ITV Emmerdale's first Dingle family member now after landing huge rival soap role

Longtime soap watchers may remember Ben Dingle, played by Steve Fury now Steve Jackson (Image: ITV)

The Dingle family on Emmerdale is bracing for a devastating blow on Tuesday evening as they learn of the death of their patriarch, Zak Dingle.

Steve Halliwell, who played Zak, sadly passed away last December at 77-years-old. The actor had been portraying the iconic Zak since 1994 and quickly won over the hearts of viewers.

In light of Steve's passing, the soap's creators have woven in a death storyline for the cherished actor and character, which will see the unexpected return of a long-lost relative at his funeral.

As the Dingles take centre stage in the ITV soap, audiences may find themselves reminiscing about past characters from the show. Longstanding fans might remember that Ben Dingle, portrayed by Steve Fury now Steve Jackson, was the first member of the Dingle family to make an appearance on Emmerdale on August 9, 1994.

The actor then landed the role of Trevor Dean in Coronation Street from 2010 until 2011 (Image: ITV)

Ben was one of Zak's children, alongside Nathan, Butch, Cain, Sam, Tina and Belle. Zak fathered Nathan, Butch, Ben, Sam, and Tina with his first wife, Nellie Dingle, reports Leeds Live. He had Cain with Faith Dingle and later welcomed Belle with Lisa Dingle.

Despite being the inaugural Dingle to feature on Emmerdale, Ben's stint was brief as he only featured in one episode. Ben tragically died due to a heart defect following a brawl with Luke McAllister and Joe Sugden on the ITV soap.

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Emmerdale marked the significant moment in its history back in August 2020, with the show's official Facebook page reminiscing: "ON THIS DAY IN #Emmerdale 9th August 1994 (ep 1893) Ben Dingle dies of a heart defect after a fight with Luke McAllister and Joe Sugden. This is the first appearance of a Dingle in Emmerdale!"

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Although his time on Emmerdale was brief, actor Steve has since graced several hit TV series, including a stint on another ITV soap. After his role in Emmerdale, Steve featured in The Cops for 16 episodes as Mike in 1998, followed by a part in Clocking Off in 2000, playing Barry Sleight across eight episodes.

Steve then landed the part of Trevor Dean in Coronation Street, where he appeared from 2010 to 2011. More recently, he portrayed Kevin Wilson in Ackley Bridge from 2017 to 2019 and took on the character of Jeremy Sharpe in All Creatures Great and Small in 2020.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.

ITV Emmerdale's first Dingle family member now after landing huge rival soap role

ITV Emmerdale's first Dingle family member now after landing huge rival soap role

ITV Emmerdale's first Dingle family member now after landing huge rival soap role

ITV Emmerdale's first Dingle family member now after landing huge rival soap role

ITV Emmerdale's first Dingle family member now after landing huge rival soap role