billy (Jay Kontzle) unconscious and leave him for dead. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Fearing for hers and her children’s safety, Dawn bought into the lie and accepted their offer to help them get out of the country. The Fox Milligans hadn’t banked on Dawn realising the truth and coming to her senses. As soon as she did, she ran straight back to the wedding marquee to plead for Joe’s forgiveness. But as all was forgiven, Jimmy’s (Nick Miles) car ploughed through, killing himself and eventually Dawn when the accident sent her into early labour and she died of a massive haemorrhage. The loss of Dawn has resurrected Joe of old. The cruel Joe who wants to hurt anyone he can. He initially barred the kids from attending their own mum’s funeral as a sign his vicious streak had reappeared. Joe wants to get revenge (Picture: ITV) He’s decided to give their nameless baby son up for adoption as his next act of callousness, and next up, he’s seeking extreme retribution for Dawn’s death. It’s the day of the funeral and Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) suspiciously arrives late. As Joe struggles with the eulogy, Kim Tate (Claire King) steps in and pays tribute to her dead stepdaughter, vowing that she will keep the family together. Family means nothing to Joe now, and he walks away. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. He also has bigger fish to fry – he has Ruby buried alive in a coffin. While Ruby is living everyone’s worst nightmare, Joe stands over a groggy Caleb and delights in telling him what’s to come. Caleb makes the horrifying discovery (Picture: ITV) He hints at the danger Ruby is in. Ruby wakes up in her hell, trying to fight her way out. There is no escape, and though she fights, it’s not long before the air starts to run out. Deals of the Day An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 A friend said I looked 'snatched' – I credit this new Charlotte Tilbury powder As a weakened Caleb tries to find out what Joe has done, he grabs a weapon only for Joe to laugh at his poor attempt at escape. He relishes in revealing Ruby’s fate and all Caleb can do is beg for his mercy. Joe is unmoved as he enjoys seeing Caleb suffer. Can Caleb change his mind or has Joe succeeded in making him feel the loss he feels? The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.