Emmerdale viewers were left emotional this week as the much-loved Dingle family discovered that their patriarch, Zak Dingle, had died.
Steve Halliwell, who portrayed Zak, sadly passed away last December at 77. Since 1994, the actor had been bringing the iconic character of Zak to life and quickly became a favourite among viewers.
In the wake of Steve's passing, the soap's writers have created an emotional death storyline for his beloved character, with a sad funeral aired in Thursday's episode.
However, during the private family gathering, Zak's long-lost daughter Tina, now portrayed by Samantha Power, made a surprise appearance at the funeral, leaving the family stunned.
As the Dingles remain the central focus of the ITV soap, viewers may feel a sense of nostalgia reflecting on past characters from the soap. In this article, we explore all the forgotten Dingle stars, from their success in Brassic to roles in Coronation Street, reports Leeds Live.
Delilah Dingle
Delilah Dingle, played by Hayley Tamaddon, first joined the ITV soap in 2005 as the daughter of Zebediah and Colleen Dingle. Delilah made a dramatic entrance as a runaway bride, where she dumped her fiancé Jay and gifted her widescreen TV wedding present to her uncle Zak so he would let her stay with the family.
It wasn't long until Delilah had a tumultuous love life in the village with love interests such as Carl King, Paddy Kirk and David Metcalfe. Just like her dramatic entrance, Delilah had an explosive exit as she managed to con David out of £20,000 after they stole it from his long-lost dad Eric Pollard, where she fled the village in 2007.
After leaving the ITV soap, actress Hayley, 47, appeared in the likes of Stars in Their Eyes, Soapstar Superstar, Soapstar Superchef and Dancing on Ice. Meanwhile, in 2013, she landed the role of Andrea Beckett on Coronation Street and played the character until 2015. Hayley recently appeared in Unforgotten in 2023 as Judy Mexbury.
Eli Dingle
Eli Dingle, played by Joe Gilgun, made his first village appearance back in 2006 as the younger brother of Marlon Dingle, played by Mark Charnock.
Eli showed up penniless as he had just been released from prison but was now working as a builder, leaving the Dingles shocked. However, the family weren't pleased to see Eli, especially his older brother Marlon, as his mischievous past was revealed. During his time on Emmerdale, Eli had several run-ins with the law and other villagers.
As part of his ext storyline, Eli, who had sank further into a downward spiral, decided to rob the cash box from the B&B to pay his rent to Marlon. However, due to making noise, a drunken Eric woke up and fell down the stairs. A horrified Eli tried to help him but then ran off with the cash box.
Sam was the one to find Eric and he was therefore accused of the theft but Marlon managed to locate his brother as he warned he better get Sam out of the mess he had made. Eli told Marlon that he was going away forever so he wouldn't continue to cause a mess for his family - he then revealed himself to be the thief and apologised to Sam. Eli managed to leave before he was arrested and had a heart-to-heart with Marlon. Before leaving the village for good in 2010, Eli returned the cash box to Marlon but it was revealed to be empty with a note inside reading: "IOU £400".
After leaving Emmerdale, actor Joe has found success in the likes of This Is England '86, This Is England '88 and This Is England '90. He also took on the role of Rudy Wade in Misfits from 2011 and 2013, as well as the character of Cassidy in Preacher from 2016 to 2019. More recently, Joe has had huge success with his Sky comedy series Brassic, which he created and stars in.
Brassic, which first aired in 2019, recently returned for its sixth season and a seventh series has been confirmed. The hit comedy show follows Vinnie O'Neill, played by Joe, and his gang of mates as they dive into a life of petty crime with often hilarious and disastrous results. It also features stars such as Michelle Keegan and Dominic West.
Tina Dingle
Actress Jacqueline Pirie, now known as Chadwick, played the character of Tina Dingle on the popular ITV soap between 1994 and 1996, a role still fondly remembered by fans.
Tina, the daughter of Zak and Nellie, made her first appearance in the village in December 1994. Known for being brash, intelligent and scheming, Tina saw herself as an outsider. However, after securing a job at Home Farm for Frank Tate (Norman Bowler), she attempted to adopt a more glamorous lifestyle.
Her most notable storyline occurred in 1995 when she plotted to wed Luke McAllister (Noah Huntley), claiming she was pregnant with his child. However, the plan ended tragically when Luke discovered their relationship and pregnancy were part of a revenge scheme, leading to his death in a van crash. Tina departed the village in 1996.
Two years after her Emmerdale exit, Jacqueline returned to our screens in Coronation Street. For five years, she portrayed Linda Sykes, a factory worker known for her affair with Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs). She left the soap in 2001.
Jacqueline has since traded fame for a more tranquil life as an author. The mother of two is married to Simon Chadwick, and they live in Canada. Now based in Vancouver, the former soap actress goes by Jacqueline Chadwick and has gained recognition for her successful crime novels. She has penned three thriller books: In The Still, Briefly Maiden, and Silent Sisters.
Each book revolves around her character Ali Dalglish, an ex-forensic psychologist turned housewife who becomes entangled in murder investigations. Jacqueline has also ventured into business, establishing successful drama schools including the Jacqueline Chadwick Academy of Performing Arts. The role of Tina Dingle is now played by actress Samantha Power.
Butch Dingle
Zak and Nellie's son, Butch, portrayed by Paul Loughran, was a crucial member of the Dingle family. Introduced in 1994 under the real name Francis Albert Dingle, he exited in 2000.
Butch, nicknamed by his father Zak due to his sensitive nature as a child, was romantically involved with Emily Wylie (Kate McGregor) during his final months in Emmerdale.
In 2000, disaster struck when Butch was caught in a bus crash in the village, resulting in severe injuries. Butch and Emily wed while he was still hospitalised, but he tragically passed away shortly after.
After leaving Emmerdale, actor Paul featured in a variety of other shows including Doctors, The Bill, Heartbeat, Mobile and I Fought the Law. He also had a six-year stint on ITV's Blue Murder as DS Butchers.
Choosing to step away from acting, Paul embarked on a new career path. He returned to university to train as a primary school teacher, a role he reportedly held at a Blackburn school until 2016 when he made a return to the entertainment industry in the drama Jericho.
In the same year, he took on the role of Darryl Perkins, the father of Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) in Coronation Street. A year later, he appeared in a minor role in the BBC medical drama Casualty.
Little information is available about Paul's life post 2017 as he has not been seen on TV since then. It is speculated that Paul may have resumed his teaching career.
Ben Dingle
Ben Dingle, portrayed by Steve Fury now Steve Jackson, was the first member of the Dingle family to appear on Emmerdale on August 9, 1994.
Ben was one of Zak's children, alongside Nathan, Butch, Cain, Sam, Tina and Belle. Zak had Nathan, Butch, Ben, Sam, and Tina with his first wife, Nellie Dingle. He fathered Cain with Faith Dingle and later welcomed Belle with Lisa Dingle.
Despite being the inaugural Dingle to grace Emmerdale, Ben's stint was brief as he only featured in a single episode. After a scuffle with Luke McAllister and Joe Sugden on the ITV soap, Ben succumbed to a heart defect.
Although his Emmerdale tenure was fleeting, actor Steve has since appeared in numerous popular TV shows, including a rival ITV soap. Post Emmerdale, Steve joined The Cops for 16 episodes as Mike in 1998, then moved onto Clockin Off in 2000 as Barry Sleight for eight episodes.
Steve secured the role of Trevor Dean in Coronation Street from 2010 to 2011. His recent roles include Kevin Wilson in Ackley Bridge from 2017 to 2019 and Jeremy Sharpe in All Creatures Great and Small in 2020.
Emmerdale continues on weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV and ITV X, with hour-long episodes on Thursdays.
