The Dingle family are the largest and lairiest bloodline in Emmerdale. They burst onto our screens in 1994, a whole 22 years after the soap started.
However, the Dingles have actually been village residents for over 60 years and have lived in Wishing Well Cottage since 1965.
The clan is continually expanding and their family tree can be traced back more than 10 generations – now that’s a whole lot of Dingles!
As Mandy Dingle once famously said: “Being a Dingle has always been about blood.”
Loyalty is everything to this family, who live by their own set of rules, dubbed The Dingle Code. Break that and you’re well and truly out of the circle of trust.
Here is a closer look at the who’s who of the Dingle dynasty, how they’re related and their most memorable moments…
Emmerdale: The first of the Dingle family
The first known Dingle was Abraham, born in 1785. He had children Ebenezer, Harold and Nathaniel. Ebenezer went on to marry Elspeth and have sones Jacob and Methusalah Dingle.
Jacob then married Katherine and they welcomed Benidiah. He married Margaret and they had Isaac Dingle. Isaac was the father of Jonah Dingle, who married Dot Colton and had two sons, Jedediah and Bert.
It’s from Jedediah and Bert the Dingles we know and love today were produced.
Jedediah and Peg Dingle and their family in Emmerdale
Jedediah married Peg in 1946. They had six children: Albert, Zak, Shadrach, Ezra, Zebediah and Caleb. Zak, is of course, the most recognisable of these.
When Zak was eight-years old, he was told by Peg his father had died. Zak saw blood on the floor and assumed his mum had killed Jed. However they had just had a row that turned violent and Jed had walked out on the family.
Zak discovered the truth when Peg came clean in 2002. He tracked his father down who was bedridden and dying. Jed revealed there was a Dingle family fortune hidden in Chile and then died.
Zak Dingle
Zachariah Bartholomew ‘Zak’ Dingle, played by Steve Halliwell, was the undisputable head of the Dingle clan for almost 30 years.
He arrived in the village on October 20 1994, but was already a notorious name due to his previous career as a bare-knuckled boxing champion.
A pig farmer by trade, Zak is dad to seven children. He and his formidable first wife Nellie Lynch had five – Nathan, the late Butch and Ben, as well as Sam and Tina.
In 1974, Zak cheated on Nellie with his sister-in-law Faith and fathered her son, Cain Dingle.
Zak also had a daughter, Belle Dingle, with his second wife Lisa Clegg.
He had a short-lived third marriage to Joanie Wright before reuniting with Lisa, whom he remained with until her death in 2019.
Actor Steve Halliwell, who portrayed Zak, sadly passed away in December 2023.
Zak’s absence has been explained that he’s living in Scotland, and his character is yet to be killed off.
Zak Dingle: his family and children in Emmerdale
Lisa Dingle
Zak married Lisa Clegg on January 28 1998. It hadn’t been a smooth courtship after her ex-husband Barry Clegg had tried to blow up the Dingle home!
Lisa was the matriarch of the Dingle family in Emmerdale and mother figure to almost all of them.
Zak and Lisa were shocked when Lisa gave birth to their daughter Belle on Christmas Day 1998 having not known she was pregnant!
They faced many more obstacles during their life together and even divorced in 2016 when he had an affair with Joanie. But he soon reunited with Lisa and they were together until her death in 2019.
Lisa’s other storylines included her rape by friend Derek Benrose and her amyloidosis diagnosis that lead to her death on May 24 2019.
She has since appeared in voiceovers several times, most recently at daughter Belle’s wedding in February 2024.
Lisa was played by actress Jane Cox.
Nathan Dingle
Nathan Dingle is the eldest son of Zak Dingle and Nellie Lynch. He’s never been seen on screen and is rarely spoken about.
It was once suggested that Nathan had shunned his working-class roots which had led to an estrangement between him and the Dingles.
Butch Dingle
Francis Albert ‘Butch’ Dingle, played by Paul Loughran, was Zak and Nellie’s second son. He was given the childhood nickname ‘Butch’ by Zak, who believed his son was too sensitive.
Butch was a notorious bully and troublemaker during his early years in the village.
He fell desperately in love with his cousin Mandy Dingle, and the pair married in November 1998, but it later transpired Mandy had married Butch only for money.
Butch went on to meet his soulmate Emily Wylie, but tragedy struck in March 2000 when he was fatally injured in a bus crash. Butch got his last wish and married Emily on his deathbed.
He was buried next to his brother, Ben, who had died six years previously.
Ben Dingle
Benedict Alan ‘Ben’ Dingle was the first Dingle to be seen on screen. A real chip off the old block, Ben was a troublemaker and often on the wrong side of the law.
He met an untimely end in 1994 when he was killed after a brawl with the local doctor’s son, Luke McAllister.
Ben was later found to have a heart defect but that didn’t stop the Dingles blaming Luke for his death.
Ben’s sister Tina even went as far as convincing Luke she wanted to marry him – just so she could jilt him at the altar in an act of revenge!
Sam Dingle
Samuel Jonah ‘Sam’ Dingle, played by James Hooton, is the third son of Zak and Nellie and now the longest-serving Dingle.
He arrived in the village in February 1995 straight from the young offenders institute.
More gentle and naive than his brothers, Sam has often found himself dragged into their dodgy schemes and has spent time in prison for his crimes.
In 2005, he embarked on a relationship with farmer Alice Wilson and the following year couple welcomed baby son Samson. Tragedy struck when Alice was diagnosed with terminal cancer and Sam helped his wife die.
Sam struggled with life as a single dad, but got his happy ending when he met Lydia Hart.
Lydia Dingle
Sam and Lydia married in 2020 and celebrated afterwards with a good old fashioned Dingle knee’s up.
Their relationship has survived much trauma, including the revelation that she had given birth to a stillborn baby and buried his body when she was just a teen.
Lydia then reconnected with the baby’s father, Craig Reed, in 2023. But in horrifying scenes, Craig raped her. Sam has supported her throughout and they have grown stronger as a couple.
Samson Dingle
The only son of Sam, 18-year-old Samson has proved himself to be trouble. He got Amelia Spencer pregnant then refused to have anything to do with the baby. The only reason he then got involved was to blackmail cousin Noah out of money.
He then took Craig’s side when Lydia was raped, desperate not to believe his tech hero was no good. Although he eventually supported Lydia, the betrayal stung.
Currently he has framed Matty Barton for stabbing him. Trans Matty is terrified in prison and the family are divided as they try to get Samson to tell the truth. Will he?
Esther Spencer
In October 2022 Sam became a grandad for the first time after Amelia Spencer gave birth to Samson’s daughter, Esther.
Tina Dingle
Tina Dingle, played by Jacqueline Pirie, is Zak and Nellie’s youngest child and only daughter.
She arrived in the village in December 1994 and set about seducing Luke McAllister, who she believed had killed her brother, Ben.
Tina convinced Luke she was carrying his baby then persuaded him to sell his prize possessions to fund their wedding.
It was all a con though, and on the day of the nuptials Tina jilted Luke, who died a few days later in a car crash.
Tina then caught the attention of Home Farm millionaire Frank Tate, who proposed to her on more than one occasion.
But a life as lady of the manor wasn’t for Tina and she departed the Dales on Christmas Day 1996.
She pretty much hasn’t been heard of since.
Belle Dingle
Tinkerbelle Lisa ‘Belle’ King (née Dingle), played by Eden Taylor-Draper, is Zak’s youngest and the only child of his second wife Lisa Clegg.
She made an unexpected arrival to the Dales on Christmas Day 1998 when Lisa gave birth in a pigsty – having not even realised she was pregnant.
Belle’s life has been filled with drama and tragedy ever since.
She’s fallen down a mineshaft, had an affair with a married man and accidentally killed her best friend Gemma Andrews, which sparked major mental health problems and led Belle to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Belle’s world was shattered by the death of her beloved mum Lisa in 2019.
In 2024 Belle married vet Thomas King, but has become the victim of her husband’s coercive control.
Head of the Dingle family in Emmerdale: Cain Dingle
Cain Dingle, played by Jeff Hordley, is the son of Zak Dingle and Faith Dingle (nee Miligan) and the product of their extra marital affair.
He grew up believing that Faith’s husband Shadrach Dingle was his father, only to discover it was actually his uncle Zak.
Cain has numerous half-brothers and sisters via his father. From his late mum Faith’s side, he has sister Chas Dingle and brother Caleb Miligan.
His list of cousins is extensive – and his on/off romantic relationship with one in particular, Charity Dingle, is legendary.
Cain‘s been married to farmer Moira Dingle since 2014.
He’s also a father of four, by four different women.
He and Charity have one daughter, Debbie Dingle, who was born when her parents were teenagers.
Cain has sons Nate Robinson and Kyle Winchester from previous flings, and he and Moira share Isaac Dingle.
Moira Dingle
Cain’s wife, Moira, might not be a Dingle by blood, but she’s certainly part of the family. Moira, played by Natalie J Robb, is one of Emmerdale’s most popular characters.
She came to the village in July 2009, when she and husband John purchased Butler’s Farm from the newly-divorced Andy Sugden.
On the outside, the Bartons were a solid couple, but it wasn’t long before Moira found herself unable to resist the charms of a certain Cain Dingle.
Their affair ended Moira’s marriage to John, who then sadly perished in a car crash. After John’s untimely death, Moira reunited with Cain and went on to marry him in 2014.
Moira and Cain’s marriage has survived betrayals on both sides but they remain one of soap’s most popular partnerships.
Nate Robinson
Cain’s eldest son Nate was born on April 27 1991. Cain didn’t even know of his existence until he arrived in the village on April 25 2019 out for revenge. Even then, he didn’t tell Cain who he really was.
Played by Jurrell Carter, Nate got a job as a farmhand, seduced Moira and had an affair with her to pay back his dad for abandoning him. However despite Nate’s mother, Cara Robinson trying to get in touch with Cain, it turned out Faith Dingle had intercepted all correspondence. She revealed it had been because Shadrach was racist and she was trying to protect them.
Cain and Nate eventually began tentatively forming a father/son relationship.
Quite the ladies’ man, Nate eventually settled down with Tracy Metcalfe. They had a baby together, but Tracy’s battle with postnatal depression left them struggling. Nate cheated and she left. However they reunited and married in July 2023.
But just months later Tracy began an affair with Nate’s uncle, Caleb, and it signalled the end of their marriage.
Frankie Robinson
The daughter of Nate and Tracy Robinson, Frankie was born in 2021. She was named after Tracy’s late father, Frank Clayton who had died saving Tracy’s life 18 months earlier.
Kyle Winchester
Cain’s son by Amy Wyatt, Kyle was born on December 1 2011 in the cemetery. Cain had told her to have an abortion after their one-night stand and 17-year-old Amy kept her pregnancy hidden until she gave birth.
She believed Kyle was stillborn so wrapped him in a blanket and left him in a phone box. But Kyle was found and taken to hospital before being reunited with his mum.
Amy felt too young to be a mum though, and gave Kyle up for adoption. His adoptive parents died in 2013 and he was left in the care of his grandmother Joanie Wright. Financial difficulties caused her to call on the Dingles for help.
Cain paid her to stay away, but they ended up moving in with Zak and Lisa at Wishing Well.
Amy and Cain now share custody, but Cain nearly lost everything when Kyle shot and killed Al Chapman. Cain took the blame for his son and served time in prison until Kyle confessed.
Isaac Dingle
Coming into the world on October 2 2017, Isaac is the son of Moira and Cain Dingle. But Moira didn’t even know she was pregnant when she gave birth!
At first it was thought Pete Barton was the father, but then it was revealed to be Cain.
Shadrach Dingle and his family in Emmerdale
Shadrach was the second eldest of the Dingle brothers. He was played by Andy Devine, who died in real life in January 2022.
He first appeared on March 30 2000 and stayed with the show until his character was killed off on July 23 2010.
Shadrach was lazy, selfish, useless and an alcoholic. He was dad to Chas and brought Cain up as his own son, despite him being Zak’s.
Shadrach used to beat Cain when he was growing up, though he never laid a finger on Chas. He was also aggressive with wife Faith, who ended up leaving him – and her kids – when she couldn’t take any more.
He also had daughter Genesis after an affair with Shirley Pascoe. But Shirley died in childbirth and devastated, he put Gennie up for adoption.
Shadrach was diagnosed with liver failure and a perforated ulcer in 2010. He was told he must stop drinking or he would die.
But Shadrach couldn’t give up the demon drink and ended up passing out in a river. His official cause of death was drowning, but the autopsy confirmed he would have died hours later anyway due to a ruptured liver.
Chas Dingle
Chasity ‘Chas’ Dingle, played by Lucy Pargeter, is the daughter of the late Shadrach Dingle and Faith Dingle.
She’s the half-sister of Cain Dingle, Caleb Miligan and the late Genesis ‘Gennie’ Walker. Chas is also a cousin to Charity, Sam, Marlon and Belle Dingle.
As the much-loved manager of The Woolpack Chas plays a pivotal part in village life and has lived in Emmerdale for 22 years and counting.
She’s been married three times, her most recent being to village vet Paddy Kirk.
Chas is fiercely protective of her family, but hasn’t always been a model parent. She gave birth to eldest child, son Aaron, when she was just 14-years-old and the pair have had a tumultuous relationship.
Chas sadly lost her first daughter Grace in 2018 when she was just minutes old. She welcomed a second daughter, Eve, in 2019.
Aaron Dingle
Aaron Dingle, played by Danny Miller, is the only son of Chas Dingle and Gordon Livesey.
He experienced a traumatic upbringing and suffered terrible abuse at the hands of his father.
There have been many dark moments in Aaron’s life. These include an attempted suicide, dealing with the suicide of his first boyfriend, Jackson Walsh, covering up the death of Katie Sugden and the imprisonment of his husband Robert Sugden.
Aaron was reunited with estranged half-sister Liv Flaherty, but tragedy struck when she was killed off during the show’s 50th anniversary episodes.
Grace Dingle
Chas fell pregnant by surprise when dating Paddy. However at the 20-week scan the awful news was delivered that their baby girl had bilateral renal agenesis. It meant her kidneys and bladder wouldn’t develop and she wouldn’t survive long after birth.
Chas decided to carry the pregnancy to term and gave birth on October 1, 2018. Baby Grace died in her arms just 29 minutes later. Chas and Paddy have never forgotten their first daughter and regularly visit her grave.
Eve Dingle
Chas was stunned to discover she was pregnant again in 2019. She gave birth to Eve Dingle in the toilets at the Woolpack on October 18 2019. Eve was originally played by Billy Clement and Bonnie Clement and is now played by Bella James.
Faith Dingle
Shadrach’s wife, Faith, was mother to Cain and Chas. It was revealed after her death she had given birth to another son, Caleb Miligan, when she was in prison. The father was Frank Tate.
Faith abandoned her family in 1986 leaving Chas to take care of her brother and dad.
After some years absence Faith arrived in Emmerdale full-time in 2017. She donated £20,000 to great-granddaughter Sarah’s fundraising page to fund proton beam therapy. But she soon found herself skint and homeless.
Chas and Cain found it tough to forgive their mum, but she soon revealed she’d had breast cancer and a double mastectomy.
Faith left in 2019 after pushing Kim Tate off a balcony. She then returned in 2021, but it was to have a tragic end. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2022.
Wanting to end things on her terms, Faith took her own life in October 2022, dying in Cain’s arms after finally reconciling.
Caleb Miligan
Caleb Miligan, played by William Ash, is the son of Faith Dingle and was conceived during her affair with Frank Tate in the summer of 1975.
Faith gave birth to Caleb when she was in prison in April 1976 and gave him up for adoption.
Growing up in the foster system, Caleb’s childhood was unstable and lonely. He was estranged from his older brother and sister, Chas and Cain Dingle, only reconnecting with them as adults.
Caleb is married to wife Ruby Fox-Miligan, and they share an adult son, Nicky.
A successful businessman, Caleb also has a weakness for women and has enjoyed romantic liaisons with Leyla Harding, Charity Dingle and nephew Nate’s wife Tracy.
Genesis Walker
Genesis ‘Gennie’ Walker was Shadrach’s daughter by Shirley Pascoe who was adopted by Brenda Walker. She arrived in Emmerdale to meet her biological dad for the first time in April 2008.
Gennie got on well with half-sister Chas and settled into village life. She even had an ill-advised one-night stand with Bob Hope!
After a disastrous relationship with Bob’s son Jamie, Gennie fell in love with Nikhil Sharma. However he rejected her.
But when she started dating someone else, he realised he loved her. They got together, she fell pregnant and they had a daughter called Molly. They then got married.
But tragedy struck when Gennie discovered Cameron Murray was a killer. A car chase saw her crash and although she survived, Cameron suffocated her before the ambulance could arrive.
Albert Dingle and family in Emmerdale
Albert was the eldest son of Jedediah and Peg. When he arrived in Emmerdale in December 1995 he had been serving time in prison for armed robbery. He was sent to prison again in 1996 for stealing Pollard’s car.
He is the father of Marlon Dingle and Eli Dingle. Albert soon set his sights on Lisa Clegg, but on their wedding day her ex-husband caused trouble and then Zak confessed his love for Lisa. In the midst of all this Albert was chased by the police over an armed robbery and Lisa chose Zak.
He went to prison on numerous other occasions, but did attend the Dingle 10 year reunion in October 2004. However he’s not been seen since.
Albert was played by Bobby Knutt.
Marlon Dingle
Woolpack chef Marlon Dingle, played by Mark Charnock, is the son of Albert Dingle and his wife Delilah.
He has one brother, Eli Dingle, who lived in the village between 2006 and 2010.
Marlon has been a village resident since 1996.
His enduring friendship with best mate Paddy Kirk is on of soap’s most solid partnerships.
Marlon has a daughter April, from his marriage to the late Donna Windsor. He also shares a son Leo Goskirk with his wife Rhona Goskirk.
Tragically Marlon’s first wife Tricia was killed in a storm in 2004 when The Woolpack was struck by lightening and she was buried in the collapsed pub. He also married Laurel Thomas and Jessie Chapman.
Marlon’s life was nearly cut short in March 2022 when he suffered a sudden stroke. The village stalwart went on to make a recovery and is now back to work in his beloved pub kitchen.
Eli Dingle
Marlon’s brother, Eli, played by Joe Gilgun, arrived in 2006. A penniless drifter, he had just been released from prison and not even Marlon was pleased to see him.
He managed to make himself useful to the family and started an on-off relationship with cousin Debbie after they embarked on some money-making schemes together.
Eli was regularly disowned by the family – once when he kidnapped his brother Marlon! But he always managed to get back in their good books eventually.
However in 2010 he hit an all-time low when he robbed the B&B. Sam was blamed for the crime, but Marlon knew his brother was guilty. Eli left town after an emotional goodbye with Marlon before he could be arrested.
Leo Goskirk
Leo is the son of Rhona Goskirk and Marlon Dingle. He was born in 2011, but by that time, Rhona was with Paddy Kirk, so Leo also sees him as a father figure.
Tests during the pregnancy showed Leo had Down syndrome. Rhona went ahead with the pregnancy and Leo came into the world on May 20 2011.
Leo is played by Harvey Rogerson. He took over after actor Harry Whittaker, who played the part until 2014 sadly died aged three.
April Windsor
Marlon’s daughter with Donna Windsor, April is wise beyond her years, smart and sassy. Born in 2009, Marlon didn’t even know she was his daughter until Donna brough her back to Emmerdale aged five. Marlon reacted badly and initially said he wanted nothing to do with them.
However when Donna revealed she had cancer and was dying, Marlon had to step up. Donna died in 2014 and Marlon took full custody of April.
She had gone through many ‘mothers’ since then! Laurel Thomas, Carly Hope, Jessie Dingle, and now Rhona have all been in her life.
April has endured bullying at the hands of her aunty, Cathy Hope and was the one who found her dad when he had a stroke. April is played by Amelia Flanagan.
Caleb Dingle and family in Emmerdale
Caleb Dingle, another of Zak’s brothers, has only appeared in Emmerdale once on September 26 2000.
He was married to Vera-Lynn and they have a daughter, Mandy.
Mandy Dingle
Mandy Dingle, played by Lisa Riley, is another one of Zak’s nieces. The bubbly beautician first arrived in 1995 and has a been a resident on and off.
She has one son, Vinny, who she adopted after his father and her ex, Paul walked out on them when he was a youngster.
Mandy is currently in a relationship with Paddy Kirk.
Vinny Dingle
Loveable Vinny, played by Bradley Jake Johnson, was officially made a Dingle when he arrived in the Dales. Abandoned by his gambling addict father, Paul Ashdale, Vinny was brought up by Mandy Dingle.
When Paul returned to their lives, he promised he was a changed man. However, he was still gambling and when Vinny found out he began beating his son.
Paul was killed on his and Mandy’s wedding day and she found out the horrible truth about his abuse.
Vinny found love with Liv Flaherty, but their marriage was cut short when she tragically died in the Emmerdale storm in 2022.
Zebediah Dingle and family in Emmerdale
Another of Zak’s brothers, Zebediah was father to Delilah and Lilith Dingle. He is the head of the Southampton Dingles. He was present at Zak’s wedding to Joanie Wright in August 2016, but it wasn’t clear which Dingle he was on screen.
Lilith Dingle
Marlon’s cousin Lilith arrived in October 2004 for the Dingle celebration, but then dumped her four sons on Marlon while she went off to pursue her singing career.
She collected Luke, Matthew, Mark and Jon, but then returned in 2006 to leave them with Marlon again. She was arrested for armed robbery and Marlon and wife Donna grew close to the boys as they looked after them.
Lilith was freed and took her boys to live in Ireland in 2007, leaving Marlon and Donna upset. Lilith was played by Amanda Hennessy.
Delilah Dingle
Del Dingle, played by Hayley Tamaddon, arrived in Emmerdale in July 2005. She pulled up in a flashy red sports car wearing a wedding dress having run out on her wedding to Jay.
A fling with Carl King left her heartbroken when she realised he still loved her cousin Chas. She started dating Paddy Kirk, but Toni Daggert interfered and their romance didn’t last.
Finally she got together with David Metcalfe and they plotted to steal £20,000 from David’s dad, Eric. However when she found out David had cheated on her with Katie Sugden, Del took the money herself and fled the country.
Job Dingle
The only son of Zebediah and Colleen, Job has never been seen on screen. He has been mentioned by Mandy Dingle and would be around 41 years old.
Bert Dingle and family in Emmerdale
The brother of Jedediah, second son of Jonah Dingle and Dot Colton. Born in 1928, Bert created another branch of the Dingle family that we know and love. He had three children with his wife Jessie: Obediah, Elvis and Solomon.
Viewers have never met Bert, though he was mentioned in February 1995. He was invited to a family dinner at the Woolpack, but did not attend.
Obadiah Dingle
The best-known of Bert’s children is Obadiah. He is Charity’s dad and was played by Paul Copley. Described as a drunk, but proud man, he and Charity have a very volatile relationship.
Married to Kathleen, she took her own life by jumping off a cliff when Charity was young. Obadiah was religious and lied that she died of cancer to protect her memory. He turned to alcohol to cope and became resentful of Charity.
Obadiah was violent and beat Charity and when she fell pregnant at 13, he gave the child to alcoholic friend Pat Jones to raise as her own.
Soon enough, he threw Charity out. Homeless Charity turned to prostitution to survive. Obadiah rejected her once again when she was in labour with her second child.
Obadiah reached out to Charity in 2016, but Zak decided against giving her the letter.
She decided to track her dad down in 2018 and he revealed he had Parkinson’s. He also revealed he had lied about her mum’s cause of death. Obadiah then blamed Charity for his drink problems, but she refused to take the abuse and stormed out.
Elvis Dingle
Second son of Bert, Elvis had several brief appearances in Emmerdale between 2002 and 2004. He is married to Marilyn and they share two children: Daniel and Brando Dingle.
Elvis originally arrived unexpectedly to drop Peg off at Zak’s, and fled straight after.
He was last seen at a party to celebrate 10 years of Zak living in Emmerdale in May 2004. Though he was mentioned at Moira and Cain’s wedding in May 2014.
Solomon Dingle
Bert’s third son, Solomon, also arrived in Emmerdale for the 10th anniversary Dingle party. Played by Paul Shane, he only appeared on screen for a week.
Solomon and Zak were fierce rivals for the title of Dingle King. Solomon won by cheating, but eventually abdicated his crown and left the village in October 2004.
Charity Dingle and her family in Emmerdale
Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, is the daughter of Zak’s cousin Obadiah and his wife Kathleen Dingle.
Legendary for her illegal scams, multiple affairs and on/off romance with cousin Cain Dingle, Charity has been at the centre of the action since her arrival in 2000.
She has been married four times and has as many children.
Charity is the mother of Debbie, Noah and Moses Dingle as well as her long-lost son Ryan Stocks.
Ryan was the product of a rape Charity suffered at the hands of police officer Mark Bails when she was a teenager.
She also has an adopted son, Johnny, from her relationship with his mum, Vanessa Woodfield.
She’s grandmother to her daughter Debbie’s children – Sarah and Jack Sugden.
She’s the wife of Mackenzie Boyd and also the current landlady of The Woolpack.
Debbie Dingle
Daughter of Charity and Cain, Debbie was adopted by Pat Jones after Obadiah refused to let 13-year-old Charity keep her. She arrived in the village in 2002 as the temporary foster child of Paddy and Emily Kirk.
Cain had no idea she was his at first, but Charity tried to pretend Debbie didn’t exist. However eventually she came round to the idea of getting to know her daughter. When Cain found out, he wanted to be part of Debbie’s life – and it led to him and Charity having an affair.
Debbie gave birth to a daughter aged just 15 after sleeping with 18-year-old Andy Sugden. They had another child together – Jack – in 2012.
Debbie’s romantic history is chequered. She has also dated Andy’s brother Robert, her best friend Jasmine Thomas, Cameron Murray, Pete Barton, Ross Barton and Joe Tate.
Debbie has served time inside for perverting the course of justice after helping cover up Shane Doyle’s murder.
She eventually left Emmerdale in 2019 after Lisa left her a garage in Scotland in her will. She briefly returned in 2020 and was revealed to be the secret lover of Al Chapman. However she left again in early 2021 and actress Charley Webb, who plays her, has no plans to return to the role.
Noah Dingle
Charity’s son by Chris Tate, Noah Dingle, played by Jack Downham, was born while Charity was in prison in 2004. She was accused of murdering his father.
Noah was then raised by his aunt, Zoe Tate, but Charity took him back when she was released.
Noah has got into quite a few scrapes – Noah has overdosed on drugs and spent time in prison for a stalking offence. He is currently dating Amelia Spencer and training as an electrician after claiming to be a reformed character.
Moses Dingle
Charity’s youngest son, Moses Barton-Dingle, is her child with Ross Barton. Once again, born while Charity was inside, Moses was raised by sister Debbie for his early life.
Charity reclaimed him on her return in 2016 and now shares custody of him with Ross.
Ryan Stocks
Charity had son, Ryan, played by James Moore, in 1990 after being raped by DI Mark Bails. She believed her child had died at birth and fled the hospital, not knowing he was still alive.
He was raised by Irene Stocks, the midwife who delivered him. Ryan has cerebral palsy. He is the landlord of the Woolpack and is in a relationship with Gail Loman. They also have a son, Oscar, who has been adopted.
Ryan and Charity reunited in 2018, but the road has been rocky. However their relationship has improved since.
Sarah Sugden
The daughter of Debbie Dingle, granddaughter of Charity and Cain, Sarah was born in 2005 when Debbie was just 15 years old. Debbie didn’t think she could cope with being a mum and tried to persuade Emily to look after Sarah.
In 2011 Sarah was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease Fanconi anaemia. She needed a bone marrow transplant to save her life. There were no matches so Debbie and Andy, who were both with other people, decided to have a saviour sibling to save Sarah’s life.
Jack was born in October 2012 and was able to save his sister’s life. However Sarah was then diagnosed with cancer in 2017. She needed to raise money for life-saving proton beam therapy. Her grandmother Faith donated £20,000 and the two became very close.
The therapy was a success, but a rare side-effect saw Sarah diagnosed with heart failure. She had a transplant, but she is aware she may not have a long life expectancy.
Sarah, played by Katie Hill, lives with Charity and her husband Mackenzie Boyd.
Jack Sugden Jr
Born in October 2012, Jack was a saviour sibling for very poorly sister Sarah. He now lives in Scotland with Debbie.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
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