Emmerdale fans 'work out' identity of Zak Dingle's secret daughter in DNA twist

Emmerdale fans are buzzing with speculation that the late Zak Dingle (played by Steve Halliwell) may have sired a secret daughter who is already in the village.

During emotional scenes on Friday evening, Cain Dingle (portrayed by Jeff Horley) disclosed his feelings to siblings Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) and Sam (James Hooton), leading to an all-night reflection on their treasured memories of their dad as Cain assumed the title of "head of the family."

The previous day, the Dingles came together to pay their last respects at Zak's funeral. As the patriarch, Zak had specific wishes for his send-off, desiring both a burial at home and one final journey through the village amongst those he held dear.

The funeral, however, took an unexpected turn when an uninvited guest disrupted the proceedings, staking a claim as another of Zak's offspring and demanding her portion of his estate.

According to Leeds Live, Samantha Power's Tina Dingle arrived determined to stake her claim and seize control.

It was during this confrontation that Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick) stepped forward with vital information: she revealed that Zak had indeed drafted a will and entrusted it to her care.

Lydia fiercely rebuked Tina, exclaiming, "Slag off my Sam again, and you'll wish you'd never been born, and as for the house, Zak did make a will, and he had me look after it."

She further divulged that the letter Cain found in the house was integral to Zak's legacy, leaving the property to Sam, Belle, and Cain.

Fans of Emmerdale were left scratching their heads after a recent episode in which Lydia Dingle was holding an unexplained letter from Zak, sparking wild speculation among the audience. While some viewers suspect Lydia might be Zak's secret offspring, other theories are gaining traction on social media.

One eagle-eyed enthusiast voiced their hunch on a Facebook fan group, proposing that Ruby Milligan, portrayed by Beth Cordingly, could be Zak's daughter. Given that Ruby's background remains shrouded in mystery, this guess doesn't seem too far-fetched.

The suggestion was: "I think Ruby is Zak's love child, that's why Ruby's mum didn't want her with Caleb."

Another fan speculated about a different relationship: "I think it's Caleb's wife who is the secret daughter hence why her mum wanted to see and talk with her before she passed."

Setting the online theorising ablaze, a third chimed in with: "A love child that's already in the program comes to light, and Belle is shocked."

In agreement with the whirlwind of guesses, another added: "Yes, that would totally make sense."

Compounding the intrigue, recent scenes revealed Ruby grappling with her mother's death and the shocking revelation that her husband Caleb Millian (Will Ash) had coerced her out of £100k just a day earlier.

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV.