Emmerdale Celebrates 30 Years Of The Dingles
The Dingle family first appeared on screen in 1994. Since then, Emmerdale's largest family, with 11 generations of known family members, have had their fair share of drama causing chaos as soaps' most garish and close knit family.
Thirty years later, the Dingles are saying farewell to their patriarch Zak. Despite their sadness, the Dingle family are doing what they do best, pulling together.
The Dingles may be social outcasts in the village of Emmerdale, but off screen the soap family are multi award winning with many stories left to tell.
Cast interviews...
Jeff Hordley plays Cain Dingle:
How does Cain find out the sad news about Zak?
Well, I think he's at home. Moira gets a call, and he's just about to get on with his day and then she kind of imparts the news to him. It comes as a bit of a bolt from the blue, especially seeing as he's just come back from Scotland that morning, I think, and Zak's kind of told him to go and, you know, it'll be fine. And he's promised him that he won't do too much, because his doctor said for him to rest, because he's not been well. I think that's why it's so immediate for Cain, and so shocking – it's like seeing someone in the morning, isn't it? And then in the afternoon, they're gone, and he's trying to process it.
Is it some comfort that he has just seen his dad?
Absolutely, yeah. It will have been a huge comfort, especially when it's a sudden death. But if you've seen someone just before, then it can make it easier.
Cain’s the one who has to break the news to the rest of the Dingle family. How does that go?
The way they've written it, there were little scenes where I had to go to various members of the Dingle family. It was good, you know? It was a nice little piece.
They react in various degrees of reacting to sad news. Nobody was expecting it.
And I think there's a scene that involves just Cain, Sam and Belle, where they're reflecting on their dad…
I'm sure it's pretty much a dedicated episode where they just stay up one night and talk about what's going on in their lives, and relate it all to Zak, and talk about Zak as well. It's a really lovely episode. It reminded me a lot of the lockdown two hander episodes that we had where it’s just characters talking. It’s a bit like doing a play, it's quite intense.
What can you tell us about the funeral?
Sam and Cain go up to Scotland to bring Zak home, and the funeral takes place very soon after. The funeral has got Dingles written all over it. That's all I can tell you, really. If you could say shotgun wedding or shotgun funeral, you'd kind of get a picture of what it's like…
What was is like filming it?
There's really poignant moments in it. And whilst we were filming, we were all focused and giving the script everything it needed. But off camera as well – and Steve would have enjoyed this, because Steve always liked to have a giggle behind the camera – whilst we weren't rolling, we made sure we had some laughs as well. Because when we do get together as a group, we do make sure that it's fun to film. What I’m trying to say is that the mood wasn't just downbeat, we were making sure that we were having a laugh, and Steve wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
It says in the storylines that there's a long-lost relative who turns up at the graveside – are there any hints you can give us about?
It's someone you might know. They’re not going to make things go smoothly for the Dingles. Could it be someone back from the dead?
Also this week, Moira receives news that an operation slot has become available. Does Cain know about this?
She keeps it to herself. The sense behind it is that she knows that Cain’s got so much on his plate with the funeral that she doesn't want to burden him with it. So she makes a massive sacrifice for herself to make sure that Cain can get through this day smoothly.
How do you think Cain would react if he knew about that?
He'd be really cross!
Do you love being a Dingle? Being a Dingle for me, is a source of immense pride. It's something that I still pinch myself when I think about. I'm kind of part of this institutional amazing family that's part of the Emmerdale fabric. So, yeah, I just feel very honoured and very proud. I'm very thankful to be a Dingle.
Lisa Riley plays Mandy Dingle:
How special were these episodes to film?
“The best part for us, as the Dingle family, was the way that this went through production. From Laura (Shaw), our producer, who's known us for years, grown up with us, and then Peter Kerry who has written the script, who was part of the development team of the Dingles all those years ago. Finally, Jeff Naylor, our director, directed Steve Halliwell and Zak's first ever episode! So you've got all that thrown in the mix, it's so nostalgic! So for us, as a family, it was obviously the biggest blessing and we're so happy that it all happened in this way.”
“Also, when you think of Steve Halliwell and the character of Zak, you always think of his love of music. So the team has brilliantly incorporated his music into this episode. Zak's love of music and the nostalgia are all there for the viewers to see.”
Lucy Pargeter plays Chas Dingle:
What are your memories of working with Steve Halliwell?
“Working with Steve was like the fun of being in nursery every single day. I can't remember any day that was serious or any day that he ever flew off the handle or was angry about anything. It never felt like a work day with Steve, it was just like having your head teacher in your classroom and they just say ‘let's all have fun!”
James Hooton plays Sam Dingle
What is your favourite Zak Dingle memory?
“I have so many brilliant memories of Zak. I used to like the really silly, unbelievable stuff that we did back in the 90s. One memory is of a crying Elvis doll that the Dingles tried to convince people was like a crying Mary Magdalene sort of thing. It was a doll that they'd stolen from a secondhand clothes shop and they were using it to make money. Another hilarious story that springs to mind is when they tried to send Butch into orbit, the most unbelievable storyline at that time but we always tried to do it with pathos and believability. It used to make us laugh so much that sometimes it became difficult to get through a scene.”
Emma Atkins plays Charity Dingle
What does it mean to you to be a Dingle?
“Being a Dingle means everything. As soon as I found out I was going for the role of a Dingle. I worked so hard to get the part, it was like I manifested being a Dingle. I was so happy to be given the part of Charity. When you hear about families in soaps you think of the Dingles, they really are part of the tapestry that makes up Emmerdale.”
Eden Taylor-Draper plays Belle Dingle
What are your memories of Steve?
“Steve, to me, was the funniest man ever! He was a really weird combination of a father figure, best friend, a standup comedian and a counsellor. He was everything. It really feels like he lives on because all of us have traits of his; our sense of humour or things we bond over, so everyday when we are together, it feels like Steve is still part of the conversation or moment.”
Mark Charnock plays Marlon Dingle
Tell us the perks of being a Dingle?
“Being a Dingle is a funny old thing because it’s a bit like having a shortcut to people in the outside world liking you, just because the word ‘Dingle’ suggests that they are already superior to you in every social way possible. On set it means you get loads of amazing storylines and get to work with fantastic people.”
“Part of being a Dingle is drinking from the wellie, so I've drunk from the wellie several times, as you can imagine over the years. They always promise you it's been cleaned, but you always get the feeling that you are inhaling the Dingle DNA like molecules from decades of Dingles. It's kind of like a soup that you wouldn't order from a menu, but you think, well, it's my job, I've got to swig this beer, so you get it down and then, you know, go to hospital.”
Danny Miller plays Aaron Dingle
What is your favourite Dingle storyline?
“It may be really predictable but it would have to be when Aaron became an official Dingle.
It was right off the back of a very dark and emotional abuse storyline. All the Dingles were there and you saw a softer side of Aaron and all the Dingles were rallying round and supporting him after what he’d been through with his dad. They all became closer from that point on, which was lovely to play. I also had to drink from the wellie, which is traditional when you became an official Dingle. It was the most daunting experience I've ever had. They put real beer in this wellie and everyone is stood around you. It was so nerve racking, but I officially became a Dingle which made it near perfect.”