Carl Thomas King is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Tom Lister.

storyline, which he ultimately confessed to his brothers Jimmy (Nick Miles) and Matthew (Matt Healy) on the show's 500th village anniversary episode – after the trio were acquitted for their father's murder; formed a romance with DCI Grace Barraclough (Glynis Barber), the policewoman investigating his father's murder, that culminated with her being killed in a hit and run – just as she prepared to take Carl into custody after he admitted to killing his father; sparked a business conflict with Matthew that concluded with the latter's death, after Carl ruined Matthew's ill-fated wedding to his business partner Anna De Souza (Emma Davies) by exposing his involvement behind the death of her father Donald (Michael Jayston); developed a feud with Chas' niece Debbie (Charley Webb) upon clashing with her parents, Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Charity (Emma Atkins), respectively; embarked on a failed marriage with Lexi Nicholls (Sally Oliver); and became archenemies with Debbie's ex-boyfriend Cameron Murray (Dominic Power) after discovering his affair with Chas and subsequently blackmailing the pair in repaying him the £30,000 that Chas previously swindled from his bank account.

This involved Carl fighting with Jimmy over their problematic brotherhood; spoiling Chas' wedding to her fiance Dan Spencer (Liam Fox); and then nearly raping her after she rejects his efforts to recoup their broken relationship, up to the point where he confesses to killing his father for her.

In January 2004, The Sun announced that Emmerdale would bring in "four new single 'hunks'" who are all brothers in an attempt to increase the sex appeal of the serial.

He's also commitment phobic, and despite apparently finding his perfect match in Chas, his eyes wandered onto Eve and he wrecked what could have been a beautiful relationship.

[4] Lister told Kris Green of Digital Spy that Carl enters the relationship with the best intentions instead of "wishing he was with Chas all the time" who will always be in the "background".

Pargeter explained that "Chas is completely screwed up by the revelation" and is "desperate to get things back on track with Carl, but she's got Aaron to contend with.

Lister explained that his character decides to be "sensible" by putting some distance between Eve and himself as he does not want to mess up again after his "disaster" of a marriage to Lexi.

Louise slaps Carl and goes home so he moves into Holdgate Farm with his family but is "persuaded" to do some repairs to the roof, despite his fear of heights.

Local postman, Paul Marsden (Matthew Booth) helps him and seeing his nerves about heights, starts teasing him and mucking about but stretches too far and falls, dying instantly.

Not wanting people to know they were involved, Carl and his brothers, Jimmy (Nick Miles) and Matthew (Matt Healy), move his body to the back garden of the cottage Paul shared with his wife, Siobhan (Abigail Fisher).

Meanwhile, Carl bonds with Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) over feeling like they're bad parents for abandoning their children and tells her about Paul's death.

They start dating but the relationship is rocky and during one break, Carl has a one-night stand with Chloe Atkinson (Amy Nuttall).

She starts a campaign of poison pen letters and undermines Chas's trust in Carl, succeeding in her aim so he reconciles with Chloe but soon tires of her and tries to end it.

Tensions erupt when Matthew and Jimmy's ex-wife, Sadie King (Patsy Kensit), declare their feelings for each other, move into Victoria Cottage and start a rival company.

Chas, however, encouraged by her cousin, Eli Dingle (Joseph Gilgun), tells Carl the truth on Tom and Rosemary's wedding day.

The brothers are stunned to learn that they have a half-sister, Scarlett (Kelsey-Beth Crossley), daughter of their mother's nurse, Carrie Nicholls (Linda Lusardi).

However, on his return, Carl deliberately gets arrested for drink driving so he can see Grace and tells her that he killed Tom and decides to confess.

Donald De Souza (Michael Jayston) appoints Carl MD of his business, disappointing his daughter, Anna (Emma Davies).

Carl is saddened when he hears that Donald has died and Matthew admits causing his death by refusing to give him his heart medication.

Carl realises his only assets are Mill Cottage and a mortgage he gave Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) and begins pressuring her for money.

He meets Chas and she insists she has moved on so he marries Lexi but is furious when he learns she has stopped taking precautions without consulting him.

Later, after a nurse gives baby Angelica to Lexi while Nicola is in the shower, she takes her up on to the roof, simply wanting to show her the world.

However, seeing Lexi sitting on the roof with baby Angelica makes Jimmy, Nicola and Carl panic that she is going to jump.

Nicola insists Carl move out of Mill Cottage and he reconciles with Chas again after telling her partner, Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), about their affair.

Carl becomes bitter towards Chas for stealing his money and is accused of starting a fire near her house, which engulfs the village and kills Terry Woods (Billy Hartman) and Viv Hope (Deena Payne).

He and Chas have a one-night stand months later and he comforts her when her son, Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller), is charged with murder.

[16][17] On Digital Spy's 2012 end of year reader poll, Lister was nominated for "Best Male Soap Actor" and came fifth with 7.0% of the vote.

Carl absolutely cannot and will not stop marrying these awful women until he's living in the back of a Land Rover heating up Heinz London Grill with a lighter his wife's lawyer owns half of.

But decent villains are priceless: at the moment, it’s hard to see who deserves to inherit the mighty Carl King’s crown".