Brenda Walker in Emmerdale has had a lot of trauma in her life – not least her own battle against a brain tumour. As she counselled Moira ‘one brain tumour sufferer to another’ in Thursday’s episode (September 19), viewers were reminded of her plight.
So what happened when Brenda had a tumour? Did she have surgery? And is she okay now?
Life hasn’t always been so smiley for Brenda (Credit: ITV)
Brenda Walker in Emmerdale
Brenda was the adoptive mum of Genesis Walker – known as Gennie. Gennie had come to the village to get to know her biological father, Shadrach Dingle and Brenda arrived to visit her in 2008 after Gennie had been in an accident.
Brenda settled down in Emmerdale too. She started a romance with Terry Woods, but had feelings for Bob Hope.
Brenda had started to work in the cafe and clashed with Bob a lot over her ideas to modernise. Soon anger turned to passion and the pair got together. Brenda is now co-owner of the cafe.
Meanwhile, Gennie got together with Nikhil Sharma and was planning her wedding when tragedy struck.
Gennie and Brenda get devastating news about Brenda’s tumour (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Brenda diagnosed with a brain tumour in Emmerdale
Brenda was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She was told she’d need to have a risky operation.
Worried Gennie decided not to go ahead with her wedding until she knew Brenda was going to be okay. However, Brenda was nervous about the operation and refused to have it.
She didn’t even tell partner Bob she was ill and carried on as normal. She did confide in Dan Spencer though, leading Bob to think she was having an affair with his mate! Brenda knew she had to come clean about the tumour. Bob promised to stand by her whatever she decided.
Brenda went back and forth over having the surgery, but eventually refused it. Gennie was heartbroken when Brenda also refused to attend her wedding.
After a change of heart, Brenda did go to the big day, but she collapsed whilst there and suffered a seizure. She was taken to hospital and told she would be fine, but it made her rethink her decision not to have surgery.
Brenda and Gennie were both in tears as they shaved her head (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Although Brenda survived the operation, she was told her cancer could be recurring. Worried Brenda had chemotherapy to try to prevent that possibility. She was upset when her hair started falling out and Gennie shaved her head.
Bob promised to love her with or without hair and Bob proposed. They had a sweet handfasting ceremony, arranged by Gennie.
But just days later, Gennie was killed. At first her family thought she died in a car accident, though she was actually a victim of Emmerdale serial killer Cameron Murray.
Gennie was emotional at Brenda and Bob’s handfasting ceremony (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Brenda and Bob
Though Brenda and Bob were happy for a while and Brenda grew very close to Bob’s children Cathy and Heath, it wasn’t long before Bob was back to his old cheating ways. He had an affair with Laurel Thomas.
Heartbroken Brenda found out and didn’t know what to do. But she decided to go ahead with the plans for their proper wedding.
It turned out this was a mistake as Brenda couldn’t make it past the reception. She told her new husband she knew what he’d been up to and threw her ring at him!
Brenda continued to be a mum to Heath and Cathy despite the split. She was devastated when she lost her second child after Heath died in a car accident at new year.
Pollard and Brenda have been together for some years now (Credit: ITV)
Brenda and Eric in Emmerdale
Brenda then got together with Eric Pollard. They seemed happy until he dumped her without warning last year.
Soon it was revealed Eric had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He was determined not to tell her as he didn’t want her to end up as his carer. Eventually Brenda found out and they reunited.
They were further rocked earlier this year when Pollard reverted back to his scheming ways and blackmailed Jai Sharma. Brenda was fuming when she found out and ordered her other half to put it right or else she would leave him for good.
Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop on the red carpet together (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Who plays Brenda Walker in Emmerdale?
Lesley Dunlop plays Brenda in Emmerdale. She is an acclaimed TV actress, having started her career in the 1970s as a child in BBC adaptation of A Little Princess.
She went on to be a successful adult actress, securing leading roles in Where the Heart Is, and also played Zoe Callendar opposite Anton Rogers in the long-running BBC sitcom May to December.
She’s so dedicated to her career that she even shaved her head when she was playing Brenda’s brain tumour storyline!
Lesley has two daughters with her former partner Christopher Guard and in 2016 she married her Emmerdale co-star Chris Chittell, aka Eric Pollard.
There could be trouble brewing between Gail and Ryan in Emmerdale. The couple’s relationship has been going well and they’ve largely taken a back seat amidst all of the drama in the village.
However, in upcoming scenes Gail will reveal she is looking to find a new home and sets out her plan to live alone, leaving boyfriend Ryan blindsided.
As their relationship comes under strain, here we take a look at Ryan and Gail’s romantic history in Emmerdale.
Gail and Ryan’s romance began years before they arrived in the village (Credit: ITV)
Childhood sweethearts
Ryan was introduced to Emmerdale viewers in 2018. He is the son of Charity and Mark Bails, but was adopted by Irene Stocks, the midwife that helped deliver him.
Meanwhile, Gail appeared briefly in Emmerdale in 2019 before returning on a regular basis in 2023. She was hired at the Woolpack, where she works as a barmaid.
Gail and Ryan’s romance began in their younger years. They welcomed a child together when they were teenagers, whom they gave up for adoption. This sparked the couple to split up, but they reconciled years later when Gail arrived in the village.
Gail and Ryan got to know son Oscar – but where is he now? (Credit: ITV
Oscar
In 2023, Gail and Ryan reconnected with their son Oscar, who they gave up for adoption when he was born. Oscar was adopted by a lady named Sophie.
Sophie reached out to Gail after Oscar was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia – a severe condition caused by a deficiency in all types of blood cells. She wanted Gail to take a test to find out if she was a marrow donor match for Oscar.
Oscar arrived on Gail and Ryan’s doorstep last year and set out his hopes of getting to know his biological parents. It was then revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer and needed a bone marrow transplant.
Gail agreed to undergo the test, but initially kept the whole thing a secret from Ryan. Eventually, everything worked out and Ryan was understanding. Luckily, Gail was a match and Oscar eventually underwent surgery, which was successful.
However, Sophie grew jealous of the relationship Gail and Ryan had formed with Oscar after reconnecting. She then intervened and told the couple that Oscar wanted nothing to do with them. Oscar eventually took matters into his own hands and visited his parents, leading to him getting to know the Dingles and other relatives.
Gail drops a bombshell on Ryan (Credit: ITV)
Trouble in paradise?
It’s been revealed that Gail and Ryan’s relationship could be in trouble in upcoming scenes. Ryan is left blindsided when Gail reveals she’s searching for a new home, which she plans to live in alone.
It remains to be seen what will happen between the couple, whose relationship has otherwise seemed to going smoothly. Gail and Ryan have largely been in the background recently, due to other drama in the village, but could her new living arrangements spark the beginning of the end for the couple?
Emmerdale chef Marlon Dingle could well be in the running for the most-married man in the Dales, if it wasn’t for a certain Bob Hope!
So how many times has he been married? In fact, he’s got five weddings behind him.
Currently in Classic Emmerdale episodes he is in full-wedding planning mode to Donna Windsor – but having dreams about late wife Tricia, which doesn’t bode too well if you ask us!
Meanwhile, in current Emmerdale he is happily (for the most-part) married to Rhona Goskirk.
But who was the real love of his life?
He often looks worried, but is the stalwart of the Dales (Credit: ITV)
Who is Marlon Dingle in Emmerdale?
Fan fave Marlon’s been in the village for so long now we can barely remember a time when Emmerdale existed without him!
He arrived with dad Albert – Zak Dingle’s brother – in a red sports car. Marlon started working in various jobs, even working with Frank Tate for a while.
But it was when he got a job working with Kathy Glover at her wine bar and tea room he found his calling as a chef.
Although he’s a moral, upstanding guy now, he is a Dingle, meaning back in the day he got into his fair share of scrapes and committed some petty crimes. He was even cast out of the Dingle clan at one point after he got Sam beaten up.
Marlon Dingle and his five wives in Emmerdale
Tricia and Marlon were love’s young dream once upon a time (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
1. Tricia Stokes
Marlon was ousted from the tea rooms when Kathy hired chef Carlos Diaz. But by then he was working at the Woolpack and was on his way to meeting first wife, Tricia Stokes.
Marlon and Tricia were clearly made for each other. She was cheeky, kind-hearted and funny. But it wasn’t all plain sailing (when is it ever in Soapland?!) when Tricia agreed to marry Joe Fisher so he could stay in the country with his boyfriend Jason Kirk. the fake marriage caused her and Marlon to split, during which time Marlon dated one Rhona Goskirk. But before long he and Tricia were back together.
This time they made it – even surviving Tricia’s mother, Steph Stokes coming on to her future son-in-law. Tricia and Marlon wed in a surprise ceremony on Valentine’s Day and for a while they were happy.
But when Tricia went off to star in a Bollywood film, Marlon made a very bad move, having a one-night stand with cousin Charity Dingle. Tricia found out and was heartbroken.
She planned to leave the village on New Year’s Eve 2004, but Marlon wrote her a sweet list of all the things he loved about her and she changed her mind.
Just as she was coming back into the pub to tell her husband the good news, though, tragedy struck. In a huge storm, the Woolpack chimney collapsed and Tricia was killed. Marlon had to make the decision to turn off her life-support machine and was left completely heartbroken. Has he ever really got over Tricia? We’re not so sure.
It wasn’t happy ever after for Marlon with Donna (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
2. Donna Windsor
Still grieving Tricia, Marlon grew close to Donna Windsor. Things turned from friendship to love and they started dating. But because Donna was much younger, they took things slowly. Donna’s desire to join the police also didn’t sit well with the Dingle family – for obvious reasons!
When the pair got engaged, both started having doubts about their future. She was caught trying on Tricia’s old wedding dress, which caused Marlon to flip. He then confessed he had been having dreams about Tricia. Donna was seriously concerned they were making a mistake.
But the pair tied the knot and despite some hard times as a couple including caring for Marlon’s cousin Lilith’s children and even hoping to adopt them, and the arrival of Marlon’s dodgy brother, Eli, they remained strong.
Things took a turn however when Donna couldn’t resist her partner PC Ross Kirk – Paddy’s cousin. They had an affair and Marlon and Donna split. They did consider a reunion, but Marlon couldn’t resist drunkenly snogging another cousin – Chas – and he and Donna called it quits for good.
Donna left the village, but returned in 2014 with her daughter, April. Donna was dying of terminal cancer and had brought April home to meet her dad – Marlon. Shocked Marlon soon found himself a full-time dad to April.
Marlon and Laurel look grim in their wedding snap (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
3. Laurel Thomas
Marlon and Laurel had what was deemed an emotional affair when she was married to Ashley Thomas. Given her faith and Ashley’s status as the local vicar, Laurel would not cheat however, and fought her feelings for Marlon despite how much she wanted to be with him.
Marlon and Laurel got married but Laurel’s struggles with alcoholism, just as Marlon was getting to know little April, proved too much for the couple and they split.
Jessie and Marlon surrounded by their friends and family as their surprise wedding (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
4. Jessie Grant
Marlon had a relationship with Carly Hope – Donna’s stepsister – for a while, but Carly left the village with her handsome ex-boyfriend Matt.
Marlon wasn’t single for long when he met son Leo’s headteacher, Jessie Grant. Jessie was still on the rebound from her last relationship, but after a while she and Marlon got together and even married in a surprise Christmas ceremony.
But Jessie’s sons Ellis and Billy, and her ex Al Chapman then turning up, all caused friction. Marlon and Jessie’s marriage just wasn’t strong enough and Jessie left for a new job in Dubai.
Rhona waited at the altar for Marlon, who had been learning to walk again (Credit: ITV)
5. Rhona – first, second and third time!
After their 2001 dalliance, Rhona and Marlon got back together when she returned for good in 2010. However Rhona soon fell for Marlon’s best friend Paddy.
It caused trouble, especially as Rhona was pregnant with Marlon’s baby. But the three of them eventually found a way to co-parent Leo happily.
Paddy cheated on Rhona and they split. She then married evil Pierce Harris and we all know how that ended. She went on to have relationships with Pete Barton and Graham Foster.
But eventually in 2021 she and Marlon rekindled their romance. They were hit by many a hurdle, but seemed to remain strong.Â
Their biggest test came in 2022 when Marlon suffered a stroke. He and Rhona had just proposed to each other when he collapsed at home. The road to recovery was long and tough for the couple, but Rhona stayed by his side throughout and they eventually married in August 2022.
They were again tested when Rhona found out her ex, Gus, had used her frozen embryos to have a baby with his new wife, Lucy. When Lucy died in childbirth, Rhona felt she was the right person to look after the daughter she deemed hers.
A fight with Gus over baby Ivy left her relationship with Marlon in tatters. Thankfully, they came through it and are now focused on their future as a family of five.
Tonight (Monday, September 9) in Emmerdale, Emma Barton makes a shock “return” from the grave as Moira Dingle hallucinates her back into existence.
Viewers will remember that Emma died after Moira pushed her off a bridge. Emma had been goading Moira over the death of her daughter Holly, who died following a drugs overdose, and Moira eventually snapped.
During her time in the village, Emma Barton caused chaos with her unhinged behaviour. Here, we take a look at her creepiest actions.
1. She lied about being ill
In order to stop her sons Pete and Finn from leaving, Emma came up with a shocking lie by pretending to have symptoms of motor neurone disease.
Emma later blackmailed Dr Bailey into backing up her claims. But, of course, the truth outed itself in the end.
Emma was reallyyyy creepy (Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (6897790s))
2. THAT wedding dress scene
After secretly discovering that James had confessed his love to Moira, Emma pretended she’d help take care of James and his broken leg. But in reality she mentally tortured him.
In scenes reminiscent of Stephen King’s classic horror film Misery, Emma was seen helping put James back to bed when he tried to escape her clutches.
When James woke up, he saw Emma wearing a wedding dress and preparing him a “romantic” meal. If that’s romance, we don’t want it!
3. Chicken slaughter
In the same set of episodes, Emma managed to burn their dinner.
But, being as unhinged as she was, she didn’t panic, she simply went outside and killed a chicken with a meat cleaver. She then cooked it and served it to James. Ew.
4. James’ death
James did eventually manage to escape her clutches, but Emma caught up with him on a bridge.
She pushed him over the edge onto Ashley Thomas’s car, causing him to crash. A crash that resulted in a 19-car pile up. This will forever be known as the Hotten Bypass Crash – the biggest ever crash in the Dales.
At the hospital, Emma berated James for betraying her and she considered sabotaging James’s oxygen tank. She changed her mind, but he later died of his injuries anyway.
Emma stopped at nothing (Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (6897994u))
5. Emma’s torture of Ashley
Nurse Emma reduced dementia sufferer Ashley to tears. After Ashley revealed he saw her the night James was killed, Emma was determined to make sure the information didn’t get out.
Emma muddled Ashley with information and used his illness as a weapon.
6. Revenge on Faith
Emma was appalled when Faith tried to stage a psychic night. Faith claimed she could contact James in the spirit world – something Emma insisted went against her Christian beliefs.
Later, as revenge, Emma grabbed a brick and would have hit Faith with it had she not been knocked down by Harriet’s van.
Following this, Emma became even more sure of religion and was convinced God had saved her life.
7. Emma kills her son
During a showdown with Moira in the barn, Emma was close to killing her love rival, but she changed her mind when she realised Moira was about to give birth to a baby which could be Pete’s.
When Adam arrived and saw Emma standing over his unconscious mum, he suspected the worst and chased Emma through the woods with a shotgun.
After a fight, Emma managed to get hold of the gun. She fired off a shot and run off. It was then revealed that Finn had just happened to be standing in the position where the gun had been fired. He later died of his injuries. Sobbbb!
8. Kidnap of baby Isaac
As if there wasn’t anything more Emma could do in her short time in the village, she added baby kidnap to the list.
After Moira regained consciousness in hospital, she was alarmed to learn that Emma had taken little baby Isaac. But, Moira got her revenge though and shoved Emma off a bridge – killing her.
The Barton family in Emmerdale burst onto our screens in 2009. The brood were the brainchild of the then executive producer Gavin Blyth, who wanted to overhaul the show by bringing in a sexy, modern farming family.
The Bartons were originally a five piece, made up of farmer John, his wife Moira and their three teenage children – Holly, Adam and Hannah.
Four years later saw the arrival of John’s older brother James Barton, and his three sons, Pete, Ross and Finn. And then along came James’s former wife, Emma – who definitely brought the drama with her.
Like the ill-fated King family, the Bartons rank up there with Emmerdale’s most cursed clans. Half of them are now six feet under and only Moira and Matty (formerly Hannah) remain in the village flying the Barton flag.
Here’s a breakdown of who is (or was) who in the brood and their major moments.
The most glam farmer around, Moira! (Credit: ITV)
Moira Dingle – nee Barton, matriarch of the family in Emmerdale
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 Butlers Farm from the newly-divorced Andy Sugden.
Moira and John were childhood sweethearts. They’d married young and had three teenage children – son Adam and daughters Holly and Hannah (who later transitioned to Matty).
On the outside, the Bartons were a solid couple. However, 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.
Two years later Moira’s world was shattered when daughter Holly died from a heroin overdose.
Happiness followed in 2017 when she gave birth to Cain’s son Isaac. But his arrival came as something of a shock to Moira, who didn’t realise she was pregnant.
Moira and Cain’s marriage has survived betrayals on both sides but they remain one of soap’s most popular partnerships.
The original head of the Barton family (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
John Barton
John Barton, played by James Thornton, was Moira’s first husband. A farmer by trade, John was a loyal and hardworking man who always tried to put his family first.
John had an older brother called James, but the pair fell out after James bedded Moira. Moira strayed again with Cain Dingle, which broke John’s heart and led him to end their marriage.
The couple came close to a reunion, but fate dealt them a cruel blow when John was killed in a car crash.
Holly’s addiction saw her meet a tragic end (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Holly Barton
Holly Barton, played by Sophie Powles, was Moira and John’s first-born child.
The party-loving schoolgirl was the most unruly of the Barton kids. After a brief fling with a still-closeted Aaron Dingle, Holly began dabbling with cocaine.
Her recreational drug use spiraled into an uncontrollable heroin addiction, which saw her resorting to theft and prostitution to fund her habit. Moira and John took action and forced Holly to go cold turkey. But the trauma of her dad’s death caused her to relapse.
After eventually getting clean Holly moved to London with her sister Hannah in 2012.
She returned four years later on the run from a drug dealer.
Sadly Holly couldn’t beat her addiction and suffered a fatal overdose in September 2016. The character’s death, which wasn’t announced before transmission, has gone down as one of Emmerdale’s most dramatic exits.
He could come back… (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Adam Barton
Adam Barton, played by Adam Thomas, is the son of Moira and her late brother-in-law James. He didn’t discover the identity of his biological dad until he was in his twenties, and had always assumed he was the son of John.
A down to earth cheeky chap, Adam struck up a bromance with Aaron Dingle, which endured throughout his time in the village.
Adam married Victoria Sugden in 2015. However, his fertility problems meant the couple were unable to have children.
The character left the village in 2018 after admitting to the murder of his aunt Emma Barton, to protect his mum Moira, who was the real killer. After ‘confessing’ to the crime, Adam decided to go on the run and escaped in a shipping container.
Now divorced from Vic, Adam remains a fugitive and is living abroad somewhere.
Things have been hard for Matty this year (Credit: ITV)
Matty Barton
Matty Barton – formerly known as Hannah – is Moira and John’s youngest child.
The character, who has been played by Ash Palmisciano since 2018, identified as female during his early years in the village.
As a teenager, Matty was shy and had a string of short-lived flings with unsuitable lads. After flunking his A-levels, Matty went to live in London with his sister Holly.
During his time there, Hannah transitioned to male and changed his name to Matty.
He returned to Emmerdale in 2018 and underwent top surgery the following year.
Matty got his happy ever after in 2024 when he married long term girlfriend Amy Wyatt.
However a stint in prison earlier this year has changed him for good. In a male prison, forced to hide his trans secret, Matty, who was innocent, found life very hard. He even arranged for his cellmate to beat him up as he felt safer in hospital than inside.
James met a miserable end (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
James Barton and his family in Emmerdale
Fellow farmer and single dad James Barton, played by Bill Ward, set up home in village in October 2013. He was the brother of John Barton and father of Pete, Ross, Finn and Adam Barton (who was originally thought to be John’s son).
James and John had been close growing up, but became estranged after James slept with John’s wife Moira – which later transpired had resulted in her conceiving Adam.
James raised his sons Pete, Ross and Finn alone after ex-wife Emma walked out on them.
He started a romance with Woolpack landlady Chas Dingle, but she dumped him after Emma returned on the scene and schemed her way back into James’s affections.
James’s fate was sealed when he started to grow closer to Moira again. Jealous Emma held him hostage, and when he tried to escape her clutches she pushed him off a bridge. This started a chain of events that led to the Hotton Bypass Crash.
Miraculously, James survived the fall, but succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
James’s wife was unhinged (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Emma Barton
Emma Barton, played by Gillian Kearney, was the unhinged former wife of James Barton. She was also mum to his three sons, Pete, Ross and Finn.
The character had a complicated and messy backstory.
As a young mother, Emma had been gripped by postnatal depression and terrified of her husband James’s closeness to sister-in-law, Moira.
Pushed to the edge, she attempted to suffocate her middle son, Ross with a pillow – which was witnessed by his older brother, Pete. Emma had then fled, abandoning her family and wasn’t heard from for more than 20 years.
Two decades later, Emma was tracked down by her youngest lad, Finn and came to live in the village. She eventually reconciled with all her boys and got back together with ex-husband, James.
But Emma was unable to get over the revelation that James had fathered a child with Moira.
After making it look as if James’s fall was an accident, Emma got away with murder for 10 months until Finn found out the truth and she unintentionally shot him dead.
Emma met her own grisly end when she was pushed off a viaduct by sister-in-law Moira in a storyline dubbed ‘Who Killed Emma Barton?’
Love hasn’t always been lucky for Pete (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Pete Barton
Pete Barton, played by Anthony Quinlan, is the eldest son of the late James and Emma Barton and probably best remembered for his rivalry with brother Ross.
On the day of his wedding to Debbie Dingle, Pete discovered she’d been sleeping with Ross behind his back. But before he could do anything a helicopter crashed into their venue!
In the aftermath, Pete believed he’d killed Ross and drove his body to the woods, where he dumped him. Ross was later revealed to be alive, and Pete and Debbie got their marriage annulled.
Pete also had a short stint in prison after he assaulted Ross.
After failed romances with Tracy Robinson, Rhona Goskirk and making a pass at his Auntie Moira (ick!), Pete left the village in February 2020 to go and live with Ross in Liverpool.
An acid attack changed Ross’ life forever (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Ross Barton
Ross Barton is the bad boy middle son of the late James and Emma Barton.
He was a hugely popular character and actor Michael Parr won numerous awards for his portrayal of the Dales bad lad.
The stereotypical black sheep of the family, Ross preferred to play by his own rules. Ross was initially characterised as a criminal. His first appearance saw him hijacking Laurel Thomas’s car.
But underneath that hard man exterior was a soft centre, which was shown during his romance with cancer-stricken Donna Windsor.
Ross had an eye for the ladies – he bedded Charity Dingle (which resulted in her getting pregnant with Moses) and also had an affair with her daughter Debbie.
After enduring the loss of his father James, Ross faced his darkest hour in 2018 when he was scarred for life in a targeted acid attack.
Later that year, Ross decided he was done with the Dales and left to start a new life with his girlfriend Rebecca White and her son Sebastian.
Shot by his own mother (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Tragic Finn Barton in Emmerdale
Finn Barton was Pete and Emma’s youngest son and little brother to Ross and Pete.
The character was played by Joe Gill.
Studious, and far more sensible than both his brothers, Finn had just finished a degree in economics when he arrived in the village. With big plans to travel in Asia, Finn took on a job as a cleaner at The Grange B&B to earn money.
Finn was openly gay, but didn’t have much luck with men. One particular date, Brad, spiked his drink, which resulted in Finn ending up in hospital.
He was besties with Victoria Sugden, and they made a pact to marry if they both reached 30 and were still single.
In 2015, Finn tracked down his estranged mum Emma and forgave her for running out on them when he was a baby.
Unfortunately his decision to allow Emma back into his life proved to be fatal one.
Finn died in 2017 after being accidentally shot by Emma.
He was taken to hospital but suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away, aged just 25.
Ruby is the latest Emmerdale resident to become a victim of Moira Dingle’s anger, as she is treated to a classic Soapland-style headbutt in Wednesday’s episode (September 4.)Â Moira becomes convinced Ruby is trying to seduce Cain and sees red, which is a common theme for her at the moment.
Ruby isn’t the only one to be targeted by Moira’s head over the years, as Charity also once received a headbutt. Elsewhere, plenty of Emmerdale residents have been at the receiving end of one of Moira’s slaps and some have even had the farmer point a gun at them.
Here, we take a look at some of Moira’s best showdowns over the years on Emmerdale.
Moira lets Ruby know how she feels (Credit: ITV)
Moira headbutts Ruby in Emmerdale
She’s been acting erratic for weeks now, with her husband Cain bearing the brunt of most of Moira’s outbursts. However, Moira has a new target this week, in the form of Ruby.
In Wednesday’s episode (4 September), she heads round to Ruby’s house and accuses her of trying to seduce Cain. Baffled by the accusations, Ruby attempts to defuse the situation.
As Cain and Caleb arrive, Moira proceeds to headbutt Ruby. She falls onto the sofa, covering her face in pain as Cain and Caleb watch on in horror. Cain rushes to restrain Moira and later leads her away, before demanding to know what is going on with her. Oh, wouldn’t we all like to know the answer to that one?!
Moira headbutted Charity during a row over Debbie (Credit: ITV)
Charity’s ‘gift from Glasgow’
Ruby isn’t the first Emmerdale resident to get a headbutt off Moira. Back in 2017, she took aim at Charity while the pair were embroiled in an argument over Debbie.
Charity ripped into Moira during the scene. She mocked her job as a farmer and brought up Cain’s affair, before impersonating her Scottish accent. Moira responded with a simple headbutt, declaring it to be a “gift from Glasgow.” This scene will forever go down in soap history as one of the most iconic showdowns of all time (well, at least we think so!)
Moira killed Emma after a huge showdown (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale Moira showdown: Emma’s death
Moira’s biggest showdown occurred in 2017, when she killed Emma Barton. She and Emma hadn’t seen eye-to-eye for a long while.
Emma had attempted to murder Moira by starting a fire in a barn (oh, how history is about to repeat itself with this one next week) but Emma ended up rescuing her as she went into labour. Emma then tried to steal Moira’s baby, Isaac. Moira also found out that Emma was the one who shot her nephew Finn (bless Finn.)
All of this led to a huge showdown between Moira and Emma on the bridge. While Moira urged Emma to tell the truth, Emma lashed out and began taunting her about Holly’s death. Moira then pushed Emma off the bridge, resulting in her death.
Chrissie was on the receiving end of Moira’s right hook (Credit: ITV)
Moira punches Chrissie
Back in 2015, Moira found out Cain and Chrissie had shared a kiss. If you don’t know what happened next, we’re sure you have a good idea!
As Chrissie and Robert were rowing about their failed marriage, Moira conveniently drove past. She marched up to Chrissie, while Cain watched, and punched her straight in the face.
Chrissie was knocked onto the bonnet of a car while Robert restrained Moira. She proceeded to scream and shout at both Cain and Chrissie, before driving off in her car – simply iconic!
Moira met her match with Chas (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale Moira showdown: The Chas Dingle slap
Loyal Emmerdale fans will recall the moment Moira took on Chas in 2012. Moira confronted Chas after becoming convinced Chas was sleeping with her husband John.
Chas was quick to lay out the facts to Moira. She stated she hadn’t slept with John but made no secret of them flirting, before bringing up Moira’s affair with Cain and pointing out the irony.
Moira slapped Chas round the face, but Chas remained unfazed. She informed Moira she would “knock her into next week” if she touched her again. We look forward to Chas Vs. Moira round two!
Moira isn’t afraid to bring out the big guns (Credit: ITV)
Kim and Jamie held at gunpoint in Emmerdale
In 2021, Moira decided she’d had enough of Kim and Jamie. She headed round to Home Farm with her shotgun and held them both at gunpoint to make sure they knew she meant business.
Kim was in the middle of a business meeting and unsurprisingly she didn’t secure the deal. She was largely unfazed by Moira’s threats, and the gun pointed at her forehead, but Jamie was terrified.
Moira shot a vase to make them both know she was serious about using her gun. However, she pretended to shoot Kim but the other barrel wasn’t loaded. Moira informed Kim and Jamie that next time things would be worse, before making a dramatic exit.
Moira pinned Kim against a wall (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale Moira showdown: Moira Vs. Kim
There’s few people that would cross Kim Tate, but Moira has never been afraid to take on the scheming matriarch.
In 2019, Moira barged into Home Farm and proceeded to pin Kim against the wall. She demanded to know what Kim was up to after apparently getting the police off Cain’s back. Kim was unaware of the situation, but hid this from Moira and continued to antagonise her.
Amelia Spencer has just turned eighteen and is looking forward to her first legal drink over in Emmerdale (emphasis on legal here.)
Whilst she’s only just become an adult, Amelia’s had to grow up quite fast due to a very chaotic and dramatic childhood.
Not sure what we’re talking about? Stay seated! Here’s a rundown of Amelia’s time in the Dales so far!
Pageant princess (Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (3596353kz))
Emmerdale: Amelia Spencer’s younger years
Amelia grew up as a child believing that Dan Spencer was her biological father. She divided her time between Dan and his partner Kerry, and her mum Ali and her partner Ruby.
Her parents supported her as Amelia got all dolled up and competed in beauty pageants, proving to be quite the little diva at a young age.
With being a beauty princess consuming lots of her time, this didn’t stop Amelia from devoting herself to God, being a passionate Christian. However, this relationship was tested on multiple occasions as she faced heartbreak and grieved the loss of multiple loved ones.
Ruby died in the helicopter crash (Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (8876362f))
Loss and tragedy
In 2015, Amelia’s world turned upside down when her mum Ali’s partner Ruby Haswell died in a helicopter crash that struck the Village Hall during Debbie and Pete’s wedding. (Seriously, poor Ruby died in HORRENDOUS circumstances!)
Whilst Ali, Rachel and Archie Breckle all decided to leave the village to be closer to Amelia’s brother – Sean Spencer, Amelia stayed put.
In 2018 though, Amelia learned that her mum had sadly passed away, with Daz Spencer informing her of this devastating news…
Dan isn’t Amelia’s biological father! (Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (9627253p))
Daddy drama
With Dan having a go at Daz for telling Amelia about Ali’s death, Daz then fought for a chance to remain in Amelia’s life.
He then admitted to Kerry that he could prove that Dan wasn’t actually Amelia’s biological father – but he was instead!
Dan broke this news to Amelia but it’s fair to say that she didn’t take it very well at all…
Amelia made friends with Beth (Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (9772102av))
Doing a runner
After realising that Daz was actually her dad, Amelia went missing and caused a police investigation to take place.
It turned out that Amelia was living with a girl called Beth who had made friends with the youngster over an online chatroom.
Beth started to manipulate Amelia, trying to isolate her from her family. Fortunately, Amelia safely later returned home and reunite with her worried loved ones.
Amelia went into labour during the storm (Credit: ITV)
Teenage pregnancy and the arrival of Esther
In 2022, a fifteen year old Amelia got drunk at a party and ended up sleeping with Samson Dingle.
She ended up getting pregnant with his baby, but for quite some time a misunderstanding saw Charity believe that Noah was the baby’s father.
Samson wanted nothing to do with the unborn baby, with Amelia going into labour during Super Soap Week of 2022 as she became trapped in a life-threatening storm.
Fortunately, Amelia made it out alive and gave birth to baby Esther with Charity and Kerry by her side.
She started to date Noah, with Samson then trying to intervene and get rid of his daughter by reporting Amelia to social services. Samson also blackmailed Noah into giving him money to remain in Esther’s life. His schemes were soon uncovered though, with Amelia raising Esther with mainly Noah’s support going forward.
Dan tried to protect Amelia (Credit: ITV)
Stalker horror and Dan’s sentencing
In 2023, Amelia started working for Mandy at the salon to raise a bit more money to care for Esther.
However, after posting some beauty tutorial videos online, Amelia was then stalked by a creepy, older, male fan called Lloyd.
As Lloyd started turning up at the salon and making her feel comfortable, Dan found out and punched Lloyd down to the ground.
This single punch put Lloyd into a coma and ended up killing him. Dan was then sent to prison for manslaughter, with a sentence of eight years.
Amelia now lives in the Woolpack with Esther and continues to work at Pampamanda.
Amelia Spencer’s just turned 18, with her birthday being on 31st August. But, one person who will be missing from her celebrations is Dan Spencer.
Yes, Amelia’s dad – Dan – is currently doing time in prison after punching a super creepy online stalker of Amelia’s so hard that he killed him. He’s serving an eight year stint inside for the manslaughter of Lloyd.
But, what exactly happened for Dan to turn into a killer? And, what is Emmerdale actor Liam Fox up to now? Here’s all the goss!
Dan is doing eight years inside (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale: Dan Spencer’s doing time
Last August, Dan Spencer switched the Dales for prison as he was sentenced to eight years behind bars. Whilst Dan may’ve seemed like a super unlikely villain, one single punch switched up his fate.
Starting work at the salon, Amelia soon started uploading online beauty tutorials last year. But, she was soon put in danger when an online fan – Lloyd – started turning up at the salon, stalking her.
Trying to protect Amelia, Dan then punched Lloyd to the ground. However, this single punched proved to be fatal.
Dan had initially made out that he’d been the hero who saved Lloyd’s life but was eventually charged. He was then sentenced to eight years for the manslaughter of Lloyd, with Amelia later moving out of the family home with Esther and moving into the Woolpack thanks to Chas’ kindness.
It’s been a year since Liam left the soap (Credit: ITV)
What is Emmerdale star Liam Fox up to nowadays?
It’s almost been a whole year since Dan left the Dales so you might be wondering what Liam Fox has gotten up to since his soap exit.
Well, Liam’s actually switched up things a little bit and has traded the small screen for the stage.
He’s currently starring in the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on its UK tour, playing the role of Grandpa Potts.
Liam recently celebrated the tour’s 100th show, enjoying bringing joy to theatre-goers across the nation!
It was reported earlier in the summer that actor Jurell, 32, might be on his way out of the ITV soap – and an “explosive” exit could be in the works.
An anonymous insider is said to have told The Sun back in June: “Nate has been at the centre of some huge storylines and his exit will be no different,†a source told the publication.
Nate Robinson will definitely be missed, as will Jurell (Credit: YouTube)
“It will be dramatic and explosive and will go down in Emmerdale history. It won’t be one to miss.
“Jurell has loved being on the soap but he’s a young actor and it’s understandable he wants to spread his wings. Five years is a good run but he feels it’s time.”
So, with that in mind, here’s everything we know about what’s been claimed about Nate‘s – and Jurell’s – departure from the Dales.
Could Tracy and Nate be split up again just as they’re working things out together? (Credit: ITV)
Her jealousy builds as Nate is evasive, pulling away to speak on the phone. And he doesn’t offer all that much detail about who he speaks to or what the call is about, either.
It soon becomes apparent that the thought of Nate having met someone is bothering her.
However, as it turns out, Nate isn’t taking secretive calls from another love interest (although you can understand why Tracy might not put that past him.)
Instead, he’s been offered work in Scotland, which isn’t exactly a few fields over from the village.
Is travelling north for a job how Nate might move on from Emmerdale?
It had recently been looking like Nate and Tracy might be able to patch things up between them.
A reunion might even have appeared to be on the cards. However, it seems now that Nate and Tracy will feature in the upcoming massive barn fire storyline.
So now we’re concerned that Nate might not head up to the Highlands, and actually end up a victim of the blaze instead as he’s seen running towards the barn fire in the soap’s latest promo trailer for September.
Ahead of that, however, it seems another nasty shock is in store for Nate and Tracy.
After Nate opens up to Mack about relocating, the pressure is soon on him to make a decision.
Set a deadline of the next day to make his mind up, Nate is said to be torn about what to do.
He does finally share his news with Tracy, but both are reluctant to fully address about how they feel about each other.
Additionally, the pair are then hit with another worrying matter as they realised their young daughter Frankie has disappeared.
A frantic search proves fruitless, and they have to turn to the police for help.
But will Franke be found? Will Nate survive long enough to move to Scotland? And if he does, will Tracy or Frankie be joining him?
In recent weeks, Emmerdale fans have watched as Moira has started drinking again and showing signs of volatile and worrying behaviour.
She’s struggled with alcohol for several years, and since son Matty’s wrongful incarceration earlier this year, alcohol has once again become her friend.
Despite Matty being released, Moira’s erratic behaviour has continued. Here’s all you need to know about the farmer’s history with booze.
Moira has her family worried again (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale: Why did Moira start drinking?
Back in 2019, Moira started an affair with Nate after she felt neglected by husband Cain. However, it turned out that Nate was Cain’s secret son – because of course he was, this is SoapLand after all.
When the affair came to light, Moira struggled to cope with everyone judging her. She hit rock bottom and hit the bottle.
The drinking continued and she found herself even more ostracized by her family.
Nate and Moira had an affair (Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (10415996p))
Why the drinking was so bad
Moira’s drinking almost caused her to lose everything and everybody she loved. Her marriage to Cain was at breaking point (no thanks to her affair with Cain’s son Nate) before they managed to salvage it. But even worse, Moira put her children in danger.
On one occasion, she was supposed to be looking after her young son Isaac.
Instead of being a doting mother, she passed out drunk on the sofa and ignored the youngster’s calls for help during the night.
It was down to Moira’s friend Vanessa to take Isaac to the doctor the following day when it was clear he was unwell and Moira was in no state to do it herself.
Other scenes saw her ruin deals with suppliers after being aggressive and getting on the booze in the morning. She also abandoned her children to go on alcohol runs, even risking getting behind the wheel.
On another occasion she passed out drunk in a ditch after narrowly avoiding being hit by a car.
Will Moira go back to her old ways? (Credit: ITV)
Has Moira relapsed?
Moira relapsed back in 2022 following the killing of Al Chapman. Moira struggled to cope after Cain took the blame and hid the truth that the real culprit was actually his son Kyle.
The relapse was short-lived, but recent weeks have seen Moira once again acting volatile towards those around her, with Cain worrying when he discovered she’d been hiding booze.
Her son Matty’s wrongful arrest for stabbing Samson was the trigger. But despite Matty being released, Moira has struggled to forgive the Dingle family for not standing by her innocent son.
Moira has also argued with those closest to her – including Matty and Cain, exchanging some particularly harsh words.
Matty and Cain came together in an attempt to get Moira to see a doctor after Matty caught his mum sleeping on the sofa during the day. But Moira opted to grab a bottle of alcohol and go off drinking alone.
Will Moira go back to her old ways? And if so, will her marriage to Cain survive it again?
