Today’s episode of Classic Emmerdale (Wednesday, October 23 on ITV3) sees Nicola Blackstock leave the soap in an explosive exit from the village. This comes as Laurel lets slip that Nicola lied about sleeping with binman Ivan – leading to a shocking confrontation between Nicola and her friends and family.
Since her arrival in 2001, Nicola would go on to become one of the soap’s most iconic characters – an ambitious businesswoman, ruthless gold-digger, shameless cheat and eventual wife to Jimmy King.
Nicola was all smiles when she first arrived in the village (Credit: Shutterstock)
Arrival in Emmerdale, personality change and explosive exit
Nicola first arrived as the estranged half-sister of Bernice Blackstock. Together with father Rodney, Nicola soon made herself at home in the village, initially growing close to her older half-sister.
However, their relationship soured after the affair between Bernice and Nicola’s man – chef Carlos Diaz. In the ensuing fallout – which included her pretending to be pregnant so as to not lose Carlos – the meek Nicola underwent a massive personality change. It was then that she became the nasty Nicola we all know and fear.
In 2002, she caused outrage by seducing a young Robert Sudgen, brutally dumping him the following year for builder Syd Wolfe. After her relationship with fishmonger Simon Meredith left her feeling bored, Nicola attempted to seduce brother Paul’s lover – bisexual binman Ivan.
He turned her down, but that didn’t stop Nicola from lying about them being together, only being caught out after admitting the truth to Laurel.
After her lies became public, Nicola decided to leave the village.
Nicola attempted to seduce her own brother’s boyfriend (Credit: Shutterstock)
Why did Nicola Wheeler leave Emmerdale?
Actress Nicola Wheeler originally decided to exit the soap in 2006, so as to pursue other roles. It was announced the following year that she would be returning to the soap, reprising the role only eighteen months later.
Scheming Nicola plotted to take the money of businessman Donald De Souza (Credit: Shutterstock)
When did Nicola return to Emmerdale?
A year later, Nicola returned to the village, eyeing up her old cleaning business – since purchased by David Metcalfe. Seducing David, Nicola was exposed for yet more lies – having tried to pass herself off as a widow.
Not true: husband Donald De Souza still lived, but was in a coma following a brain hemorrhage. After Donald regained consciousness, a horrified Nicola plotted to kill him for the inheritance money. The plan ultimately fell apart when she confessed, managing to convince Donald not to call the police.
Nicola flitted between jobs in the months which followed – scrubbing floors for David, driving Paddy around town, and even attempting to write a children’s book based on her father’s carnival exploits. Eventually, she obtained a job as Home Farm‘s estate manager.
Nicola and Jimmy married after she fell pregnant with his daughter (Credit: Shutterstock)
How did Nicola meet Jimmy King?
Nicola began a relationship with Jimmy King, the eldest of the three King sons. Although he initially dismissed her as a gold digger the pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Soon afterwards, she fell pregnant with his child, and gave birth to their daughter Angelica later that year.
Things have hardly been smooth sailing for Nicola and Jimmy. In 2011, Jimmy suffered memory loss after a road accident and, in the ensuing confusion, was tricked into an affair with Kelly Windsor.
They may bicker and argue, but Jimmy and Nicola are one of the soap’s strongest couples (Credit: ITV)
How many children do Nicola and Jimmy have together?
Although Nicola and Jimmy reconciled, his time with Kelly resulted in the birth of son Elliot, who he met for the first time in 2011. Jimmy fathered another child three years later during a mix-up with a fertility clinic – Carl Jr, who he shared with a woman named Juliette.
As these women left his life, Jimmy and Nicola remained with their family; with Nicola coming to view Elliot and Carl Jr as her own. In recent months, the family have struggled – with Angelica sentenced to time behind bars after driving the car which ultimately killed Heath Hope.
In Angelica’s absence, the family has found a new addition to its ranks – Jimmy’s nephew, Tom, who is staying with the family following the collapse of his marriage to Belle King. But with Tom secretly menacing Carl, things can’t stay quiet for long.
How long before Nicola starts to cotton on to Tom’s darker side?
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.
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Caleb Miligan in Emmerdale is a successful, but ruthless, businessman with an eye for the ladies.
A vendetta against Kim Tate brought him to the village. However it wasn’t clear at first how they were connected. Soon all was revealed about Caleb and his connections to Emmerdale.
Now Caleb’s playing happy families with the Dingles, but his weird obsession with Kim isn’t going anywhere.
Cain was not impressed by Caleb’s arrival (Credit: ITV)
Who is Caleb Miligan in Emmerdale?
Caleb 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 and he was taken into care.
Growing up in the foster system, Caleb had an unstable and lonely childhood. He was estranged from his older brother and sister, Cain and Chas Dingle – the latter only learning of his existence in 2022. He reconnected with them as adults, but it’s been a rocky road to cordial family relations!
Caleb is married to Ruby Fox-Miligan. They’re childhood sweethearts and Ruby walked away from her cruel but rich parents to be with Caleb.
The pair are parents to son Nicky who left the village after being fed up with his manipulative mum and dad. And it was recently revealed they also have a daughter – Steph – who’s not talking to her parents, either.
Steph’s been mentioned so many times recently, she must be on her way to the village soon!
Caleb has a weakness for women and has enjoyed romantic liaisons with Leyla Harding and Charity Dingle. Most recently he embarked on a high risk affair with Tracy Robinson – the wife of his nephew, Nate.
Long-lost brother Caleb paid Cain a visit to wish him a Merry Christmas (Credit: ITV)
Caleb Miligan arrives in Emmerdale
Caleb turned up in the Dales on Christmas Day 2022. He was discovered by Chas standing at the grave of their mother, Faith Dingle, who’d recently passed away from breast cancer.
Caleb’s arrival threw the Dingles into crisis, as it transpired Cain had lied to Caleb that their mother had died 30 years previously.
The brothers’ feud rumbled on for a few months, but they reconciled after Caleb helped get Cain’s young son Kyle Winchester out of youth offenders when he admitted to the murder of Al Chapman.
The road was rocky, with Cain feeling obliged to take Nate’s side after Caleb broke up his nephew’s marriage. But they seem back on track again now.
Kim eventually caught on to Caleb’s conniving (Credit: ITV)
Caleb’s vendetta against Kim Tate
Caleb was harbouring a huge secret when he showed up in the village – he was the son of Frank Tate.
The-then owner of Home Farm suffered a fatal heart attack in 1997 was left to die by his former wife Kim Tate. Having learnt the truth, Caleb vowed to avenge his father’s death.
He roped his son, Nicky Miligan, into the plan, and together they plotted to take Kim for every penny. Gay Nicky even pretended to be straight to woo Gabby Thomas so he could get his hands on her shares of the Tate empire. However guilt soon got the better of him when his ex-boyfriend returned and wanted to make a go of things.
Caleb’s meddling resulted in Moira Dingle having to sell her farm. But Caleb was caught out at the eleventh hour when Kim realised he was stealing from her.
With his true identity revealed, Caleb set about making an enemy of just about everyone in the village. He ended up being pushed off a ridge by an unknown assailant.
This person was later revealed to be Nicky, who’d had enough of his father’s scheming. Caleb made a full recovery and chose not to shop his own son to the cops.
Things got steamy for Caleb and Tracy (Credit: ITV)
His steamy affairs
Smooth-talking Caleb doesn’t have any difficulty in attracting members of the opposite sex.
He’s bedded both Leyla Harding and Charity Dingle, and then started a torrid affair with Tracy Robinson – who happened to be married to his nephew, Nate, at the time.
Unable to resist their feelings for one another, Caleb and Tracy started sneaking around in October 2023. But their affair was outed in dramatic fashion by Caleb’s vengeful wife Ruby at Belle and Tom Dingle’s wedding.
Talk about a passion killer!
Talk about a rocky relationship! (Credit: ITV)
Reunited with Ruby
Caleb has always been vocal about the fact he has a wife, but viewers were led to believe he was estranged from Ruby Fox-Miligan.
Turned out, he was lying about that, too.
Her arrival in January 2024 gave everyone a shock when Nate discovered Caleb and Ruby romping on the sofa of Mill Cottage. Their relationship is full of fire and passion, but on paper, Caleb and Ruby are total opposites.
She’s from a respectable family and he’s a bad boy, done good. The couple have been together since they were teenagers .
Ruby was forced by her family to choose between them and Caleb, and she picked him.
Although they don’t have an ‘open marriage’, Ruby is aware her husband has had flings with other women while she’s been absent from his life. Tracy was a particularly painful episode for her as she could see he’d developed feelings for her and it wasn’t just another fling.
But Caleb recently lied to Ruby about her dying mum, and pocketed £100,000 from his mother-in-law, and lied about that, too. Ruby’s devastated by her husband’s
Will is a familiar face to soap fans (Credit: ITV)
Who plays Caleb Miligan in Emmerdale?
Caleb Miligan in Emmerdale is played by British actor William Ash. He was born on January 13, 1977, making him 47 years old.
William was raised Chadderton, Greater Manchester. He attended the same secondary school as Jeff Hordley, who plays his on-screen brother, Cain.
His first TV role was aged 10, playing a character called Spike in rival northern soap Coronation Street.
William has had roles in many popular TV dramas including, Making Out, Where the Heart Is, Clocking Off, Children’s Ward, Burn It, All the King’s Men, Shameless, Doctor Who, Death in Paradise, Wanderlust and Moving On.
And between 2009 and 2011, he played deputy headteacher Christopher Mead in the BBC series Waterloo Road.
He is a dad of two, but chooses to keep his personal life out of the spotlight.
William’s cousin is the actor Peter Ash, who plays Coronation Street’s Paul Foreman.
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 favourite Chastity ‘Chas’ Dingle is the much-loved manager of The Woolpack and has been a resident of the village for more than 20 years.
She went through a rocky patch when fans turned on her over her affair with bad boy Al Chapman, but her recent battle with breast cancer, and her on-off romance with Dr Liam seems to have won the viewers’ hearts once more.
But she’s certainly had quite the time during her years in the Dales!
Chas Dingle in Emmerdale is the Queen of the Woolpack (Credit: ITV)
Who is Chas Dingle in Emmerdale?
A real chip off the old Dingle family block, she’s 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. She’s also a cousin to Charity, Sam, Marlon and Belle Dingle.
Chas has been married three times, and divorced her most recent husband Paddy Kirk after her infidelity with Al Chapman.
She’s fiercely protective of her family, but hasn’t always been the model parent. Chas has a stormy and complicated past with her eldest child, son Aaron, who she gave birth to at just 14.
And after losing her first daughter Grace in 2018, Chas went on to have Eve.
Chas recently faced one of the toughest battles of her life after being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, the same disease that claimed the life of her mum, Faith.
Talk about a close family! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Chas’s arrival in the Dales
Viewers first sighting of Chas was when she turned up to her cousin Marlon Dingle’s stag do dressed as a nun. She was the stripper – awkward!
After ending up homeless, she moved in with the Dingles and got a job pulling pints at the Woolie.
During this time she made several attempts to reconcile with estranged son Aaron, who she had left in the care of his birth dad Gordon Livesey.
Aaron wasn’t interested so Chas walked away again. However, she was unaware that Gordon was sexually abusing their lad. The guilt of that discovery, years later, is something that’s haunted Chas ever since.
Carl had no idea what was coming (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Doomed romance with Carl King
Soon after her arrival in the Dales, Chas began an intense on/off romance with Carl King.
Chas forgave a lot of Carl’s indiscretions, but the final straw came when she discovered he was having an affair with Eve Jenson.
Following Charity’s advice to take cheating Carl for every penny, Chas proposed and made out she was pregnant.
The date was set for Christmas 2010, but on their wedding day, Chas exacted her revenge. She jilted Carl at the altar and revealed there was no baby.
In 2012 Carl made a last-ditch attempt to win back Chas. By this point he was public enemy No.1 in the village and had discovered she was having an affair with Cameron Murray, who was Debbie’s boyfriend. Chas was also engaged to Dan Spencer at the time. Carl began blackmailing her and became obsessed with winning her back.
After her wedding to Dan, Chas tried to flee to escape Carl’s reign of terror. Carl caught her and attempted to rape her, but she fought back – hitting him over the head with a brick, which led her to believe she’d killed him. Of course, viewers knew it was actually Cameron Murray who had delivered the fatal blow, but he allowed Chas to believe she was responsible for Carl’s death.
Chas stood trial for murder, but was found not guilty.
Chas made it official with Paddy, but then cheated (Credit: ITV)
The other relationships of Chas Dingle in Emmerdale
Chas also betrayed her niece Debbie Dingle by sleeping with her partner, Cameron Murray.
During a break in their secret relationship, Chas married dependable Dan Spencer.
The couple said ‘I do’ in a joint wedding ceremony alongside Katie Sugden and Declan Macey, which formed part of the soap’s live 40th anniversary episode.
But marriage was over before it began. And Chas resumed her relationship with Cameron. Unbeknownst to her, Cameron was a murderer – and responsible for the death of her half-sister, Gennie.
Things between Chas and Cameron eventually turned ugly, and as revenge he held her hostage in the Woolpack before perishing in the pub’s flooded cellar.
In late 2015 Chas reconnected with her ex, Aaron’s dad, Gordon. They planned a future together until Aaron dropped the bombshell his dad has sexually abused him as a child. Chas vowed to make Gordon pay and eventually he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. He then took his own life in his cell.
You’d think Chas would have learnt her lesson by the time she settled down with loveable Paddy Kirk. But no.
A disastrous affair with conman Al Chapman put paid to Chas’s marriage and resulted in her losing her beloved Woolpack. It also meant she missed the death of her mother, Faith, when she was away at a spa hotel with Al.
Chas and Dr Liam have proper chemistry but Liam’s started a relationship with Ella, even though he clearly has feelings for Chas.
Can they make a go of it?
Aside from romantic interests, the other most significant male in Chas’s life is her son, Aaron. The pair have a tempestuous relationship, but reunited after Aaron learnt about his mum’s cancer diagnosis.
The Woolpack is everything to Chas (Credit: ITV)
Her reign at The Woolpack
One of the greatest losses of Chas’s life was having to stand down as landlady of The Woolpack. Arguably the village pub is the real love of her life.
Chas started working at the village boozer shortly after her arrival in 2002 and was an instant hit with the punters. After a number of years as barmaid, she became co-owner alongside landlady Diane Sugden.
Then in 2016, Diane retired and handed the reins over to Chas. She decided to bring in her cousin Charity to help run the show, but their partnership soon went sour.
Chas’s ultimate downfall came when she allowed dodgy businessman Al Chapman to buy into The Woolpack. He was secretly plotting to turn it into flats though and he ended up torching the pub in an insurance scam.
Following the fire, Chas was forced to sell up to Charity and her son, Ryan Stocks, but kept her foot in by working as The Woolpack’s manager. She also still lives in the accommodation.
The loss of Grace was devastating for Paddy and Chas (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Losing Grace
In early 2018, Chas was surprised but delighted to discover she and Paddy were expecting.
However, tragedy struck when their unborn daughter was diagnosed with the fatal condition bilateral renal agenesis. It meant her kidneys would not develop properly and she would not survive long after birth.
Chas made the gut-wrenching decision to continue with the pregnancy to term, and gave birth to their daughter Grace, who passed away shortly afterwards.
Happiness followed the following year when Chas gave birth to another little girl, who she and Paddy named Eve.
Chas has faced this head on (Credit: ITV)
Cancer battle
Chas’s world was turned upside down in early 2024 when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer.
Further tests revealed Chas is a carrier of the faulty BRCA2 gene, which increased her risk of developing certain cancers.
Chas made the brave decision to undergo a double mastectomy.
She also encouraged the rest of the Dingle family to undergo genetic testing to see if they had inherited the same BRAC2 faulty gene. Brothers Cain and Caleb were clear, but son Aaron has also got the gene. He took the news badly, but Chas has supported him as he came to terms with what it could mean.
Actress Lucy is a far cry from her alter ego (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Who plays Chas Dingle in Emmerdale?
Chas Dingle in Emmerdale is played by actress Lucy Pargeter.
Before shooting to fame on the Yorkshire-based soap, Lucy had roles in dramas such as Soldier Soldier, Dalziel and Pascoe and the revival of soap Crossroads in 2002.
She was also a member of girl group Paperdolls, who toured with boyband Boyzone in the 1990s.
Tinkerbelle Lisa ‘Belle’ Dingle is a member of the iconic Dingle family in Emmerdale.
Poor Belle was a promising businesswoman and wedding planner at Take A Vow until her abusive marriage to Tom King derailed her plan.
Now she’s lost her beloved dad, Zak, is struggling to cope with the fallout of her marriage, and is generally finding it hard to get through every day.
So what’s Belle all about?
She’s been through the ringer since her surprise birth! (Credit: ITV)
Who is Belle Dingle in Emmerdale?
Belle was the youngest daughter of Zak Dingle and the only child of his late wife, Lisa Dingle. She has six half-siblings – Nathan, the late Ben and Butch, Sam, Cain and Tina Dingle, who’s just shown up in the village for the first time in almost 30 years.
Belle was born and raised in Wishing Well Cottage and as the youngest of her brothers and sister was doted on by the rest of the Dingle family. She made her first appearance on Christmas Day 1998 and viewers have watched the character grow up on screen.
Belle is a smart and educated cookie, but very much a Dingle at heart.
The part was originally played by twins Emily and James Mather. James stopped appearing in 2000 and Emily in 2005 when Eden Taylor-Draper took over the role.
Belle’s journey has been nothing short of dramatic. Her storylines have included a surviving a near-fatal fall down a mineshaft, accidentally killing her best friend, an affair with a married man, faking a pregnancy and a battle with schizophrenia.
In February 2024, Belle married her ex-boyfriend and village vet, Thomas King. The pair originally dated as teenagers and reconnected when Tom returned to the village after several years living abroad.
Sadly, married life has not got off to a happy start for Belle, who has fallen victim to her husband’s coercive control.
The new parents were surprised by her arrival! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Belle’s dramatic arrival
Belle’s arrival was nothing short of memorable. She was born in the pigsty of Wishing Well Cottage on December 25, 1998 – and her mum, Lisa Dingle had no idea she was pregnant.
Local vet Paddy Kirk delivered Belle into the world – and Zak fainted in shock to find out he was a dad again for the seventh time.
Keeping in the Dingle tradition for unusual monikers, Lisa and Zak named their little Christmas miracle Tinkerbelle, Belle for short.
Zak decided to become a stay at home dad, but the realities of looking after a baby quickly sunk in. Belle was always incredibly close to her mum, Lisa, who sadly passed away in May 2019 – just days after revealing she had been diagnosed with amyloidosis.
Dad Zak died earlier this month, leaving the Dingles devastated.
Belle’s brush with death
Belle was a strong-willed and adventurous child – something which often landed her in danger.
Tragedy almost struck in 2005 when Belle fell down a mine shaft after chasing after friend Daz Eden’s pet ferret Spike. Daz went to Belle’s aid and ended up falling into the shaft too.
The pair nearly drowned in the freezing water, but were rescued by the Dingles and fire brigade.
Belle didn’t mean to kill her friend (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Belle Dingle turns killer in Emmerdale
Belle’s teenage years took a very dark turn when she accidentally killed her best friend, Gemma Andrews.
Back in 2014, the pals became love rivals when they both caught feelings for local lad Sean Spencer. Belle had been dating Sean’s mate, Tom King (who she’s now married to), but then she and Sean began growing closer.
They made plans to sleep together, which were scuppered when Belle discovered Gemma was pregnant with Sean’s baby. Belle and Gemma promptly fell out and engaged in a nasty classroom spat, which resulted in Belle being suspended.
The girls’ final verbal slanging match, which took place in the dark of night, turned physical. Gemma slapped Belle – who responded by pushing her friend to the ground, which caused her to hit her head on a rock.
The morning after the freak accident, Gemma was discovered unconscious and rushed to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
Unable to live with the guilt, Belle turned herself into the police on the day of Gemma’s funeral and was sentenced to three years in a youth facility on the grounds of manslaughter.
After appealing her sentence, Belle was released after a year, but the trauma of Gemma soon led her to spiral into despair.
The voices wouldn’t leave Belle alone (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Belle’s mental health crisis
Belle was left deeply traumatised by Gemma’s death and her subsequent imprisonment. She struggled to adapt back to life after her release from the young offenders’ centre.
She rebelled by dying her hair black and befriending local weirdo Lachlan White.
Belle also started to hear Gemma’s voice in her head, instructing her to do dark things – such as trash the local shop, attack her friends and try to overdose on painkillers.
Zak and Lisa soon realised their daughter was having a mental health crisis and referred her to a psychiatrist.
Belle made an attempt on her life, but was saved by her half-brother, Cain. She was then sectioned in a psychiatric hospital to recover.
He was not the guy for her (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Affair with Dr Bailey
The first big love in Belle’s life, was Jermaine Bailey – the married GP who she had a passionate affair with at just 17.
Her family strongly disapproved of the relationship and put pressure on the doctor to end it.
Belle eventually tired of all the sneaking about and told Jermaine’s wife Angie she’d been sleeping with her husband. Jermaine was fired from his job at the surgery. He made plans to leave, but Belle made him stay by claiming she was carrying his kid.
Belle, who was in the grips of schizophrenia, carried on the fake pregnancy until Angie realised what was happening and outed her to her family.
Shortly afterwards, Belle experienced a complete breakdown and spent time living rough on the streets.
She was eventually found, diagnosed with schizophrenia and sent to a specialist unit in Surrey to recover.
Lachlan was thought to be Belle’s worst choice – until now (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Belle Dingle and her bad luck with men in Emmerdale
Belle hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to members of the opposite sex.
After Jermaine, she embarked on a dangerous romance with unhinged Lachlan White – who unbeknownst to her was a secret killer. When the truth did out, Lachlan kidnapped Belle and held her hostage.
She almost became his last victim, but managed to escape his clutches.
Belle also had a short-lived affair with Kim Tate’s son Jamie – which turned sour when he tried to frame her for a hit and run he carried out.
Belle’s relapse
In 2020 Belle suffered a terrifying relapse in her mental health after she stopped taking her medication then began to hear the voice of her late mother, Lisa.
Whilst experiencing a hallucination, Belle ended up stabbing pregnant Tracy Robinson in the hand. Luckily Tracy’s injuries were not life-threatening and she recovered.
Belle was hospitalised for a second time.
Happy ever after is not looking likely (Credit: ITV)
Belle Dingle and her abusive marriage to Tom King
Belle’s whirlwind romance with childhood sweetheart Tom King seemed like a fairytale but has ended up a nightmare.
The couple went out with each other at school before Tom moved away with his mum Colleen in 2013. He returned a decade later and rekindled the flame with Belle.
The couple became engaged, but in the weeks leading up to the wedding Tom began displaying signs of coercive control towards Belle.
After the wedding, Tom’s mental and physical abuse towards his wife increased as he isolated Belle from her family.
When Belle discovered she was pregnant, she had a secret abortion, terrified of bringing a baby into her abusive marriage. She told Tom she’d had a miscarriage, but he soon found out the truth and predictably went ballistic – using the truth against Belle.
After spending time with Tom in an isolated cottage in Wales, and suffering even more abuse, Belle finally found the courage to leave him.
But since then, Tom’s been increasingly manipulative. He’s dating Amelia Spencer and when Belle tried to ‘rescue’ her from her ex, and went to the police, things took an even darker turn.
Determined to get Belle to drop the charges, Tom pursued his wife with an axe.
Terrified, Belle fled for her life only to be cornered by a violent Tom. But he was the one who ended up with an axe in his back.
Now Belle’s trying to cope with the death of her dad, while Tom’s busy covering his abusive tracks, intending to blame Belle for everything.
How will she get out of this nightmare?
Eden is far happier than Belle in real life! (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Who plays Belle Dingle in Emmerdale?
Belle Dingle in Emmerdale is played by British actress Eden Taylor-Draper. Eden was born on 28 October 1997 and grew up in Selby, which is around 30 minutes from where the soap is filmed.
She joined the cast of Emmerdale in 2005, aged eight, and took over from Emily Mather who had played the part of Belle since she was a newborn baby in 1998.
Her other acting credit is an appearance in the 2009 short film The Cardiac Oak.
Eden has won numerous awards for her portrayal of Belle. 2007 was a stellar year for the star, who scooped Best Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards, Best Young Actor at the Inside Soap Awards and Personality of the Year at the Yorkshire Young Achiever Awards.
Then in 2013, Eden won Best Young Performance at the British Soap Awards.
Eden’s personal life is thankfully a lot more settled than her on-screen alter ego’s. She’s in a long-term relationship with high-school sweetheart Ed Lewis.
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.
Harriet Finch died two years ago in Emmerdale and has pretty much been forgotten about ever since her death.
The poor woman didn’t even get an on-screen funeral and we’ve been begging for justice since this moment.
Here’s everything you need to know about Harriet – the character the show seems desperate to forget. But, don’t worry, she’ll always live on in our heads.
Harriet was a vicar in the Dales (Credit: ITV/ Shutterstock)
Harriet Finch: Police officer turned vicar
Arriving in the Dales in 2013, Harriet hid her huge past history from her fellow villagers which was only revealed years later.
She had been a detective sergeant who went by the name of ‘Michelle’ whilst being an undercover cop for five years. During this time, she’d faked a relationship with drug dealer Will Taylor and had been a mum figure to a young Dawn before leaving the family abruptly.
With Will arrested, she then started an affair with DI Mark Malone…
Entering the Dales, Harriet ditched her days in the police force and instead became the village vicar. But, she wasn’t the most moral of vicars, that’s for sure!
Relationship history
Harriet’s initial days in the village saw her have a brief fling with Dom Andrews. However, after Harriet took his phone off him so she could kiss him on the night of Dom’s daughter – Gemma’s – death, they were doomed to fail.
In 2014, Harriet then dated fellow vicar Ashley Thomas. A few years later though, Harriet turned her attention towards bad boy, Cain Dingle. Quite the unexpected pairing!
Starting an affair with Cain in 2017, Cain confessed his feelings for Harriet after two drug dealers stabbed her. Cain almost had Ross Barton killed due to his involvement in the situation.
Ultimately though, Cain reunited with Moira after the birth of Isaac. It’s safe to say that Harriet wasn’t happy, believing that Cain was only getting back with Moira to protect her after Emma Barton’s death.
Moving on, Harriet started a relationship with her former flame, Will Taylor. But, this got her into a very sticky situation indeed!
Harriet played a part in Malone’s death (Credit: ITV/ Shutterstock)
Emmerdale: Harriet Finch and DI Malone
In 2020, DI Malone revealed himself to be the leader of Will’s old gang – and it turned out that he still possessed his gun. Harriet remained unaware of this link though.
Malone started threatening Will to work for him again, with Will going behind Harriet’s back to do some dodgy business for Malone.
Things got really sinister when Malone tried to convince Dawn to take a fatal overdose. Harriet intervened and knocked Malone on the head with an ornament.
She thought that she killed him but it was only as Malone started to stir that Dawn realised that he was still alive, shooting him three times and finishing him off.
Harriet then helped Dawn bury Malone’s body, with Will later teaming up to make sure that no traces of the killing would come back to his family.
Emmerdale: Harriet Finch death
In 2022, after Will and Harriet’s eventual split, Will prepared to marry Kim Tate.
However, Harriet still had feelings for Will and wanted to change his mind about going through with the wedding.
On Will and Kim’s wedding day, and on the soap’s 50th anniversary, a big storm hit the Dales. With a young and pregnant Amelia missing, Harriet jumped on a quadbike and entered the woods, looking for her.
Sadly, she crashed her bike in the storm. A lightning strike then hit the bike and it exploded, with Harriet dying as a result. Brutal stuff.
Harriet died in 2022 (Credit: ITV/ Composite EI)
Katherine Dow Blyton on soap exit
Poor Harriet was killed off in an awful way and didn’t get much of a tribute after her death. Whilst she did get a bus stop made in her memory (and Liv Flaherty’s), she didn’t even get an on-screen funeral. And, the village really didn’t take much time in getting over their grief for the former vicar.
Speaking to Soap from the Box, it seems that actress Katherine Dow Blyton also didn’t feel like Harriet had the best treatment at the end.
The star shared: “Why did the 50th have to be such a tragic outcome?”
Speaking out about the moment she first found out about Harriet’s fate, Katherine added: “I went up and they basically said: ‘We love Harriet and we’re going to give her a good death.’ I did sit there for 10 seconds thinking, have I done something wrong? They say don’t take it personally, but it’s impossible not to.
“I was taken aback. I said, ‘No, that’s fine, that’s fine.’ I said: ‘Well you don’t know what to do with me anyway, do you?’ I kept trying to get out of the building. Then I sat in my car and burst into tears because it was a shock.”
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.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
Katie Sugden arrived in Emmerdale in 2001 and quickly caused trouble between brothers Andy and Robert Sugden.
Her relationship with Andy was a major focus point for most of her time in the village, until her untimely death in 2015.
As Katie takes centre stage in Classic Emmerdale episodes following the car crash that killed her father, we take a look at her time in the Dales.
Andy and Katie got serious quickly (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
The arrival of Katie in Emmerdale and her teen romance with Andy
Katie Addyman, as she was then known, was brought into the soap as a love interest for Andy Sugden. She met Andy when they were in detention together at school and they soon started dating.
Despite Robert trying to come between them, Katie and Andy’s relationship became serious really quickly. While their friends were out enjoying their youth, Katie and Andy decided they wanted to settle down and have a baby. Katie fell pregnant, but later had a miscarriage.
Andy proposed to Katie when they were both just 16 and she accepted. When Andy turned 17, he took over Butler’s Farm and he and Katie moved in together. The couple broke up and reunited several times during her time in Emmerdale.
Robert was jealous of his brother’s relationship (Credit:ITV/Shutterstock)
Affair with Robert
After feeling neglected due to Andy spending his time on the farm or caring for half-brother Daz, Katie started an affair with Andy’s brother Robert. They were seen by Daz, who told Andy. However, Katie told Andy that Daz was lying and persuaded him to put Daz back into care.
Katie ended her affair with Robert and married Andy in 2004. But she grew jealous when Robert started dating her friend Donna so the affair soon started up again. This time they were caught by Andy and Robert’s little sister Victoria. Eventually, Katie and Robert came clean to Andy, who was understandably devastated.
Katie and Robert got engaged, but it was short lived due to him having an affair with Sadie King. Following this, Katie and Andy had a one night stand before she left the village for a while.
Katie ended up in hospital following a car crash (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Car accident and dad’s death
In 2006, as Katie’s next of kin, Andy received the news that Katie had been involved in a car crash. Despite their history, Andy chose to be at Katie’s bedside.
When she woke from her coma, Andy had to deliver the news that her dad had died in the car accident. Katie was devastated and leaned on Andy during her recovery.
Andy and Katie reconciled and decided to give their marriage another go, much to the annoyance of Daz, who in a desperate bid to split them up, even tried to seduce her. But he needn’t have worried, as Andy started an affair with Jo Stiles and he and Katie separated – again – in 2007.
She gave birth in the back of Matthew’s car (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Surrogacy and being held at gunpoint
Katie offered to be a surrogate for business partner Perdita, who couldn’t have children, despite having feelings for Perdita’s husband Grayson. She got pregnant, but then threatened to have an abortion after Perdita went off with Matthew King.
Katie begun an intimate relationship with Grayson, but when she discovered he had been lying to her, she conned money out of him.
She gave birth to the baby in the back of Matthew’s car. Katie then signed parental rights over to Perdita and also gave her the money she’d got from Grayson, so that Perdita could start a new life in London.
Grayson was furious when he found out. He held Katie at gunpoint and demanded she tell him where Perdita was. Katie refused to tell him, so he took the King brothers hostage too and ended up shooting Carl.
This wasn’t the only time Katie was held at gunpoint. It happened again when dodgy copper Nick Henshall became obsessed with her. After starting the fire that killed Terry Woods and Viv Hope, he tried to frame Katie’s ex, Andy, to get him out the way. With the net closing in, he took Katie hostage, but ended up killing himself instead.
She almost died following a quad bike accident (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Emmerdale: Katie Sugden and her marriage to Declan Macey and quad bike crash
Declan proposed to Katie three times before she accepted. Their marriage didn’t get off to the best start when Declan’s half-sister Megan, who disapproved of Katie, pushed Katie’s face into the wedding cake.
Following their wedding, Declan discovered that Katie set Megan’s son Robbie up to attack her. He rode off on a quad bike, with Katie following behind. She accused him of changing her for the worst. Katie rode off in anger and fell down a disused mine shaft.
A full scale rescue mission took place and Katie was eventually found days later in a critical condition. In hospital she went into cardiac arrest before being resuscitated. She was eventually able to return home. However, she collapsed and returned to hospital where she discovered she had damaged her ovaries due to injuring her pelvis during the accident. She was left infertile and unable to have children.
Declan told Katie that it didn’t matter, but secretly he had wanted a son to inherit his fortune. Declan cheated on Katie with Charity, causing Katie and Declan to temporarily break up. They later got back together, but the relationship was tempestuous and Katie eventually moved back in with Andy.
She fell through the floor to her death (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Katie’s death
Katie remarried Andy on Christmas Day in 2014, but she was angered to discover that Robert had sabotaged their wedding rings. He engraved insults on the rings, referring to Andy as “village idiot” and Katie as “village bike”.
She was determined to get revenge on Robert and she thought she had her chance when she discovered flirty text messages on his phone from “A”, despite being in a relationship with Chrissy.
Following an invitation from Aaron Dingle, Katie arrived at Wylie’s Farm and caught him kissing Robert, thus discovering who the mysterious A was. Katie took a picture of the two of them as evidence.
Aaron left and Katie confronted Robert over the affair. He turned aggressive and snatched her phone. Robert then refused to let Katie leave unless she promised not to tell Chrissy. Katie charged at Robert and he pushed her to the ground. The floor gave way causing Katie to fall to her death. Andy later went to the farm to look for Katie and discovered her body. He broke down in tears as he cradled her in his arms.
Who played Katie Sugden in Emmerdale?
Katie was played by actress Sammy Winward. She was only a teenager when she landed the role in Emmerdale.
Sammy was engaged to footballer David Dunn and the pair had a daughter together, Mia, in 2005. They split soon after and she went on to marry Martyn Hardy in 2017, who she has known since her school days.
Since leaving Emmerdale, Sammy has appeared in some ITV dramas, most notably Prey, Fearless and The Long Shadow – which also starred Sammy’s Emmerdale co-star Charley Webb.
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.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
Louise Appleton definitely made her mark on the village when she arrived in Emmerdale back in 2001. She joined the team at The Woolpack as a barmaid and quickly got to know all of the locals.
Louise regularly found herself involved in drama in the Dales, whether it be a murder or breaking up a relationship. She was last seen on-screen in 2008, but has been mentioned on a handful of occasions.
So, what is Louise Appleton’s story?
Louise’s arrival in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Louise Appleton arrives in Emmerdale
The locals were taken by surprise in 2001 when Louise, who hails from Australia, arrived in Emmerdale. She took up a job as a temporary barmaid at The Woolpack and quickly befriended Diane Sugden.
Louise’s stint in the village began with her dating Rodney Blackstock. Their romance was short-lived as Rodney was still besotted with his ex-wife Diane. When Louise found out Diane and Rodney had slept together, she ended her romance with Rodney but forgave Diane.
Terrified Louise killed Ray in self-defence (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Ray Mullan’s murder
Louise dated shady businessman Ray Mullan and their relationship was packed full of drama. Having quickly moved in together, Louise was smitten with Ray. However, he wasn’t the man she thought he was.
In a bid to control Louise, he convinced her she was being stalked so that she would agree to move to Italy with him. On their way to the airport, Louise found out Ray was actually her stalker.
A fight ensued between the pair and the car crashed. Ray was knocked unconscious and Louise fled back to Mill Cottage. Ray woke and followed her and another fight broke out. It ended with Louise killing Ray by accident on Boxing Day in 2002. With the help of Terry Woods, Louise concealed his death.
She struggled in the aftermath of Ray’s murder and became withdrawn and cold towards her friends, most notably Diane. Louise then began seeing married man Ronnie Marsden, leaving everyone unimpressed.
Terry was never the one for Louise (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Louise and Terry’s on-off relationship
Terry was besotted with Louise since meeting her, but his feelings weren’t reciprocated. However, Louise became jealous when Terry moved on with Dawn Hope and eventually realised she did have feelings for him.
Terry and Louise finally started dating after he dumped Dawn. The couple decided to buy Alan Turner’s B&B together. However, Louise began an affair with Matthew King, who was helping organise the couples mortgage.
She eventually dumped Terry in a bid to be with Matthew, but he ended their fling days later. Terry refused to take Louise back.
Martin and Louise also didn’t last long (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Finding love with Martin
Louise first crossed paths with police officer Martin Crowe at a karate class, and it wasn’t long until romance blossomed between the pair.
Louise struggled to establish a relationship with Martin’s daughter Kayleigh, despite the youngster being fond of her. The couple were happy up until Martin discovered Louise’s involvement in Ray’s death.
He vowed not to report Louise but ended their relationship and moved out of The Woolpack. She blamed Diane for their split and sold her share of the pub as a way of punishing Diane.
Jamie and Louise raised eyebrows due to their age gap (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Louise and Jamie in Emmerdale
In 2008, Louise began dating Jamie Hope. Their romance became a huge talking point in the village due to their age-gap, but they shrugged off the backlash.
Jamie proposed to Louise after just months of dating and they decided to get married at Christmas. She called off the wedding after Jamie questioned her about a friend in Australia called Jonty, who people had thought she was having an affair with.
Louise insisted that she’d won a beauty contest while in Australia and Jonty was her manager. Jonty then came to the village and after promising Louise more work, she agreed to head back to Oz with him.
Louise’s exit
On the day of Louise’s planned departure to Australia, Jamie tried to track her down in a bid to win her back. He eventually found her and proposed to her again.
Jamie and Louise rekindled their relationship and decided to jet to Australia together. They left for good in 2008.
Jamie returned in June 2009 without Louise. He claimed she had found a new man and dumped him.
Where is actress Emily Symons now?
After leaving Emmerdale, actress Emily went on to rejoin the cast of Home and Away in 2010. She portrays Marilyn Chambers in the hit show.
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.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter@emmerdaleinside
Zak Dingle was a mainstay in Emmerdale for nearly 30 years following his introduction to the soap in 1994.
Originally a boxing hardman, Zak evolved into a loving family man and the nation cried with him when he discovered his wife Lisa had died in her chair following their second wedding.
Sadly, actor Steve Halliwell passed away last December and Emmerdale producers have made clear their intentions to give him an on-screen send off.
As that looks like it will soon play out, we take a look at Zak Dingle’s best moments.
Zak fought Ned Glover in one of his first scenes (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Zak’s arrival
Zak Dingle arrived in Emmerdale in October 1994 and immediately started feuding with the locals.
Previously a bare-knuckle boxer, Zak challenged Ned Glover to a bare-knuckle fistfight, which he lost.
He also started a feud with local family the McAllisters, who he blamed for his son Ben’s death a few months prior.
Zak was initially only supposed to be in a few episodes, but he made such a mark that Steve Halliwell was asked to stay on. The rest, as they say, is history.
Belle was a Christmas surprise (Credit: ITV)
Meeting Lisa and Belle
Zak met Lisa in 1996 and the two were instantly smitten. They married in 1998 and later that year at Christmas, Lisa gave birth to Belle. It was a big surprise as Lisa hadn’t even known she was pregnant.
Zak and Lisa’s relationship was far from plain sailing – who can forget Joanie taking Zak away from Lisa for a while? – but they always found their way back to each other.
Zak and Lisa remarried before her death (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale Zak Dingle: Losing Lisa
While not a good moment, we did get to witness some of Halliwell’s best acting as Zak lost his soulmate, Lisa.
In 2019, Lisa was diagnosed with a heart condition and was given only a short amount of time left to live. They decided to re-marry, but the marriage was a short one.
Following the wedding, Lisa returned home to change out of her dress. Zak later found her, apparently asleep on the sofa. However, when Zak tried to wake up his new bride, he realised that she had passed away. Sobs.
Losing Lisa hit Zak hard (Credit: ITV)
Butch’s death
Zak suffered a lot of sorrow during his time in the Dales. One of the earlier moments saw his son Butch killed when a lorry crashed into the vehicle he was travelling in.
Zak later discovered that his mechanic wife Lisa had worked on the lorry before it crashed and the couple were briefly torn apart as the grieving father blamed her for Butch’s death.
Zak was devastated by Butch’s passing (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale Zak Dingle: Diagnosed with cancer
In 2001, Zak was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but he refused to have treatment.
This resulted in the family kidnapping him in bid to make him see sense. Zak eventually went to hospital and made a full recovery.
There was a touching scene years later in 2016 when Zak’s cancer was revisited. Knowing Zak had previously fought testicular cancer, David Metcalfe turned to him for some advice after he was told that he’d have to lose a testicle as part of his own battle against cancer.
Cain discovered Zak was his real dad (Credit: ITV)
Cain discovers the truth
Bad boy Cain was initially introduced to the show as Zak’s nephew, but it was later revealed that Zak and his brother’s wife Faith had had an affair and Zak was in fact Cain’s dad.
This truth came out during a heated argument between the pair. The two went on to have a strained relationship. This came to a head in 2011 when Cain was viciously attacked and left for dead. Zak was later revealed to be the culprit.
Zak suffered from mental illness (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale Zak Dingle: Nervous breakdown
Following his attack on Cain, Zak suffered with depression. He hit the bottle and became erratic and paranoid.
One episode saw him kill some chickens after he convinced himself there was something wrong with them. Another occasion saw him wandering the Moors while seeing visions of his dead son Butch.
He also became convinced that his cancer had returned. It later became apparent that he was suffering a nervous breakdown and he was sectioned. Halliwell was praised by fans for his emotional portrayal during this storyline.
Steve Halliwell passed away last year (Credit: ITV)
Final scene
Zak’s final episode aired in June 2023. During a light-hearted scene, Zak was shown beeping the horn on his mobility scooter as Dan Spencer, who was working at the garage, called him Evel Knievel.
Dan then asked him how many buses he’d driven over lately, with Zak joking that the potholes were enough of a challenge. Dan remarked that it was nice to see Zak out and about.
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.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
Zak Dingle was a mainstay in Emmerdale for almost 30 years. As the head of the Dingle clan, he was involved in some huge storylines during his time in the village.
During his life, Zak fathered seven children – though we didn’t meet them all – and married three different women. He was originally introduced as a boxing hardman, but soon evolved into a loving family man.
With Zak’s on-screen funeral taking place this week, here’s the lowdown on everything Zak Dingle.
Zak Dingle’s arrival in Emmerdale
Zak Dingle arrived in Emmerdale in October 1994 and immediately got on the wrong side of the locals. Having previously been a bare-knuckle boxer, Zak challenged old adversary Ned Glover to a bare-knuckle fight, which he went on to lose.
The Dingle family also started a feud with the McAllister family after holding them responsible for the death of Zak’s son, Ben. Ben was actually the first member of the Dingle family to appear in Emmerdale (August 1994). During a fight with Luke McAllister, Ben died of a heart defect, but the Dingles continued to blame Luke.
Zak was initially only supposed to be in a few episodes, but he made such a mark that actor Steve Halliwell was asked to stay on. The rest, as they say, is history.
Divorce from Nellie and meeting Lisa
Nellie was Zak’s first wife and the mother of five of his children – Nathan, Butch, Ben, Sam and Tina. She arrived at the start of 1995 and left at the end of the year to care for her father in Ireland.
Zak met Lisa in 1996 and the couple were instantly smitten. After divorcing Nellie, Zak married Lisa in 1998. That Christmas the pair got a present in the form of a baby, who they named Belle. It was a big surprise as Lisa hadn’t even known she was pregnant!
Nellie returned in 2000 and attempted to win Zak back, but he was not for turning.
Cain and Zak ended on good terms (Credit: ITV/ Shutterstock)
Relationship with Cain
Cain Dingle arrived in 2000 to attend the funeral of his ‘cousin’ Butch. But it was later revealed that Butch was actually his half brother.
Zak had a tempestuous relationship with Cain and during a heated argument in 2001, Zak revealed to Cain that he was his dad following an affair with Cain’s mum, Faith.
Cain and Zak went on to have a strained relationship. This came to a head in 2011 when Cain was viciously attacked and left for dead. Zak was later revealed to be the culprit. Zak and Cain’s relationship improved over the years, and, aside from Debbie, Cain was the last of the Dingles to see Zak alive. He is also the one to break the news of Zak’s passing to the rest of the family.
Zak’s health issues
In 2001, Zak was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but he refused to have treatment. His family eventually made him see sense and he went to hospital, eventually making a full recovery.
Years later, following this incident with Cain in 2011, Zak’s mental health took centre stage. Feeling guilty for attacking his son, Zak struggled to cope. He suffered from bouts of depression and hit the bottle hard.
He later became erratic and paranoid. After a vet gave his chickens a full bill of health, Zak convinced himself that something was wrong with them and he killed them. He also saw visions of his dead son Butch and became convinced that his cancer had returned. When it became obvious that a nervous breakdown was taking place, Zak was sectioned.
The storyline and Halliwell himself were praised by fans, who responded well to seeing an emotional side to Zak. The soap also received praise for covering the issue of male mental illness.
Lisa and Zak were a much-loved couple (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Joanie and losing Lisa
Zak and Lisa’s relationship wasn’t always rock solid, but they always found their way back to each other.
In 2000, Zak’s son Butch was killed when a lorry crashed into the bus he was travelling in. Zak initially blamed mechanic Lisa after he discovered that she had worked on the vehicle before it crashed. But he eventually relented.
The marriage collapsed completely in 2015 when Zak started a relationship with their lodger Joanie. Lisa and Zak divorced in 2016 and Zak married Joanie. The marriage was short-lived, however, due to Zak remaining close to his ex. Joanie then suffered a cardiac arrest and died in early 2017.
Lisa and Zak reunited in 2018. But there was no happy ever after as just a year later, Lisa was diagnosed with a heart condition and was given only a short amount of time left to live. The couple decided to re-marry, in what was an emotional occasion all round.
Following the wedding, Lisa returned home to change out of her dress after it became covered in mud. Zak went to find her and found her asleep on the sofa, but when he tried to wake her up he realised that she had passed away.
Steve Halliwell played the legendary character (Credit: Photo by ITV/Shutterstock )
Who played Zak Dingle?
Steve Halliwell played Zak from his first appearance in October 1994 until his final appearance in June 2023. One of his final scenes saw Zak beeping the horn on his mobility scooter as Dan Spencer, who was working at the garage, called him Evel Knievel. Zak then headed off to live in Scotland with Debbie.
In December 2023, it was announced that Steve Halliwell had sadly passed away at the age of 77. In a statement, the soap said: “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that Emmerdale can confirm that Steve Halliwell, our beloved Zak Dingle, has peacefully passed away.
“Steve will forever be synonymous with Emmerdale. The proud defender and head of the Dingle family. Heart and humour in all he did, it has been and always will be impossible not to smile when you think of him.
“All our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones through this very difficult time, and we’d request that their privacy is respected as they grieve for his loss.”
Prior to Emmerdale, Halliwell had a long-standing role in The Practice, as well as making appearances in the likes of Coronation Street, Heartbeat and Cracker.
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.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
Womaniser, former Woolpack landlord and father to iconic soap villain Steph Stokes – Alan Turner was a member of Emmerdale royalty. The character appeared on the soap for over 30 years, and was a part of such major storylines as the 1999 plane crash and the murder of Shelley Williams.
In today’s episode of Classic Emmerdale (Friday, October 11), Alan learns the extent of son Terence’s evil, as he admits to raping sister Steph as a child. During the ensuing fallout, Terence grows violent and punches his father unconscious.
But who was Alan Turner exactly?
Alan Turner was one of Emmerdale’s most recognisable residents (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Who played Alan Turner on Emmerdale?
Alan Turner moved to the village in 1982 with wife Jill and two children, Terence and Steph (formerly Mary). He was a major player on the soap from 1918 – 2013, and was played by actor Richard Thorp.
Alan spent much of his time as an estate manager for NY Estates, doing deals with local businesses and council work. During this time, he clashed with rivals Joe Sugden and Seth Armstrong. Alan was also one of the village’s most renowned ladies’ men, dating secretary Caroline Bates, re-marrying Shirley Foster and, later, striking up a relationship with his daughter’s best friend!
Alan became the Woolpack’s landlord in 1991 (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Running the Woolpack
In 1991, after hearing that then-landlord Amos was selling up, Alan took over ownership of the Woolpack. As a shrewd businessman, Alan tried to modernise the country pub by opening a wine bar, installing a jukebox and even tried doing away with ales in favour of an all-new and fancy gourmet menu.
Alan’s wine bar was short-lived – being destroyed during the plane crash of 1993. Alan also helped out the emergency services in the aftermath of the disaster.
During this time, granddaughter Tricia Stokes arrived in the village – burning his beloved pub down when she let off fireworks behind the bar while he was on holiday. Although he had it rebuilt, Alan sold up the following year, in 1999. He then bought the Grange B&B.
The return of daughter Steph
In 2002, Alan’s daughter (and Tricia’s mother) returned to the village, now calling herself Steph. While their relationship was a volatile one, they bonded over Tricia’s tragic death in 2003, growing closer as a result.
Alan with daughter Steph and granddaughter Tricia (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Relationship to Shelley
Not long afterwards, Alan fell for Steph’s best friend, Shelley. Steph became instantly jealous, and her relationship with her best friend and father began to sour. Growing fed up of Steph’s constant bullying, Shelley left the village, causing Alan to start drinking heavily.
During his recovery, Steph developed a plan to take her father’s money and businesses for her own – drugging him into a docile state as she attempted to control him and his finances. Alan managed to extricate himself from Steph’s control, only barely managing to stop her from killing them both by driving to a quarry edge.
Meanwhile, evidence emerged that Steph had been holding Shelley hostage in the basement of the B&B. Alan believed that Steph had gone through with murdering Shelley – only for her to turn up from beyond the grave, at her own memorial service. Shelley’s return was short-lived, however, with Steph pushing her former best friend off a ferry and into a watery grave.
Terence was not who Alan thought he was (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Son Terence and Steph’s arrest
In 2006, Alan’s son Terence arrived in the village, amid claims that he’d sexually abused his sister as a child. Disbelieving Steph’s claims, Alan moved in with Terence. The truth was eventually revealed when Terence admitted to raping Steph later that year. During the ensuing fallout, Terence was killed, and Steph imprisoned for her brother’s murder.
Emmerdale pays tribute to Alan Turner star with commemorative episode
In July 2013, Alan announced that he was going travelling around France with his old biker friends. He returned off-screen in October that year – dying in his sleep before he could reunite with old friend Betty. He was aged 78 when he passed.
An hour-long episode was aired in June 2013, paying tribute to Alan and actor Richard Thorp, who had died in May that year.
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.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
