In Emmerdale spoilers for next week Lydia Dingle could be at last coming to her senses as she sees an altercation between Josh and Samson. It’s about time!
As Lydia edges closer to the truth about what really happened when her stepson was stabbed, she teams up with Moira to expose everything. It is enough to get Matty out of prison though?
Moira discovers Josh and Sampson are planning to flee (Credit: ITV)
Moira finds out Samson is fleeing
With Matty in prison for stabbing Samson, Moira is determined to clear her son’s name. He’s in terrible danger given he’s trans, but Samson and Josh are sticking to their story. They claim Matty stabbed Samson deliberately, however viewers know that it was an accident caused by Josh’s transphobia. He actually pushed Samson into Matty who was holding a knife.
Moira has been tirelessly trying to get Samson to tell the truth about the incident, but her efforts have hit a wall. Meanwhile, Josh and Samson are scheming to flee to Europe to escape the fallout.
Although Samson was already planning to go travelling with his dodgy mate, they’ve brought the plans forward so they can escape the trial.
Fuming Moira vows to do something – but what can she possibly do?
Meanwhile, Sam confronts Samson over his plans to flee. Samson promises he’ll be back before the trial – but is he being honest?
Josh pressures Samson to stick to the story (Credit: ITV)
Lydia grows suspicious in Emmerdale spoilers
Later in the week, as Moira continues to put the pressure on Samson, Lydia witnesses Josh also pressuring Samson. He’s making sure Samson sticks to their false story.
Lydia finds herself with a huge dilemma. As Moira meets with her and begs her to help expose Samson, Lydia is torn – help Moira expose the truth and potentially get Samson in a lot of trouble. Or let the deceit continue and risk Matty’s life.
We all know Lydia is a good egg at heart, can she really live with the lies?
And with Josh and Samson’s escape plan in full swing, the clock is ticking for Moira and Lydia to reveal the truth. What will their next move be?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Charity was desperate to help Belle in Emmerdale tonight, but Tom was there just getting in the way again.
Meanwhile, Cain and Moira finally put their differences aside – here’s what happened in Emmerdale tonight (Monday July 1).
The Dingle women mean business (Credit: ITV)
The Dingle women try to save Belle
The opening scene saw the strong Dingle women of Emmerdale – Chas, Charity and Lydia – striding down the street. And they meant business (except Mandy, who was late).
Meanwhile wifey Belle was fussing over Tom at home, making him a bacon butty and checking she hadn’t made his tea too milky.
Belle protested when the ladies arrived to whisk her away for a girly day. She insisted she couldn’t leave Tom, but Charity had thought of that and brought out Jimmy and Paddy to ‘babysit’.
Still, Belle protested, but Charity told Tom to give his permission. Flashing his winning smile Tom said: “Ooh she don’t need permission from me.” Of course, we all know she does – and so does Belle who was even more reluctant. But they dragged her out as Tom’s face darkened.
Cain and Moira at loggerheads – still – in Emmerdale tonight
Over at Butlers, things between Moira and Cain were still tense. And when Cain admitted he went to see Matty and broke the news Matty now had a cellmate it escalated further. Rather than being grateful Cain had imparted wisdom on her son, she instead was furious Cain hadn’t told her this before now.
Back at the Woolpack, Belle was having her nails done, believing they were all there to cheer Lydia up. Charity eventually admitted she’d revealed Belle’s miscarriage news and Belle tried to leave.
Charity did not want to try the softly softly approach, she used a very loud and shouty voice as she tried to reason with Belle that she wasn’t herself.
Things were equally as awkward at Tom’s as he snapped at Jimmy for asking about the miscarriage. But when Paddy and Jimmy joked the girls would be comparing notes about their blokes, Tom panicked.
At the Woolie, Belle was opening up about her ‘miscarriage’ but once again Charity was mouthing off. Chas decided to take Charity aside and warn her to calm down and go gently.
Elsewhere, as Cain and Moira were mid-yet-another argument, tearful Isaac ran in: “It’s Minty, he’s dead,” he sobbed. What is it with Emmerdale at the moment – first Tom’s abuse of Piper the dog and now a dead lamb?
Charity was desperate to help Belle (Credit: ITV)
Charity tries to get through to Belle
With Charity getting more and more wound up, Tom interrupted the proceedings by calling Belle. She took the call outside and Charity followed before snatching the phone and hanging up on Tom.
Charity edged closer to the truth as she insisted: “He’s keeping tabs on you…” Belle firmly said he wasn’t, but Charity knew and begged her to open up.
Meanwhile, Tom decided they needed to go over, but Paddy and Jimmy insisted he leave it. They even took his phone to stop him doing anything.
Tom was getting more and more frustrated – and we all know what happens when he gets frustrated…
Charity was still shouting as she laid into Belle telling her Tom was making her dependent on him. Charity even said Tom was to blame for Belle’s recent relapse – but Belle told her to back off.
Back to the saddest story of the night – Minty’s death. Poor Isaac was so sad about his dead lamb. Even Moira was in tears.
And then cut to more shouting from Charity: “Belle we are worried sick about you. If you are with the wrong man and he’s making you miserable you need to tell us.”
Here’s her chance, but did she take it? Nope. Instead she defended Tom and told Charity she had lost the plot. Sigh.
Everything was going Tom’s way – again (Credit: ITV)
Tom gets his way in Emmerdale tonight
Jimmy was drunk as a skunk so Tom used the opportunity to suggest heading over to the Woolie for a drink. And at that moment, Charity was finally getting through to Belle.
However as she fell into Charity’s hug, Belle spotted Tom, shoved Charity away aggressively and ran off. Charity tried to follow, but Tom stopped her.
“You need to stay away,” he shouted. He then explained Belle is struggling with her mental health and accused Belle of lashing out at him. “If I need your help, I will ask,” he said. “But other than that, stay away.”
Charity was forced to watch him go, but it was very clear she didn’t believe a word he said.
Death brings them back together (Credit: ITV)
Moira and Cain reunite at last!
At the farm, the fallout from Minty’s death produced one positive outcome: the reunion of Cain and Moira, who promised to support each other rather than argue. Hallelujah. It’s just a shame poor Minty had to die for them to realise they’re better together than against each other.
Back at the Woolpack, Charity was still shouting the odds. But Chas, Mandy and Lydia were starting to doubt her. They accused her of being obsessed.
Meanwhile, Belle was stressed and decided on a detoxifying bath. Tom then made a phone call confirming he was very interested in a job interview that would mean relocating. “Wales sounds perfect,” he said to the person on the other end, before smiling smugly.
Looks like Belle’s missed opportunity might come back to haunt her…
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Wishing Well Cottage in Emmerdale is home to the iconic Dingle family, and a house which holds a lot of history.
It’s been the Dingles’ dwelling since at least 1967, and over the years has provided a roof over the head for countless members of the clan.
Located on Robblesfield Way, Wishing Well is far from a perfect looking home. It’s messy and packed to the brim with old clutter but is full of love.
Sam Dingle is the current head of the home, having lived there since he his arrival in the Dales in 1995.
Sam lives at Wishing Well with his wife Lydia Dingle, son Samson Dingle, his cousin Mandy Dingle and her son Vinny Dingle.
And of course, who could forget the Dingle family dog, Monty.
The extensive list of former residents include Marlon Dingle, Charity Dingle, Paddy Kirk and Cain Dingle.
The Dingles didn’t bring class to Wishing Well Cottage! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
The history of Wishing Well Cottage in Emmerdale
Wishing Well Cottage started life as a barn and was part of the neighbouring Holdgate Farm. The property was originally rented out to the Dingles by Mr Holdgate.
After Mr Holdgate’s death in 1995, Home Farm owner Frank Tate purchased Holdgate Farm and became the new owner of the barn. He attempted to evict the Dingles, but was met with resistance from many of the villagers.
Frank eventually backed down and allowed the Dingles to stay, at which point the house became its own property and was named Wishing Well Cottage by Dingle matriarch Nellie.
Frank was no match for the Dingles! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
The comings and goings of Wishing Well Cottage in Emmerdale
The Dingle family home was first seen on screen in 1995. At that time, husband and wife Zak and Nellie Dingle lived there with their children, Butch, Sam and Tina.
Nellie departed for Ireland that same year, and never returned.
In 1996, cousins Marlon and Mandy Dingle moved into the house, closely followed by Zak’s new love interest Lisa Clegg, who went on to become his wife.
Local vet Paddy Kirk also lived at Wishing Well while he was dating Mandy.
Christmas Day 1998 at Wishing Well was one to remember. Lisa, who didn’t even know she was expecting a baby, popped out to care for one of their poorly pigs and went into labour in the middle of the sty.
Paddy Kirk came to her rescue and helped Lisa safely deliver a little girl into the world, who she and proud dad Zak named Belle.
Cain arrived for Butch’s funeral, which left from Wishing Well Cottage (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
More Dingles arrive
Zak’s brother Shadrach was the next Dingle to rock up on the doorstep at Wishing Well Cottage.
And then came cousins Charity and Cain Dingle, who both lived at the property on and off for six years.
After Charity and Cain’s teenage daughter Debbie moved out in 2006, the Dingles turned her old bedroom into a self-contained flat.
The separate living space was for Sam Dingle, and his wife Alice, to raise their newborn son Samson in.
Joe wanted them out (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Save our home
The Dingles came close to losing their beloved home in January 2018 when another one of the Tate family plotted against them.
This time it was Joe Tate, who made plans to demolish Wishing Well Cottage in order to make way for an access road to a new golf course.
Joe threw a party at Home Farm to keep locals distracted while the property was being destroyed. But tragedy almost struck when young
Noah and Samson Dingle got trapped inside the house as the bulldozers began to tear the place down. Thankfully, Graham Foster came to the kids rescue and attacked the contractors to stop the demolition going ahead.
He and Eric Pollard then saved the day by rescuing Noah and Samson, and the Dingles’ abode was once again safe.
Lisa tragically died at Wishing Well (Credit: ITV)
Lisa’s sad goodbye at Wishing Well Cottage
There wasn’t a dry eye in Wishing Well when Lisa passed away peacefully in May 2019.
She had been diagnosed with a condition called amyloidosis and told she would probably only have months left to live.
With time so precious, Lisa and Zak tied the knot.
But their happiness wasn’t to last when Zak discovered Lisa had slipped away quietly in her favourite comfy armchair.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Bradley shared the update via his social media account using a picture of a cake with the message ‘baby coming December 2024’ iced upon it.
It’s a happy time for Bradley (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Emmerdale star Bradley Johnson shares baby news
As well as the cake we were treated to some Polaroids of their pregnancy journey. One showed Sammie’s baby-bearing belly and pics of them holding scan photos.
In the caption below the post, Bradley wrote simply: ‘Mum and Dad,’ signing off with a love heart emoji.
Bradley’s post sparked a huge reaction from his co-stars, not least on-screen mum, Lisa Riley, who plays Mandy Dingle.
“LOVE YOU BOTH SO SO SO SO MUCH at long long last I can tell everyone-you are both going to be the absolute BEST!!! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! so excited!!!! I’ve said congratulations to you both over a hundred times ,” she wrote. Sounds like she’s excited, doesn’t it?
Ash Palmisciano, who plays Matty Barton, concurred with Lisa’s sentiment: “Ah mateeeee this is amazing news!!! so happy for you both!! huge congratulations buddy! what a fun and lovely dad you’re gonna be.”
“Ahhh amazing news!! Congrats guys!!!” wrote Jessie Elland, who played Chloe Harris.
Lovely Dean Andrews added: “Mate, I could not be happier for you both. Massive congrats.”
“Congratulations you two!!!!!’ chimed in Belle Dingle actress Eden Taylor-Draper.
Poor Vinny’s not having as good a time as Bradley (Credit: ITV)
Bradley and Sammie
Bradley has played Vinny Dingle since 2019. He has suffered much heartbreak having married Liv Flaherty only for her to be killed months later by an accident during the Emmerdale storm.
He has since moved on with Gabby Thomas – Liv’s best mate – but ended things when she said she knew he was a virgin. Awkward.
Meanwhile in real life things have been far more plain-sailing for Bradley. Despite rumours of a romance with Liv actress Isobel Steele, Bradley and Sammie have in fact been together for two years.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk back in 2021, Isobel explained why there were romance rumours between the pair: “Brad is wonderful and such a good friend of mine. We are very similar and work really well together when we have scenes just us two.
“I can see why people jumped to conclusions, seeing two characters spending time together on and off-screen.
“For the record me and Brad are not in a relationship. We are just very good friends who enjoy each other’s company out of work as well as in work.”
He proposed to Sammie in October 2023 in Rome and they announced their engagement on social media. And now baby makes three!
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Emmerdale is on every week night – good news for us fans! Plus there is an hour-long episode every Thursday.
It usually airs at 7.30pm on ITV but it’s always good to double check because sometimes schedules change for football matches or other major events.
There’s all kinds of drama every night (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale on ITVX
You can also catch Emmerdale on ITVX. All episodes from this year are there to view as well as some from the end of last year, too.
Plus there are previews, extras and all sorts of other snippets available for fans to catch up on.
Of course we weren’t always so lucky to be treated to this many episodes of Emmerdale each week.
Emmerdale’s early episodes were on in the afternoon (Credit: ITV/Britbox)
Emmerdale schedules back in the day
When the show first started WAAAAY back in 1972 it was broadcast on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon – and that was it! And there was no catch-up TV then, so if you missed an episode, that was that.
In 1977, the episodes were moved to the evenings – phew! And so it was for twenty years, until in 1997 they added another episode, on Wednesday evenings.
But that wasn’t enough! So the show’s bosses decided to add some extra! And in October 2000 two more weekly episodes were added, this time on a Monday and a Friday.
In 2004, a Sunday evening episode was added to the list, making Emmerdale the first soap with six weekly episodes – impressive stuff.
After that, things got a bit complicated!
The Woolpack is at the centre of the action (Credit: ITV)
Social distancing
In 2008, the Sunday episode was scrapped and to make up for it, a longer hour-long episode was screened on Tuesdays. Emmerdale bosses were clear that this wasn’t just two half-hour eps mushed together, but actually a specially filmed hour-long episode.
In 2009 things changed again with Tuesdays going back down to half an hour, while an extra episode was aired on Thursday, half an hour after the first finished.
Then in 2019, ANOTHER episode was added to the Tuesday schedule meaning there were now seven episodes of Emmerdale every week.
During the Covid pandemic, episodes were reduced and aired on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Filming stopped between March and June of 2020 and when it resumed it was under strict social distancing restrictions and most episodes only featured two or three characters filmed by a skeleton crew.
In September 2020 Emmerdale returned to its usual schedule.
In January 2022, things changed again. Now Emmerdale airs at 7.30pm – the first change to its time slot since the seventies. And the Thursday double episodes were replaced with an hour-long ep.
And that’s how it’s stayed since then!
Classic Emmerdale
As well as modern day Emmerdale, die-hard fans can watch Classic Emmerdale episodes on ITV3 every single day!
These usually air at 1.30pm and 2.05pm, and are then repeated the next morning at 6am and 6.30am.
At the moment episodes from 2005 are airing and it sees the King family feuds at the heart of the action.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.
The Dingle family are the largest and lairiest bloodline in Emmerdale. They burst onto our screens in 1994, a whole 22 years after the soap started.
However, the Dingles have actually been village residents for over 60 years and have lived in Wishing Well Cottage since 1965.
The clan is continually expanding and their family tree can be traced back more than 10 generations – now that’s a whole lot of Dingles!
As Mandy Dingle once famously said: “Being a Dingle has always been about blood.”
Loyalty is everything to this family, who live by their own set of rules, dubbed The Dingle Code. Break that and you’re well and truly out of the circle of trust.
Here is a closer look at the who’s who of the Dingle dynasty, how they’re related and their most memorable moments…
Emmerdale: The first of the Dingle family
The first known Dingle was Abraham, born in 1785. He had children Ebenezer, Harold and Nathaniel. Ebenezer went on to marry Elspeth and have sones Jacob and Methusalah Dingle.
Jacob then married Katherine and they welcomed Benidiah. He married Margaret and they had Isaac Dingle. Isaac was the father of Jonah Dingle, who married Dot Colton and had two sons, Jedediah and Bert.
It’s from Jedediah and Bert the Dingles we know and love today were produced.
Peg was a wheeler dealer like the rest of the Dingle family in Emmerdale! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Jedediah and Peg Dingle and their family in Emmerdale
Jedediah married Peg in 1946. They had six children: Albert, Zak, Shadrach, Ezra, Zebediah and Caleb. Zak, is of course, the most recognisable of these.
When Zak was eight-years old, he was told by Peg his father had died. Zak saw blood on the floor and assumed his mum had killed Jed. However they had just had a row that turned violent and Jed had walked out on the family.
Zak discovered the truth when Peg came clean in 2002. He tracked his father down who was bedridden and dying. Jed revealed there was a Dingle family fortune hidden in Chile and then died.
He was the head of the family until he handed over to Cain (Credit: ITV)
Zak Dingle
Zachariah Bartholomew ‘Zak’ Dingle, played by Steve Halliwell, was the undisputable head of the Dingle clan for almost 30 years.
He arrived in the village on October 20 1994, but was already a notorious name due to his previous career as a bare-knuckled boxing champion.
A pig farmer by trade, Zak is dad to seven children. He and his formidable first wife Nellie Lynch had five – Nathan, the late Butch and Ben, as well as Sam and Tina.
In 1974, Zak cheated on Nellie with his sister-in-law Faith and fathered her son, Cain Dingle.
Zak also had a daughter, Belle Dingle, with his second wife Lisa Clegg.
He had a short-lived third marriage to Joanie Wright before reuniting with Lisa, whom he remained with until her death in 2019.
Actor Steve Halliwell, who portrayed Zak, sadly passed away in December 2023.
Zak’s absence has been explained that he’s living in Scotland, and his character is yet to be killed off.
Zak Dingle: his family and children in Emmerdale
Much-missed and beloved member of the Dingle family (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Lisa Dingle
Zak married Lisa Clegg on January 28 1998. It hadn’t been a smooth courtship after her ex-husband Barry Clegg had tried to blow up the Dingle home!
Lisa was the matriarch of the Dingle family in Emmerdale and mother figure to almost all of them.
Zak and Lisa were shocked when Lisa gave birth to their daughter Belle on Christmas Day 1998 having not known she was pregnant!
They faced many more obstacles during their life together and even divorced in 2016 when he had an affair with Joanie. But he soon reunited with Lisa and they were together until her death in 2019.
Lisa’s other storylines included her rape by friend Derek Benrose and her amyloidosis diagnosis that lead to her death on May 24 2019.
She has since appeared in voiceovers several times, most recently at daughter Belle’s wedding in February 2024.
Lisa was played by actress Jane Cox.
Nathan Dingle
Nathan Dingle is the eldest son of Zak Dingle and Nellie Lynch. He’s never been seen on screen and is rarely spoken about.
It was once suggested that Nathan had shunned his working-class roots which had led to an estrangement between him and the Dingles.
Emily was Butch’s true love (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Butch Dingle
Francis Albert ‘Butch’ Dingle, played by Paul Loughran, was Zak and Nellie’s second son. He was given the childhood nickname ‘Butch’ by Zak, who believed his son was too sensitive.
Butch was a notorious bully and troublemaker during his early years in the village.
He fell desperately in love with his cousin Mandy Dingle, and the pair married in November 1998, but it later transpired Mandy had married Butch only for money.
Butch went on to meet his soulmate Emily Wylie, but tragedy struck in March 2000 when he was fatally injured in a bus crash. Butch got his last wish and married Emily on his deathbed.
He was buried next to his brother, Ben, who had died six years previously.
Zak’s son met a tragic end (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Ben Dingle
Benedict Alan ‘Ben’ Dingle was the first Dingle to be seen on screen. A real chip off the old block, Ben was a troublemaker and often on the wrong side of the law.
He met an untimely end in 1994 when he was killed after a brawl with the local doctor’s son, Luke McAllister.
Ben was later found to have a heart defect but that didn’t stop the Dingles blaming Luke for his death.
Ben’s sister Tina even went as far as convincing Luke she wanted to marry him – just so she could jilt him at the altar in an act of revenge!
The most innocent of the Dingle clan (Credit: ITV)
Sam Dingle
Samuel Jonah ‘Sam’ Dingle, played by James Hooton, is the third son of Zak and Nellie and now the longest-serving Dingle.
He arrived in the village in February 1995 straight from the young offenders institute.
More gentle and naive than his brothers, Sam has often found himself dragged into their dodgy schemes and has spent time in prison for his crimes.
In 2005, he embarked on a relationship with farmer Alice Wilson and the following year couple welcomed baby son Samson. Tragedy struck when Alice was diagnosed with terminal cancer and Sam helped his wife die.
Sam struggled with life as a single dad, but got his happy ending when he met Lydia Hart.
Despite her happy marriage, Lydia has suffered much trauma (Credit: ITV)
Lydia Dingle
Sam and Lydia married in 2020 and celebrated afterwards with a good old fashioned Dingle knee’s up.
Their relationship has survived much trauma, including the revelation that she had given birth to a stillborn baby and buried his body when she was just a teen.
Lydia then reconnected with the baby’s father, Craig Reed, in 2023. But in horrifying scenes, Craig raped her. Sam has supported her throughout and they have grown stronger as a couple.
Samson has turned into a right nasty piece of work (Credit: ITV)
Samson Dingle
The only son of Sam, 18-year-old Samson has proved himself to be trouble. He got Amelia Spencer pregnant then refused to have anything to do with the baby. The only reason he then got involved was to blackmail cousin Noah out of money.
He then took Craig’s side when Lydia was raped, desperate not to believe his tech hero was no good. Although he eventually supported Lydia, the betrayal stung.
Currently he has framed Matty Barton for stabbing him. Trans Matty is terrified in prison and the family are divided as they try to get Samson to tell the truth. Will he?
Amelia and Noah are bringing up Esther (Credit: ITV)
Esther Spencer
In October 2022 Sam became a grandad for the first time after Amelia Spencer gave birth to Samson’s daughter, Esther.
Glamorous Tina was also a member of the Dingle family in Emmerdale through and through (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Tina Dingle
Tina Dingle, played by Jacqueline Pirie, is Zak and Nellie’s youngest child and only daughter.
She arrived in the village in December 1994 and set about seducing Luke McAllister, who she believed had killed her brother, Ben.
Tina convinced Luke she was carrying his baby then persuaded him to sell his prize possessions to fund their wedding.
It was all a con though, and on the day of the nuptials Tina jilted Luke, who died a few days later in a car crash.
Tina then caught the attention of Home Farm millionaire Frank Tate, who proposed to her on more than one occasion.
But a life as lady of the manor wasn’t for Tina and she departed the Dales on Christmas Day 1996.
She pretty much hasn’t been heard of since.
Things are not great for Belle right now (Credit: ITV)
She made an unexpected arrival to the Dales on Christmas Day 1998 when Lisa gave birth in a pigsty – having not even realised she was pregnant.
Belle’s life has been filled with drama and tragedy ever since.
She’s fallen down a mineshaft, had an affair with a married man and accidentally killed her best friend Gemma Andrews, which sparked major mental health problems and led Belle to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Belle’s world was shattered by the death of her beloved mum Lisa in 2019.
In 2024 Belle married vet Thomas King, but has become the victim of her husband’s coercive control.
The new head of the Dingles (Credit: ITV)
Head of the Dingle family in Emmerdale: Cain Dingle
Cain Dingle, played by Jeff Hordley, is the son of Zak Dingle and Faith Dingle (nee Miligan) and the product of their extra marital affair.
He grew up believing that Faith’s husband Shadrach Dingle was his father, only to discover it was actually his uncle Zak.
Cain has numerous half-brothers and sisters via his father. From his late mum Faith’s side, he has sister Chas Dingle and brother Caleb Miligan.
His list of cousins is extensive – and his on/off romantic relationship with one in particular, Charity Dingle, is legendary.
Cain‘s been married to farmer Moira Dingle since 2014.
He’s also a father of four, by four different women.
He and Charity have one daughter, Debbie Dingle, who was born when her parents were teenagers.
Cain has sons Nate Robinson and Kyle Winchester from previous flings, and he and Moira share Isaac Dingle.
Cain and Moira always make it through (Credit: ITV)
Moira Dingle
Cain’s wife, Moira, might not be a Dingle by blood, but she’s certainly part of the family. Moira, played by Natalie J Robb, is one of Emmerdale’s most popular characters.
She came to the village in July 2009, when she and husband John purchased Butler’s Farm from the newly-divorced Andy Sugden.
On the outside, the Bartons were a solid couple, but it wasn’t long before Moira found herself unable to resist the charms of a certain Cain Dingle.
Their affair ended Moira’s marriage to John, who then sadly perished in a car crash. After John’s untimely death, Moira reunited with Cain and went on to marry him in 2014.
Moira and Cain’s marriage has survived betrayals on both sides but they remain one of soap’s most popular partnerships.
A later addition to the Dingle family in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV)
Nate Robinson
Cain’s eldest son Nate was born on April 27 1991. Cain didn’t even know of his existence until he arrived in the village on April 25 2019 out for revenge. Even then, he didn’t tell Cain who he really was.
Played by Jurrell Carter, Nate got a job as a farmhand, seduced Moira and had an affair with her to pay back his dad for abandoning him. However despite Nate’s mother, Cara Robinson trying to get in touch with Cain, it turned out Faith Dingle had intercepted all correspondence. She revealed it had been because Shadrach was racist and she was trying to protect them.
Cain and Nate eventually began tentatively forming a father/son relationship.
Quite the ladies’ man, Nate eventually settled down with Tracy Metcalfe. They had a baby together, but Tracy’s battle with postnatal depression left them struggling. Nate cheated and she left. However they reunited and married in July 2023.
But just months later Tracy began an affair with Nate’s uncle, Caleb, and it signalled the end of their marriage.
Tracy and Nate are parents to little Frankie (Credit: ITV)
Frankie Robinson
The daughter of Nate and Tracy Robinson, Frankie was born in 2021. She was named after Tracy’s late father, Frank Clayton who had died saving Tracy’s life 18 months earlier.
Kyle confessed to murder in 2023 (Credit: ITV)
Kyle Winchester
Cain’s son by Amy Wyatt, Kyle was born on December 1 2011 in the cemetery. Cain had told her to have an abortion after their one-night stand and 17-year-old Amy kept her pregnancy hidden until she gave birth.
She believed Kyle was stillborn so wrapped him in a blanket and left him in a phone box. But Kyle was found and taken to hospital before being reunited with his mum.
Amy felt too young to be a mum though, and gave Kyle up for adoption. His adoptive parents died in 2013 and he was left in the care of his grandmother Joanie Wright. Financial difficulties caused her to call on the Dingles for help.
Cain paid her to stay away, but they ended up moving in with Zak and Lisa at Wishing Well.
Amy and Cain now share custody, but Cain nearly lost everything when Kyle shot and killed Al Chapman. Cain took the blame for his son and served time in prison until Kyle confessed.
Isaac has recently grown attached to Minty the lamb (Credit: ITV)
Isaac Dingle
Coming into the world on October 2 2017, Isaac is the son of Moira and Cain Dingle. But Moira didn’t even know she was pregnant when she gave birth!
At first it was thought Pete Barton was the father, but then it was revealed to be Cain.
Drunk, layabout and bad dad – he’s a Dingle all right! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Shadrach Dingle and his family in Emmerdale
Shadrach was the second eldest of the Dingle brothers. He was played by Andy Devine, who died in real life in January 2022.
He first appeared on March 30 2000 and stayed with the show until his character was killed off on July 23 2010.
Shadrach was lazy, selfish, useless and an alcoholic. He was dad to Chas and brought Cain up as his own son, despite him being Zak’s.
Shadrach used to beat Cain when he was growing up, though he never laid a finger on Chas. He was also aggressive with wife Faith, who ended up leaving him – and her kids – when she couldn’t take any more.
He also had daughter Genesis after an affair with Shirley Pascoe. But Shirley died in childbirth and devastated, he put Gennie up for adoption.
Shadrach was diagnosed with liver failure and a perforated ulcer in 2010. He was told he must stop drinking or he would die.
But Shadrach couldn’t give up the demon drink and ended up passing out in a river. His official cause of death was drowning, but the autopsy confirmed he would have died hours later anyway due to a ruptured liver.
Dingle landlady and overall loved family member (Credit: ITV)
Chas Dingle
Chasity ‘Chas’ Dingle, played by Lucy Pargeter, is the daughter of the late Shadrach Dingle and Faith Dingle.
She’s the half-sister of Cain Dingle, Caleb Miligan and the late Genesis ‘Gennie’ Walker. Chas is also a cousin to Charity, Sam, Marlon and Belle Dingle.
As the much-loved manager of The Woolpack Chas plays a pivotal part in village life and has lived in Emmerdale for 22 years and counting.
She’s been married three times, her most recent being to village vet Paddy Kirk.
Chas is fiercely protective of her family, but hasn’t always been a model parent. She gave birth to eldest child, son Aaron, when she was just 14-years-old and the pair have had a tumultuous relationship.
Chas sadly lost her first daughter Grace in 2018 when she was just minutes old. She welcomed a second daughter, Eve, in 2019.
Troubled Aaron has had a tough life (Credit: ITV)
Aaron Dingle
Aaron Dingle, played by Danny Miller, is the only son of Chas Dingle and Gordon Livesey.
He experienced a traumatic upbringing and suffered terrible abuse at the hands of his father.
There have been many dark moments in Aaron’s life. These include an attempted suicide, dealing with the suicide of his first boyfriend, Jackson Walsh, covering up the death of Katie Sugden and the imprisonment of his husband Robert Sugden.
Aaron was reunited with estranged half-sister Liv Flaherty, but tragedy struck when she was killed off during the show’s 50th anniversary episodes.
Tragedy meant Grace only lived for 29 minutes, but she will always be part of the Dingle family in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Grace Dingle
Chas fell pregnant by surprise when dating Paddy. However at the 20-week scan the awful news was delivered that their baby girl had bilateral renal agenesis. It meant her kidneys and bladder wouldn’t develop and she wouldn’t survive long after birth.
Chas decided to carry the pregnancy to term and gave birth on October 1, 2018. Baby Grace died in her arms just 29 minutes later. Chas and Paddy have never forgotten their first daughter and regularly visit her grave.
The apple of Chas and Paddy’s eye (Credit: ITV)
Eve Dingle
Chas was stunned to discover she was pregnant again in 2019. She gave birth to Eve Dingle in the toilets at the Woolpack on October 18 2019. Eve was originally played by Billy Clement and Bonnie Clement and is now played by Bella James.
Tragic Faith died in 2022 (Credit: ITV)
Faith Dingle
Shadrach’s wife, Faith, was mother to Cain and Chas. It was revealed after her death she had given birth to another son, Caleb Miligan, when she was in prison. The father was Frank Tate.
Faith abandoned her family in 1986 leaving Chas to take care of her brother and dad.
After some years absence Faith arrived in Emmerdale full-time in 2017. She donated £20,000 to great-granddaughter Sarah’s fundraising page to fund proton beam therapy. But she soon found herself skint and homeless.
Chas and Cain found it tough to forgive their mum, but she soon revealed she’d had breast cancer and a double mastectomy.
Faith left in 2019 after pushing Kim Tate off a balcony. She then returned in 2021, but it was to have a tragic end. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2022.
Wanting to end things on her terms, Faith took her own life in October 2022, dying in Cain’s arms after finally reconciling.
Charming a sly, he’s part Dingle all right! (Credit: ITV)
Caleb Miligan
Caleb Miligan, played by William Ash, is the son of Faith Dingle and was conceived during her affair with Frank Tate in the summer of 1975.
Faith gave birth to Caleb when she was in prison in April 1976 and gave him up for adoption.
Growing up in the foster system, Caleb’s childhood was unstable and lonely. He was estranged from his older brother and sister, Chas and Cain Dingle, only reconnecting with them as adults.
Caleb is married to wife Ruby Fox-Miligan, and they share an adult son, Nicky.
A successful businessman, Caleb also has a weakness for women and has enjoyed romantic liaisons with Leyla Harding, Charity Dingle and nephew Nate’s wife Tracy.
More tragedy befell the Dingles when Gennie was murdered, leaving husband Nikhil a widower (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Genesis Walker
Genesis ‘Gennie’ Walker was Shadrach’s daughter by Shirley Pascoe who was adopted by Brenda Walker. She arrived in Emmerdale to meet her biological dad for the first time in April 2008.
Gennie got on well with half-sister Chas and settled into village life. She even had an ill-advised one-night stand with Bob Hope!
After a disastrous relationship with Bob’s son Jamie, Gennie fell in love with Nikhil Sharma. However he rejected her.
But when she started dating someone else, he realised he loved her. They got together, she fell pregnant and they had a daughter called Molly. They then got married.
But tragedy struck when Gennie discovered Cameron Murray was a killer. A car chase saw her crash and although she survived, Cameron suffocated her before the ambulance could arrive.
He wanted Lisa, but Zak won her heart (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Albert Dingle and family in Emmerdale
Albert was the eldest son of Jedediah and Peg. When he arrived in Emmerdale in December 1995 he had been serving time in prison for armed robbery. He was sent to prison again in 1996 for stealing Pollard’s car.
He is the father of Marlon Dingle and Eli Dingle. Albert soon set his sights on Lisa Clegg, but on their wedding day her ex-husband caused trouble and then Zak confessed his love for Lisa. In the midst of all this Albert was chased by the police over an armed robbery and Lisa chose Zak.
He went to prison on numerous other occasions, but did attend the Dingle 10 year reunion in October 2004. However he’s not been seen since.
Albert was played by Bobby Knutt.
Chef Marlon has been married five times (Credit: ITV)
Marlon Dingle
Woolpack chef Marlon Dingle, played by Mark Charnock, is the son of Albert Dingle and his wife Delilah.
He has one brother, Eli Dingle, who lived in the village between 2006 and 2010.
Marlon has been a village resident since 1996.
His enduring friendship with best mate Paddy Kirk is on of soap’s most solid partnerships.
Marlon has a daughter April, from his marriage to the late Donna Windsor. He also shares a son Leo Goskirk with his wife Rhona Goskirk.
Tragically Marlon’s first wife Tricia was killed in a storm in 2004 when The Woolpack was struck by lightening and she was buried in the collapsed pub. He also married Laurel Thomas and Jessie Chapman.
Marlon’s life was nearly cut short in March 2022 when he suffered a sudden stroke. The village stalwart went on to make a recovery and is now back to work in his beloved pub kitchen.
Marlon’s brother was no good (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Eli Dingle
Marlon’s brother, Eli, played by Joe Gilgun, arrived in 2006. A penniless drifter, he had just been released from prison and not even Marlon was pleased to see him.
He managed to make himself useful to the family and started an on-off relationship with cousin Debbie after they embarked on some money-making schemes together.
Eli was regularly disowned by the family – once when he kidnapped his brother Marlon! But he always managed to get back in their good books eventually.
However in 2010 he hit an all-time low when he robbed the B&B. Sam was blamed for the crime, but Marlon knew his brother was guilty. Eli left town after an emotional goodbye with Marlon before he could be arrested.
Rhona and Marlon’s son (Credit: ITV)
Leo Goskirk
Leo is the son of Rhona Goskirk and Marlon Dingle. He was born in 2011, but by that time, Rhona was with Paddy Kirk, so Leo also sees him as a father figure.
Tests during the pregnancy showed Leo had Down syndrome. Rhona went ahead with the pregnancy and Leo came into the world on May 20 2011.
Leo is played by Harvey Rogerson. He took over after actor Harry Whittaker, who played the part until 2014 sadly died aged three.
April has hit the teenage years (Credit: ITV)
April Windsor
Marlon’s daughter with Donna Windsor, April is wise beyond her years, smart and sassy. Born in 2009, Marlon didn’t even know she was his daughter until Donna brough her back to Emmerdale aged five. Marlon reacted badly and initially said he wanted nothing to do with them.
However when Donna revealed she had cancer and was dying, Marlon had to step up. Donna died in 2014 and Marlon took full custody of April.
She had gone through many ‘mothers’ since then! Laurel Thomas, Carly Hope, Jessie Dingle, and now Rhona have all been in her life.
April has endured bullying at the hands of her aunty, Cathy Hope and was the one who found her dad when he had a stroke. April is played by Amelia Flanagan.
Caleb Dingle and family in Emmerdale
Caleb Dingle, another of Zak’s brothers, has only appeared in Emmerdale once on September 26 2000.
He was married to Vera-Lynn and they have a daughter, Mandy.
Bold, brash, but loveable (Credit: ITV)
Mandy Dingle
Mandy Dingle, played by Lisa Riley, is another one of Zak’s nieces. The bubbly beautician first arrived in 1995 and has a been a resident on and off.
She has one son, Vinny, who she adopted after his father and her ex, Paul walked out on them when he was a youngster.
Mandy is currently in a relationship with Paddy Kirk.
He’s every inch a Dingle – even if not by blood (Credit: ITV)
Vinny Dingle
Loveable Vinny, played by Bradley Jake Johnson, was officially made a Dingle when he arrived in the Dales. Abandoned by his gambling addict father, Paul Ashdale, Vinny was brought up by Mandy Dingle.
When Paul returned to their lives, he promised he was a changed man. However, he was still gambling and when Vinny found out he began beating his son.
Paul was killed on his and Mandy’s wedding day and she found out the horrible truth about his abuse.
Vinny found love with Liv Flaherty, but their marriage was cut short when she tragically died in the Emmerdale storm in 2022.
Zebediah Dingle and family in Emmerdale
Another of Zak’s brothers, Zebediah was father to Delilah and Lilith Dingle. He is the head of the Southampton Dingles. He was present at Zak’s wedding to Joanie Wright in August 2016, but it wasn’t clear which Dingle he was on screen.
Marlon and Donna grew close to Lilith’s children (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Lilith Dingle
Marlon’s cousin Lilith arrived in October 2004 for the Dingle celebration, but then dumped her four sons on Marlon while she went off to pursue her singing career.
She collected Luke, Matthew, Mark and Jon, but then returned in 2006 to leave them with Marlon again. She was arrested for armed robbery and Marlon and wife Donna grew close to the boys as they looked after them.
Lilith was freed and took her boys to live in Ireland in 2007, leaving Marlon and Donna upset. Lilith was played by Amanda Hennessy.
She caused plenty of trouble for the Dingle family in Emmerdale! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Delilah Dingle
Del Dingle, played by Hayley Tamaddon, arrived in Emmerdale in July 2005. She pulled up in a flashy red sports car wearing a wedding dress having run out on her wedding to Jay.
A fling with Carl King left her heartbroken when she realised he still loved her cousin Chas. She started dating Paddy Kirk, but Toni Daggert interfered and their romance didn’t last.
Finally she got together with David Metcalfe and they plotted to steal £20,000 from David’s dad, Eric. However when she found out David had cheated on her with Katie Sugden, Del took the money herself and fled the country.
Job Dingle
The only son of Zebediah and Colleen, Job has never been seen on screen. He has been mentioned by Mandy Dingle and would be around 41 years old.
Bert Dingle and family in Emmerdale
The brother of Jedediah, second son of Jonah Dingle and Dot Colton. Born in 1928, Bert created another branch of the Dingle family that we know and love. He had three children with his wife Jessie: Obediah, Elvis and Solomon.
Viewers have never met Bert, though he was mentioned in February 1995. He was invited to a family dinner at the Woolpack, but did not attend.
The best-known of Bert’s children is Obadiah. He is Charity’s dad and was played by Paul Copley. Described as a drunk, but proud man, he and Charity have a very volatile relationship.
Married to Kathleen, she took her own life by jumping off a cliff when Charity was young. Obadiah was religious and lied that she died of cancer to protect her memory. He turned to alcohol to cope and became resentful of Charity.
Obadiah was violent and beat Charity and when she fell pregnant at 13, he gave the child to alcoholic friend Pat Jones to raise as her own.
Soon enough, he threw Charity out. Homeless Charity turned to prostitution to survive. Obadiah rejected her once again when she was in labour with her second child.
Obadiah reached out to Charity in 2016, but Zak decided against giving her the letter.
She decided to track her dad down in 2018 and he revealed he had Parkinson’s. He also revealed he had lied about her mum’s cause of death. Obadiah then blamed Charity for his drink problems, but she refused to take the abuse and stormed out.
Two can play at the tricking game! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Elvis Dingle
Second son of Bert, Elvis had several brief appearances in Emmerdale between 2002 and 2004. He is married to Marilyn and they share two children: Daniel and Brando Dingle.
Elvis originally arrived unexpectedly to drop Peg off at Zak’s, and fled straight after.
He was last seen at a party to celebrate 10 years of Zak living in Emmerdale in May 2004. Though he was mentioned at Moira and Cain’s wedding in May 2014.
Solomon and Zak fought to be King of the Dingle family in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Solomon Dingle
Bert’s third son, Solomon, also arrived in Emmerdale for the 10th anniversary Dingle party. Played by Paul Shane, he only appeared on screen for a week.
Solomon and Zak were fierce rivals for the title of Dingle King. Solomon won by cheating, but eventually abdicated his crown and left the village in October 2004.
She’s been through a lot in her life, but can she finally be happy? (Credit: ITV)
Charity Dingle and her family in Emmerdale
Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, is the daughter of Zak’s cousin Obadiah and his wife Kathleen Dingle.
Legendary for her illegal scams, multiple affairs and on/off romance with cousin Cain Dingle, Charity has been at the centre of the action since her arrival in 2000.
She has been married four times and has as many children.
Charity is the mother of Debbie, Noah and Moses Dingle as well as her long-lost son Ryan Stocks.
Ryan was the product of a rape Charity suffered at the hands of police officer Mark Bails when she was a teenager.
She also has an adopted son, Johnny, from her relationship with his mum, Vanessa Woodfield.
She’s grandmother to her daughter Debbie’s children – Sarah and Jack Sugden.
She’s the wife of Mackenzie Boyd and also the current landlady of The Woolpack.
Charley Webb played Debbie Dingle for almost two decades (Credit: ITV)
Debbie Dingle
Daughter of Charity and Cain, Debbie was adopted by Pat Jones after Obadiah refused to let 13-year-old Charity keep her. She arrived in the village in 2002 as the temporary foster child of Paddy and Emily Kirk.
Cain had no idea she was his at first, but Charity tried to pretend Debbie didn’t exist. However eventually she came round to the idea of getting to know her daughter. When Cain found out, he wanted to be part of Debbie’s life – and it led to him and Charity having an affair.
Debbie gave birth to a daughter aged just 15 after sleeping with 18-year-old Andy Sugden. They had another child together – Jack – in 2012.
Debbie’s romantic history is chequered. She has also dated Andy’s brother Robert, her best friend Jasmine Thomas, Cameron Murray, Pete Barton, Ross Barton and Joe Tate.
Debbie has served time inside for perverting the course of justice after helping cover up Shane Doyle’s murder.
She eventually left Emmerdale in 2019 after Lisa left her a garage in Scotland in her will. She briefly returned in 2020 and was revealed to be the secret lover of Al Chapman. However she left again in early 2021 and actress Charley Webb, who plays her, has no plans to return to the role.
Bad boy come good – for now (Credit: ITV)
Noah Dingle
Charity’s son by Chris Tate, Noah Dingle, played by Jack Downham, was born while Charity was in prison in 2004. She was accused of murdering his father.
Noah was then raised by his aunt, Zoe Tate, but Charity took him back when she was released.
Noah has got into quite a few scrapes – Noah has overdosed on drugs and spent time in prison for a stalking offence. He is currently dating Amelia Spencer and training as an electrician after claiming to be a reformed character.
Young Moses is Charity’s third son (Credit: ITV)
Moses Dingle
Charity’s youngest son, Moses Barton-Dingle, is her child with Ross Barton. Once again, born while Charity was inside, Moses was raised by sister Debbie for his early life.
Charity reclaimed him on her return in 2016 and now shares custody of him with Ross.
Charity’s eldest son, Ryan (Credit: ITV)
Ryan Stocks
Charity had son, Ryan, played by James Moore, in 1990 after being raped by DI Mark Bails. She believed her child had died at birth and fled the hospital, not knowing he was still alive.
He was raised by Irene Stocks, the midwife who delivered him. Ryan has cerebral palsy. He is the landlord of the Woolpack and is in a relationship with Gail Loman. They also have a son, Oscar, who has been adopted.
Ryan and Charity reunited in 2018, but the road has been rocky. However their relationship has improved since.
She may only be young, but she’s been through a lot (Credit: ITV)
Sarah Sugden
The daughter of Debbie Dingle, granddaughter of Charity and Cain, Sarah was born in 2005 when Debbie was just 15 years old. Debbie didn’t think she could cope with being a mum and tried to persuade Emily to look after Sarah.
In 2011 Sarah was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease Fanconi anaemia. She needed a bone marrow transplant to save her life. There were no matches so Debbie and Andy, who were both with other people, decided to have a saviour sibling to save Sarah’s life.
Jack was born in October 2012 and was able to save his sister’s life. However Sarah was then diagnosed with cancer in 2017. She needed to raise money for life-saving proton beam therapy. Her grandmother Faith donated £20,000 and the two became very close.
The therapy was a success, but a rare side-effect saw Sarah diagnosed with heart failure. She had a transplant, but she is aware she may not have a long life expectancy.
Sarah, played by Katie Hill, lives with Charity and her husband Mackenzie Boyd.
Jack Sugden Jr
Born in October 2012, Jack was a saviour sibling for very poorly sister Sarah. He now lives in Scotland with Debbie.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.
Emmerdale spoilers for next week reveal that Tom King has another evil plot up his sleeve: to get Belle as far away from the village – and the Dingles – as possible. And for good.
Belle has already gone behind his back and had an abortion and now Charity is growing suspicious of their relationship. Tom can’t handle this loss of control and immediately sets about rectifying the situation.
As he applies for a job in an extremely isolated part of Wales, he insists his wife would love the peace and quiet. But what he actually means is he would love the opportunity to have complete control over everything.
Will Tom succeed in completely isolating Belle from her family and friends?
Charity is on to the situation, making Tom nervous (Credit: ITV)
Charity pushes for info
Growing worried by Belle‘s recent behaviour, Charity, Chas, Mandy and Lydia round her up, take her to the Woolpack and question her about her marriage. But Belle can’t hack it and angrily storms off.
Charity won’t let it go though and like a dog with a bone, chases her outside the pub and demands answers. She does change tack slightly, softening and asking Belle to be honest. But as Belle starts to cry, Tom arrives. Perfect timing.
Desperate not to make her husband angry – because we all know what happens when he gets angry – Belle acts quickly and impulsively. She shoves Charity violently out of the way and rushes off.
Charity tries to follow, but Tom insists she doesn’t move. He tells her his wife is struggling with her mental health. Tom demands that Charity leave Belle alone. But knowing Charity, that’s not likely!
Meanwhile, the other women worry that Charity overreacted. Has she missed her chance to prove she’s right about Tom?
Everything goes Tom’s way – again (Credit: ITV)
Tom plots to leave in Emmerdale spoilers
Knowing Charity won’t let it lie, Tom knows he has to act fast. He heads back home and is soon seen making a phone call. He tells the person on the other end of the line that he wants to interview for a job… in Wales.
The next day, Tom is suited and booted for an online interview. He is warned that the job he’s applying for is in a very remote part of Wales.
He tells the interviewer that it’s fine – that Belle would love to move there. In fact, the further away from life in the village – and her family – the better. For Tom, that is, not Belle.
When Belle appears, Tom turns on the charm and offers to take her on holiday to a beautiful cottage in the stunning Welsh countryside. Stunning it might be, but the company leaves a lot to be desired.
However, Tom is of course able to manipulate Belle into going for the idea and he is thrilled to see his plan is coming together. Will he manage to get her away from her family – and totally under his control for good?
Emmerdale usually airs on weekdays at 7.30pm, with an hour long episode on Thursdays.
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William Ash is best known for playing the part of Emmerdale businessman and love cheat Caleb Miligan. The character has been in the thick of the action since his dramatic Christmas Day arrival in 2022.
Caleb’s storylines have included his bid to destroy Kim Tate, feud with brother Cain and a steamy affair with his nephew’s wife, Tracy Robinson.
But it’s all just a day’s work for William, who’s been in the acting game since he was 10 years old. Here is everything you need to know about the soap star.
Caleb has been on the show since 2022 (Credit: ITV)
Who is Emmerdale star William Ash?
William Ash is a British actor who plays Emmerdale’s Caleb Miligan. A familiar face to millions, William was bitten by the performing bug at a young age.
The star has enjoyed a very steady career, with roles in several popular TV dramas.
William made his first TV appearance in Coronation Street, playing a character called Spike.
How old is William Ash?
William Ash was born on January 13, 1977, making him 47-years-old. He originated from Chadderton, a town near Oldham in Greater Manchester.
William’s parents were not in the showbiz world, his dad worked as an engineer and his mum was a police civilian.
He has a sister, who works as a teacher.
Caleb’s certainly made his mark on the village (Credit: ITV)
William Ash as Caleb Miligan in Emmerdale
William plays Caleb Miligan, a businessman with a roving eye. Caleb is the long-lost son of Faith Dingle and conceived during her affair with Frank Tate.
He was born while Faith was in prison and then abandoned by his mum. Caleb was placed in the foster system and experienced a difficult upbringing.
Caleb is the younger half-brother of Chas and Cain Dingle and was estranged from them both for years.
His relationship with Cain has been particularly stormy, although the brothers are thick as thieves for now.
Caleb’s wife Ruby recently arrived in the village and the pair enjoyed a passionate reunion which proved they’re still very much an item.
Ruby quickly discovered Caleb had been having an affair with his nephew Nate’s wife Tracy and outed the pairs’ infidelity at Belle Dingle’s wedding.
The couple’s son Nicky was aware of his dad’s betrayal, but is used to Caleb’s selfish behaviour. In fact, Nicky once tried to kill Caleb after tiring of his wicked ways.
Will Ash is a former Coronation Street star
Soap fans may remember William once had a brief role in rival soap Coronation Street. He made his Street debut back in 1987.
William was 10-years-old at the time and played a character called Spike. Spike attended a charity fete on the Street.
He then returned in 2002, this time playing criminal Johnny James. Johnny had raided a post office and tried to hijack Rita Tanner’s car to get away.
Children’s Ward was one of William’s first roles (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
What else has William Ash been in?
William’s CV is rather impressive. He was a regular in TV dramas such as Making Out and Where the Heart Is.
The actor has also appeared in Clocking Off, Children’s Ward, Burn It, All the King’s Men, Shameless, Doctor Who, Death in Paradise, Wanderlust and Moving On.
Between 2009 and 2011, William played deputy headteacher Christopher Mead in the popular BBC series Waterloo Road.
His stage credits include Presence at the Royal Court Theatre and Of Mice and Men at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
In 2011, William had a lead in the BBC comedy drama, Lapland, and reprised the role of Ray in a new series, Being Eileen.
He also portrayed Manchester United footballer Albert Scanlon, in the BBC series Surviving Disasters, which retold the story of the Munich air disaster of 1958, which Scanlon survived.
He starred alongside Pam Ferris in Where The Heart Is (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
He’s a dad of two
William prefers to keep his personal life private.
He’s a dad of two children, but chooses not to discuss his family.
Peter plays Tragic Paul in Corrie (Credit: ITV)
Relation to Peter Ash
William’s acting talent clearly runs in the family. His cousin is Peter Ash, who plays Coronation Street’s Paul Foreman.
Tragic Paul is currently living out his final months as he battles motor neurone disease.
Proud William recently praised his cousin’s performance saying: “He’s been fantastic. It’s a shame, actually, that he’s going to have to eventually leave because he’s been brilliant in it. And he’s a top lad.”
And when William joined Emmerdale, Peter was made up for his family member. He tweeted: “Yes! This is my cousin Will. He’s an absolutely fantastic actor, and was one of my big inspirations for getting into acting myself.
“Can’t wait to see him do his stuff in Emmerdale.”
On-screen brother Jeff is a former alumni of Will (Credit: ITV)
Will went to school with his co-star
William was a pupil of North Chadderton comprehensive in Oldham, which was the same school his on-screen brother Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) attended.
There’s a six-year age gap between the actors, meaning Jeff was already in the sixth form when William started at the school.
Prior to Emmerdale the actors also worked together on a play called Another Country, and William openly stated Jeff was one of the reasons he said yes to his Emmerdale job.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.
Emma Atkins is best known for playing Emmerdale troublemaker Charity Dingle. The actress joined the cast in 2000, and has been involved in several high-profile storylines.
Charity is legendary for her illegal scams, multiple affairs, being framed for murder and ending up behind bars.
The character of Charity is also best known for her on/off fiery romance with cousin Cain, who’s often acted as her partner in crime.
She’s been married four times and has as many children. Charity is also an accidental murderer after taking the life of gangster Damon Harris, who was holding her husband, Mackenzie Boyd hostage.
In comparison, actress Emma’s life is far less chaotic. Here’s everything we know about her.
Emma has played Charity Dingle in Emmerdale since 2000 (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Who is Emma Atkins?
Emma Atkins is a British actress who plays Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle. She made her first appearance on the soap back in March 2000.
Actress Suranne Jones also auditioned for the part of Charity. She went on to play Karen McDonald in Coronation Street.
How old is Emma Atkins?
Emma Atkins was born on 31 March 1975, making her 48-years-old. She grew up in the small village of Silverdale in Lancashire.
Emma’s mother worked in Wakefield Prison and her sister Jillian Atkins is a fashion designer.
After school, Emma went to study at the University of Salford then pursued a career in acting.
Charity in Emmerdale is force to be reckoned with (Credit: ITV)
Emma Atkins as Charity Dingle in Emmerdale
Emma plays Charity Dingle – the irrepressible landlady of The Woolpack.
She’s been married four times, and her current husband is Mackenzie Boyd, aka Mack.
Charity has four biological children – daughter Debbie Dingle, and sons Ryan Stocks, Noah Dingle and Moses Dingle. She also has an adopted son, Johnny, from her relationship with his mum, Vanessa Woodfield.
Charity is a true survivor.
Following the death of her mother by suicide when she was just a child, Charity ended up living on the streets and fell into prostitution.
At the age of 14, Charity was raped by police officer Mark Bails, the product of which was her son Ryan. She believed Ryan had died at birth, but years later found out he had survived and was adopted by the midwife Irene Stocks.
When Bails came back on the scene, Charity bravely managed to have him convicted and he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Charity has recently been in the grips of PSTD, after shooting dangerous criminal Harry dead while trying to protect Mack.
The actress has also won plenty of awards (Credit: ITV)
Emma Atkins, award winner
Emma has been nominated for numerous awards over the years – including Best Actress at the British Soap Awards and Serial Drama Performance at the National Television Awards.
She’s scooped the Best Actress gong at the TV Choice Awards, Inside Soap Awards and Daily Star Soap Awards.
A part in Heartbeat (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
What else has Emma Atkins been in?
Emma is of course most recognised as Emmerdale’s Charity.
She’s also featured in episodes of BBC series Dalziel and Pascoe, Mayo, I’m with Stupid, New Street Law, Doctors and Casualty.
In 2008, she starred in the seventeenth series of Heartbeat, playing the part of Lesley Ashton.
Charity bid farewell to the Dales in 2004 (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Emma Atkins’ Emmerdale exit
Emma announced she was leaving Emmerdale in 2004 to explore other opportunities.
She worked as a jobbing actress for the next five years before announcing her return to soap in March 2009.
Emma took a second, but shorter, break in 2015 after giving birth to her son, Albert.
She’s a real-life mum
Emma is a proud mum of one to her son, Albert. The actress kept her pregnancy a secret from viewers at the time.
Emmerdale bosses cleverly wrote Charity’s stint in prison to coincide with Emma’s maternity leave.
The actress welcomed her baby boy just before her 40th birthday in March 2015. She called Albert “the best present” in an interview with The Sun.
Her partner Tom (pictured with Emma in 2014) stays away from the spotlight (Credit: Shutterstock)
Emma keeps her personal life private
Emma is in a long-term relationship with her partner, Tom. The actress’s other-half isn’t famous and is reported to be a businessman.
The couple have made a red carpet appearance together, but on the whole Emma prefers to keep her life away from the spotlight.
She chooses not to share snaps of either Tom or their son, Albert on social media.
On Emma’s Instagram – followers will instead find a stunning array of arty outdoors shots (mainly trees) from her walks in nature.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.
Natalie J Robb is best known for playing Emmerdale’s feisty farmer Moira Dingle. A former child star, the actress joined the long-running soap in 2009.
Natalie was cast as the matriarch of the Bartons – a modern farming family who were brought in by former series producer, Gavin Blyth to spice things up.
And Moira has definitely been caught up in a few scandals.
The sexy Scot has a weakness for a bad boy, and her affairs with Cain Dingle, brother-in-law James Barton and stepson Nate Robinson certainly got the fans talking.
But it’s not all been about rolling around in the haystacks.
Moira also has faced terrible tragedy, with the loss of her first husband John and the shocking death of their daughter Holly to a heroin overdose.
But what is there to know about the woman who plays one of the Dales’ strongest women?
Natalie is a fan favourite (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Who is Natalie J Robb?
Natalie J Robb is a British actress who plays Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle.
Now in the fortieth year of her career, Natalie has been professionally acting since the tender age of nine.
Fans may also remember her for playing Trish McDonald in Scottish soap Take the High Road and Jude Carlyle in Doctors.
How old is Natalie J Robb?
Natalie Joy Robb was born on December 3, 1974, making her 49-years-old. She grew up in Bellshill, which is located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Natalie is the youngest of three children and has an older brother and sister.
She started acting classes at a young age, which is where she was discovered by director Alan Macmillan. Natalie went on to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Things are not good for Moira right now (Credit: ITV)
Moira Dingle in Emmerdale?
Natalie plays the vivacious Moira Dingle. She’s been married to mechanic Cain Dingle since 2014, but things haven’t always been plain sailing for the couple.
Moira’s first husband, John, who she cheated on with Cain, tragically died in a car accident.
The character is mum to her three sons Adam Barton, Matty Barton and Isaac Dingle. Adam’s father was revealed to be his uncle James, who Moira had an affair with.
Tragedy struck in 2016 when Moira discovered her daughter Holly dead in bed, after a long addiction to heroin.
Moira also has a dark secret – she’s a killer!
She pushed her psychotic sister-in-law Emma Barton off the Hotten Viaduct to her death, and Adam took the rap for her.
Adam went to prison, but ended up breaking out and is still on the run.
Natalie was in videos for her music (Credit: YouTube)
Natalie is a former popstar
Prior to finding fame as a soap star, Natalie had a stab at a singing career. In the 90s she was a member of a band called The Kinky People.
Despite their memorable name, the group failed to have any chart success and eventually split.
In 1997, Natalie released a single called Keep Your Love with dance group Partizan.
She also lent her vocals to trance track I Will Be There, with artist Absolutely.
As Andrea in The Bill (Credit: Fremantle Media/Shutterstock)
What else has Natalie J Robb been in?
Quite a bit as it turns out!
The actress made her screen debut at the tender age of nine, starring in an STV drama alongside esteemed actor Tom Conti.
At 13, Natalie was awarded the BBC Young Entertainer of the Year award on popular children’s TV show, Going Live!
Then Soapland came calling.
As well as her roles in Take the High Road, Doctors and The Bill, Natalie also had a brief stint in EastEnders as Max Branning’s mistress, Gemma Clewes.
Jonny plays Liam in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV)
She dated her Emmerdale co-star
Natalie previously enjoyed a romance with her co-star Jonny McPherson, who plays the Dales resident doctor, Liam Cavanagh. The couple met on the set of the Yorkshire-based soap and were smitten.
They even lived together for a while after Jonny moved into Natalie’s home during the first Covid lockdown of 2020.
Unfortunately Natalie and Jonny agreed to go their separate ways the following summer after deciding they were better off as friends rather than lovers.
Speaking for the first time about her split, Natalie told The Sun in 2023: “Unfortunately, it was Covid times, so there was this added pressure.
“He moved in with me during the first lockdown and it was just too intense, too soon. And if you’re not used to that, which I hadn’t been for a while, we realised pretty quickly that we were better off as friends.”
Natalie J Robb on having children
The actress also opened up about being questioned over not having children in The Sun interview, explaining people judge her for it.
She said: “I used to get judged for not having children. People would be like: ‘What? You don’t have any kids and you’re single? You must be crazy.’ But I just never had that feeling of: ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to have a baby.’ It has to be the right situation – I didn’t want to go and do something like that on my own.”
Mack and Moira are brother and sister, but not related in real life (Credit: ITV)
Natalie is not related to Lawrence Robb
Eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted Natalie shares the same surname as her co-star Lawrence Robb.
The actors are on-screen siblings as Lawrence plays Moira’s younger brother, Mackenzie Boyd.
But despite having the same last name and both being Scottish, the duo are not related.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.
