“ | "I'll never forgive you for as long as I live, and I'll hate you even longer! I'll despise you for eternity. So... I propose a toast, to the death of our marriage!". | „ |
~ Chris Tate moments before he kills himself to frame his third ex-wife Charity Dingle for mariticide as revenge for her affair with her cousin and his love rival Cain Dingle. |
Chris Tate is a fictional character of the British soap opera Emmerdale.
He first appeared in 1989 and started out as one of the show's major protagonists throughout 1990-1993. Following the infamous Emmerdale plane crash scenario in between 1993-1994, Chris developed a villainous streak and became the show's central antagonist for the rest of his duration up until his eventual departure in September 2003.
Chris Tate was portrayed by Peter Amory.
History
Chris Tate first appeared in 1989 as the son of businessman Frank Tate, brother of Zoe, and stepson of Kim.
Initially, Chris was a good man who ran his business fairly, but was left permanently resentful of his life when he was maimed in a plane crash in 1993, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.
The character then became much more jaded and bitter, often using his intelligence and assets to exact revenge on those he perceived to have hurt him. The resulting disabilities he was left with made him realize that his wife Kathy only remained with him to fulfill the role of his career, leading to their divorce. He went on to marry Rachel Hughes in 1995, but his growing lust for money and indifference for everyone else's feelings lead to marital breakdown and divorce.
Chris then married former prostitute Charity Dingle in 2001, despite a 12-year age gap and the disapproval of Zoe. However, their relationship deteriorated due to Charity's selfishness and it wasn't until her affair with cousin Cain Dingle and the revelation that the duo conceived a daughter - Debbie Dingle - became the final straw. In addition, Chris had meanwhile learned he had an inoperable brain tumor following his past confrontation with Kim. Rather than wait to die, Chris decided to use this opportunity to exact revenge on Charity.
Chris was horrified when his lesbian sister Zoe fell pregnant. Scott Windsor was revealed to be the father and his ignited a feud between Scott and Chris, as Chris believed Scott had raped Zoe. Chris paid to have Scott's garage torched and hired a prostitute to set Scott up and make a rape allegation against him. Zoe got the charges dropped when Scott signed over his rights to their daughter.
After ensuring Charity would be left with nothing, he manipulated her into seeing him at Home Farm under a false belief that the duo could have hope of restarting their marriage. In his last words, Chris insultingly disowned Charity before drinking a toast to "the death of their marriage". Taking the drink, it turned out to be poison when Chris suddenly collapsed and died in front of his treacherous wife. As he dies, Chris calls Charity a "whore" before succumbing to the poison.
It became clear that Chris had intentionally committed suicide and had sought to frame Charity for his murder, which appeared successful when she was arrested and later found guilty of the crime.
Soap Opera Villains |
EastEnders Aaron | Abi | Abs | Adam | Ahmet | Alanagh | Alan | Alex | Alfie | Al | Ali | Johnny Allen | Ruby Allen | Allen's unnamed henchmen | DCI Alsworth | Andy | Anne | Gray Atkins | Wilfred Atkins | Jeff Atkinson | Simon Atmore | Tom Bailey | Keegan Baker | Sadie Banks | Barnsey Barnes | Adam Bateman | Terry Bates | Viv Bates | Bobby Beale | Cindy Beale | Ian Beale | Lucy Beale | Steven Beale | Polly Becker | Beresford | Biggie | Bijan | Unnamed Blackmailer | Oz Bolat | Abi Branning | Derek Branning | Max Branning | Suzy Branning | Mr Bremner | Dougie Briggs | Kim Brooks | James Willmott-Brown | Hugo Browning | Luke Browning | Elliot Brownlow | Bruno | Unnamed Bully | Bunhead | Bunty | Frank Butcher | Janine Butcher | Lewis Butler | Frankie Byrne | Cahill | Cahill's unnamed hitman | Sarah Cairns | Cal | Edwin Caldecott | Campbell | Carlos | Carter | Tony Cattani | Cal Childs | Chris | Little Chris | Marcus Christie | Matt Clarkson | Clem | Clive | Cliff | Cody | Richard Cole | Preston Cooper | Corley | Charles Cotton | Dotty Cotton | Nick Cotton | Tom Cotton | Jason Cox | Stella Crawford | Neil Crossley | Vic Crusher | Jack Dalton | Dalton's unnamed henchman | Danny | Darien | Daryl | Dave | Davey | David | Dee | Derek | Derrick | Alexandra D'Costa | Madison Drake | Craig Dixon | Dermott Dolan | Don | Dougie | Roxy Drake | Marcus Duffy | Victor Duke | Saskia Duncan | Dylan | Eddie | Tom Eden | Erica | Craig Erskine | Nigel Fenshaw | Ferne | Frankie Finnerty | Jono Finnerty | Lee Finnerty | Ann Fletcher | Ross Fletcher | Flo | Pauline Fowler | Gray Foster | Joanne Francis | Frank | Franks | Frankie | Vinnie Franks | Freddie | Mitch Gannon | Gary | George | Sandy Gibson | Graeme | Tommy Grant | Rob Grayson | Camilla Greenwood | Ranveer Gulati | Ravi Gulati | Gummy | Vincent Le Haine | Danny Hardcastle | Cody Harris | Johnny Harris | Heavy | Christine Hewitt | Greg Hewitt | John Hewland | Nina Hewland | Henry | Jonno Highway | Stuart Highway | Nick Holland | Howard | Claudette Hubbard | Vincent Hubbard | Angel Hudson | Hudson's unnamed henchman | Neil Hughes | Andy Hunter | Hunter's unnamed henchmen | Isaacs | JJ | Jacs | Jake | James | Jason James | Sam James | Jason | Jerry | Jez | John | Ernie Johnson | Jordan Johnson | Lucas Johnson | Vince Johnson | Jordan | Joseph | Kane | Aflie Kane | Charlie Keating | Kelly | Ray Kelly | Stuart Kendle | Kerry | Kevin | Yusef Khan | Leo King | Tony King | Kylie | Johnny Lee | Leigh | Lenny | Lenney | Katy Lewis | Lillan | Lisha | Bob Lister | Donna Ludlow | Joe Macer | Tosh Mackintosh | Aidan Maguire | Ciara Maguire | Caleb Malone | Gregory Mantel | Marco | Mark | Nyangi Marwa | Billy Mason | Henry Mason | Steve Masters | Matty | Bird Meadows | Trent Meadows | Mervyn | Demetrius Michaledes | Mickey | Midge | Mike | Mikey | Alan Mills | Milo | Archie Mitchell | Ben Mitchell | Billy Mitchell | Carla Mitchell | Eric Mitchell | Glenda Mitchell | Grant Mitchell | Phil Mitchell | Phillip Mitchell | Aaron Monroe | Danny Moon | Jake Moon | Michael Moon | Trevor Morgan | Geoff Morton | Spike Murphy | Nathan | Neil | Neill | Glenn Neyland | Ellie Nixon | Ollie | Mehmet Osman | Barbara Owen | Hunter Owen | Jackie Owen | Mel Owen | Steve Owen | Oxley | Annie Palmer | George Palmer | Jags Panesar | Kheerat Panesar | Suki Panesar | Vinny Panesar | Apostolos Papadopolous | Danny Pennant | Pete | Petey | George Peters | Fraser Philips | Frankie Pierre | Piers | Pogo | Queenie Price | Reg Priest | Unnamed prisoner | Annie Pritchard | Martinia Quinn | Jagger Rawley | Garry Rawlings | Ray | Raymond | Terry Raymond | Stix Redman | Mike Rendon | Rennie | Renzo | Dennis Rickman | Denny Rickman Jr. | Ricky | Felix Riley | Robert | Darren Roberts | Ron | Willy Roper | Matthew Rose | Rowly | Eddie Royle | Mandy Salter | Stas Saunders | Charlie Savage | Jesper Scanlon | Sean | Qadim Shah | Shane | Gavin Sharp | Shayne | Fraser Shelton | Jan Sherwood | Sia | Sid | Simmo | Lydia Simmonds | Simon | Paul Skeggs | Dougie Slade | Bev Slater | Harry Slater | Hayley Slater | Sean Slater | Alexa Smith | Babe Smith | Trevor Smith | Nikki Spraggan | Spud | Connor Stanley | Evie Steele | Keith Steer | Lorraine Stevens | Mark Stone | Richie Stringer | Stringer's unnamed henchman | Dan Sullivan | Gavin Sullivan | Mike Swann | Becca Swanson | Ross Swindeon | Tasha | Mrs Taylor | Ray Taylor | Tayo | Tegs Teague | Tina Teague | Tessa | Tez | DI Steve Thompson | Tommy | Rob Topp | Timmy Tropics | Queenie Trott | Michaela Turnbull | Owen Turner | Tyler | Clare Tyler | Jonah Tyler | Liam Tyler | Unnamed abusive father | Unnamed Thief | John Valecue | Aubrey Valentine | Richard Vance | Vicky | Vince | Vincent | Mr. Vinnicombe | Vinnie | Vix | Waldoch | Chinese Walter | Donny Ward | Unnamed Prison Warden | Warren | Mr. Waters | George Watson | Chrissie Watts | Den Watts | Adam White | Carl White | Nora White | Brian Wicks | Dean Wicks | Gareth Wiley | Wilf | Rob Wilkins | Brad Williams | Nathan Williams | Jack Woodman | Harry Woodward | May Wright | Mr. X | Mr. Y | Unnamed Youth | Dan Zappieri | Ziggy
|
Trivia
- Peter Amory (the actor who played Chris Tate) was nominated for several awards over his character performance and it's contribution to some of the show's high-profiled storylines.
- Chris Tate is considered the first major "bad boy" of Emmerdale.