Newcomer Alexander Lincoln

Emmerdale newcomer Alexander Lincoln reveals all on playing Kim Tate's son Jamie

He'll be hitting our screens soon.

Emmerdale brings back Kim Tate's estranged son Jamie in a few weeks' time – and new cast member Alexander Lincoln has shared some early gossip with Digital Spy.

We were invited to an Emmerdale press event on the show's set in Leeds this week, where Alexander gave his first interview about taking over the role of Jamie.

Last seen as a toddler in Kim's exit episode in 1999, Jamie heads back to the village to take on a job at the local vets. He has no idea that Kim is out of prison, leading to an unhappy reunion for mother and son.

Here, Alexander reveals more about what we can expect.

What can you tell us about Jamie?

"Jamie is currently in his last year of vets school and he is estranged from his mum. He is more innocent and naive than Kim, and he doesn't want anything to do with her at first. You'll see that he stands his ground with Kim."

Is Jamie aware of the extent of Kim's evil ways?

"I don't think all of it, no, but he knows bits and pieces. Jamie knows how she manipulates things, but he hasn't been in the village and doesn't know everything that's been going on."

So why does he come back to the village?

"It's for the job at the vets he's been offered. At this point he thinks Kim is still in prison, but then finds out that she's not! Jamie is very easily manipulated by her, so he is brought back into the fold even though he doesn't want to be. She is his mum – and even when you're estranged from someone, you still want to have that relationship."

"No. Jamie sees Graham as an extension of Kim. As far as Jamie is concerned, Graham is just a paid-for butler. There is no real relationship there and no love lost."

Is Jamie single?

"He is. At this point, you will have to wait and see whether he gets a love interest. A couple of ladies take a shine to him. But Jamie is not in that mindset when he arrives – he's just trying to focus on working at the vets and winning people over. He's not thinking about getting involved with someone."

How does Jamie react when he first sees that Kim is around?

"Jamie is shocked. He doesn't expect to see Kim at all, as he thinks she's still in prison. Under the circumstances, it's pure shock and a bit of frustration as he wanted to start a new life. Admittedly that was back in the village, but he wanted to stay away from Kim's ways."

Is Jamie aware of the Tate family's legacy in the village?

"He's aware. It's hard to be in that village and not be! With Graham looking after him, they've had conversations and he knows little bits about it. He doesn't know the full extent, but he knows a bit about the legacy. Jamie doesn't like it because he's very different. He wants to distance himself entirely from the Tate name."

Which characters will Jamie be involved with?

"For the moment it's just at the vets generally and then trying to win everyone over. James comes into the lives of everyone, but at the moment it's just the vets really."

Does Jamie have to defend himself and insist he's nothing like his mum?

"Essentially yes – that's the one line I've said quite a few times! It's just about Jamie trying to distance himself from Kim. He doesn't want to be anything like her, he isn't anything like her and he wants everyone to know that."

Could he have the potential to be like her, though?

"Maybe, who knows? Maybe he'll go to prison at some point! That would be a little holiday! (Laughs.) I think with your parents, there's always certain character traits that you're going to come back to eventually. Whether he knows it or not, maybe he is manipulative in his own way, but it doesn't shine through."

Fans have been speculating about a possible romance for James and Debbie Dingle…

"So far as I know, there's nothing yet. I think it'd be interesting for Jamie. It will be interesting to see what route Jamie takes with relationships. I'm really clueless at the moment, so we'll have to see."

Does Jamie feel like the village is familiar?

"I wouldn't imagine he sees it as home, but he remembers snippets. I think it was just that the job vacancy came up and he saw an opportunity and wanted to go. He thought Kim was in prison so it seemed like a great opportunity, but then it turns out differently than he was expecting."

How has it been having Claire King to guide you through?

"Claire is lovely and the Emmerdale team are so wonderful. It's such a welcoming environment to come into. I was told at my induction that everyone is really nice and I was like: 'Everyone says that!' But genuinely, everyone is so lovely.

"To come into the family, you're welcomed straight away and Claire has been a massive help, holding my hand the whole way through."

Did you watch the show before?

"Yeah I did. I watched bits and pieces – obviously I knew of Kim and various other characters."

Are you pleased to be billed as the new village hunk?

"I didn't know I would be! (Laughs.) I didn't even know that was a possibility. But it's great. I'll take it, that's fine, absolutely! I've got a lot to live up to I think, but it's a great feeling."

What were you doing before Emmerdale?

"I've done a couple of feature films. At the time of auditioning for this, I was filming an LGBT rugby film.

"I got the call back for Emmerdale and I had been filming until 1am the night before, so I was knackered. I was like: 'Oh, I'm out of my depth already!' I didn't know my lines at all, I had my script with me and I was sweating away, nervous. I owe it to Claire for walking me through and [Emmerdale director] Tim O'Mara, who directed the audition scene.

"So prior to Emmerdale, I'd done a couple of feature films, one being a coming of age drama set in the Cotswolds where I played a bully, which was really fun, and then this LGBT rugby film which was great fun to do too."

Do you have any actors in the family?

"No, we're all attention seekers but no-one thought to do it as a career really! I only fell into it because we started a film company and then they wanted a free actor. I said I'd do it for free and then it went from there. Everyone's quite creative in our family, but no-one's in the acting game."

How long have you had to keep the Emmerdale role a secret?

"About a month and a half. I wanted to tell everyone, but I couldn't. Best friends and family was basically it, but now it's all out there."

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.