Zoe Tate is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Leah Bracknell. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 December 1989. Zoe was involved in many major storylines during her time on the soap, including the deaths of her father Frank (Norman Bowler) and brother Chris (Peter Amory), the betrayal and departure of her stepmother Kim (Claire King), coming out as lesbian and a battle with schizophrenia. Zoe became the first lesbian character in a British soap opera when she came out in 1993. She departed on 22 September 2005. At the time of her departure, she was the longest-running female character in the programme, and the fourth longest in the show, after Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby), Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) and Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell).

Two years after graduating from the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and having only done theatre and commercial work, Bracknell was cast in the role of Zoe. Bracknell initially signed a nine-month contract and she thought that was how long the job would last. She also stated: "I'd only ever been to Leeds once before, and I'd never really watched Emmerdale. It was strange, going from the dole with no money, to having a proper job." Bracknell made her first appearance as Zoe on 12 December 1989.

In March 2005, Bracknell announced she was to leave Emmerdale. A reporter for the BBC said she would leave in the autumn following a dramatic storyline involving Zoe. Bracknell said "I am looking forward to spending some time with my family and having the opportunity to pursue other projects. I will also be finishing my teaching diploma in yoga which is something I am passionate about." Series producer Kath Beedles said she wished Bracknell all the best for the future. Beedles added that Bracknell had made "a huge contribution to Emmerdale's ongoing success." Despite initial reports that it was to be a temporary break, Bracknell never returned to Emmerdale she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2016. The actress died in September 2019.

Zoe arrived in the village a month after her father, Frank (Norman Bowler), stepmother Kim (Claire King) and brother Chris (Peter Amory) moved into Home Farm. Chris and Zoe's mother, Jean, died of cancer. Originally studying to be a veterinary surgeon, Zoe later started a veterinary practice in Emmerdale. In his 2002 book, 30 Years of Emmerdale, Lance Parkin noted that Zoe stuck up for what she believed in and was committed to animal rights and welfare.

Parkin described Zoe as "charitable and reasonable compared with the other Tates". He said while Zoe had a romantic streak, she also had a dark side, which often saw her become moody and angry. Bracknell said of her character in 2005: "She was very unpredictable which I liked. She wasn't a victim but she had lots of problems to deal with and at the same time she could be very Tate-like, ruthless and sometimes violent."

In early 1993, Zoe decided that she wanted more from her friendship with Archie Brooks (Tony Pitts), and the two later began a relationship. Zoe struggled to deal with the physical aspect of their relationship and she realised that she was a lesbian. Inside Soap's Richard Arnold commented that apart from a one-night stand with Michael Feldmann (Matthew Vaughan) and an older man, Patrick (Paul Darrow), who she once brought home for Christmas, Zoe did not have much experience with men and the mystery behind that had finally been revealed. Bracknell explained that Zoe was not aware of her sexuality when she decided to have sex with Archie and said "Zoe wanted to sleep with Archie to put her fears to rest but she didn't do it to prove anything. She didn't count out the possibility that it could all work out with him." Bracknell added that Archie would be gutted by the news, but Zoe would want to remain his friend. Bracknell thought Zoe's sexuality would be "a big hurdle to cross" with her family, especially with Frank who Zoe was very close to. Arnold reported that Zoe's bad luck with men was one reason why the show's producers felt the storyline could work for the character. He added that lesbianism had not been tackled before in a British soap. Of how the storyline unfolds, Bracknell explained "Zoe is quite feminine and not the obvious media stereotype of a lesbian, but the writers aren't taking any sort of moral stance. This is something that Zoe discovers gradually and it will be dealt with constructively, emotionally and positively."

Zoe was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2002. According to Bracknell, this was the Emmerdale storyline she was most proud of portraying, "[b]ecause it dealt with a particular area of mental health and we did it over a relatively long period of time – about ten months – so there was a lot of research involved and the story was ongoing and changing. We had to get the nuts and bolts right and also it wasn't just about how it affected her [Zoe] but also the effect on her family."

Zoe's family move to Beckindale, while she is at university studying to be a veterinary surgeon. Following her graduation, Zoe also moves to the village and finds employment at a surgery in Hotten. Zoe helps deliver Elsa Feldmann's (Naomi Lewis) baby and she becomes involved in a protest march for animal rights. Zoe leaves the village when she gets a job as a flying vet in New Zealand. She returns the following year and helps Frank with his drinking problem, which he developed during the breakdown of his marriage to Kim. Zoe has a one-night stand with Elsa's brother, Michael (Matthew Vaughan), and a fling with Archie Brooks (Tony Pitts). Zoe eventually tells Archie that she is gay. Zoe meets interior designer Emma Nightingale (Rachel Ambler) and they begin a relationship. Zoe is almost raped by Ken Adlington (Douglas McFerran), but she fights him off and Emma tries to convince her to tell the police. Zoe refuses and Ken denies the attack happened. Frank gets revenge for Zoe by publicly humiliating Ken. Emma and Zoe decide to have a blessing. Emma's ex-girlfriend, Susie Wilde (Louise Heaney), turns up in the village and Zoe falls for her. Shortly after the blessing ceremony, Zoe leaves Emma for Susie. Zoe and Susie's relationship ends when Susie has an affair with another woman.