How do Graham and Jodie know each other?

Forget Ray’s murder for a moment, what Emmerdale fans are really chewing over is Graham Foster and the mystery girl he’s been driving around with tied up in the back of his van, Jodie.

Thursday night (January 22) ended with Graham failing to finish Ray off, jumping back into his van and calmly telling Jodie they were on their way. No explanation. No answers. Just more questions. And viewers are desperate to know exactly how these two are connected.
During Corriedale Graham returned (Credit: ITV)

Graham Foster’s Emmerdale comeback

Graham first appeared back on screens during Corriedale, and he made quite the entrance. He was seen with Jodie tied up in the back of his van, before the chaos of the crash allowed her to escape into the woods.

Graham failed to find her and was later heard on the phone telling someone the job was off, the contract was terminated and he had other priorities now.

This week’s flashbacks have filled in what led up to that moment. Graham, presumed dead for six years, returned to the village after learning Rhona was in trouble. He already knew about Ray and Celia, knew April was involved and believed he could help.

He explained he’d learned all this through his current line of work, solving problems the police can’t. Graham said he’d been hired by a powerful man with links to Emmerdale, which is how April’s name came up. But he claimed he pulled out when he realised the business involved drugs and human trafficking.

Except Jodie was still bound in the back of his van. So was Graham telling the full truth, or is there more going on between them?
Graham told Jodie it was time to go (Credit: ITV)

Graham leaves Emmerdale village with Jodie

After promising Rhona he would deal with Ray and not leave him alive, Graham confronted Ray in the street and dragged him into the village hall. He beat him viciously and was clearly ready to finish the job.

But Joe Tate overheard the noise and went inside, forcing Graham to hide and then flee before he could be seen. Ray survived.

Soon after, Graham received a call from Rhona telling him to stand down. With that, he turned to a figure under a blanket in the back of his van and said: “Right, let’s get on the road, Jodie.”

That moment links directly back to Corriedale.

Jodie in Coronation Street

Over in Coronation Street, Jodie was revealed to be the sister of Shona Platt. She claimed Graham was her abusive ex-boyfriend, alleging he attacked her while she was pregnant, causing her to lose the baby.

But viewers later learned that wasn’t her story at all. Jodie had attended a domestic abuse survivors’ support group and was repeating another woman’s experience as if it were her own.

So if Graham isn’t her abusive ex, what exactly is his role in her life?
What does Graham know about Jodie? (Credit: ITV)

Fan theories on Jodie and Graham’s connection

Fans have been busy piecing it all together, with one popular theory suggesting Graham could actually be Jodie and Shona’s dad.

“I’m wondering if Graham from Emmerdale is the father of Shona and Jodie from Corrie!” one viewer wrote. Another declared: “OMG Graham is Shona and Jodie’s dad.” A third added: “It’s gonna turn out that Shona and Jodie are Graham from Emmerdale’s daughters, isn’t it?”

Others aren’t convinced, pointing out that tying someone up doesn’t exactly scream long lost father. Some think Jodie’s original story could still hold weight.

“I said about a week ago Graham may have been an ex or partner of Jodie,” one fan said. Another asked: “So Jodie’s abusive ex is maybe Graham?”

But not everyone buys that either. “Graham’s not like that,” one viewer argued, unless it was done for someone’s safety.

There’s also speculation this all links back to his mysterious work. Some fans believe Jodie and Graham were both connected to Ray and Celia’s operation, possibly with Graham acting as muscle or retrieval for those trying to escape.

“A brill twist would be if Graham turns out to have been Celia’s muscle, retrieving runaway slaves,” one fan suggested, with others agreeing that Ray and Celia couldn’t have been running everything alone.

For now, Emmerdale is keeping its cards close as the focus shifts to Graham adjusting to life back in the Dales. But viewers are hoping answers aren’t too far off, because this mystery isn’t going away quietly.