As the Dingles celebrate 30 years - The best ever Dingle moments

There's been a lot of action over the years!
Kerry Barrett
By Kerry Barrett

The Dingles feel like part of the furniture in Emmerdale. Their numbers keep growing and their storylines keep getting more dramatic, and it’s hard to remember a time when there wasn’t at least one Dingle in the village!

It’s 30 years since the family burst on to our screens, and they’re right at the heart of storylines this week as the family get the sad news that Zak – the head of the Dingles and Belle, Sam and Cain’s dad – had died.

Emmerdale is celebrating the whole Dingle clan this week, so we decided to join in by remembering some of the best Dingle moments!

Here’s what we chose – what are yours?

Silly moments for the Dingles in Emmerdale

It’s strange to remember this now but when the Dingles first arrived on-screen, they were often the butt of jokes! Their scams and money-making schemes were the talk of the village – remember these?!

Barry Clegg and his pig waste rocket
Barry Clegg built the rocket and Butch planned a space trip (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Butch in space

In 1997, Lisa’s ex-husband Barry Clegg built a rocket that ran on pig waste. So of course the Dingles decided to build a rocket and send Butch into space. Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon, says it was his favourite Dingle moment. It won’t surprise anyone to know their attempt to send Butch into space failed!

Hillbilly rock

It’s a bit of a cheat as it wasn’t just Dingles, and it wasn’t just in Emmerdale but the Woolpackers – a country music band – had some chart success back in the late 90s.
Steve Halliwell, aka Zak Dingle, was joined by fellow Emmerdale stars Alun Lewis (Vic Windsor) and Billy Hartman (Terry) as well as Jane Cox (Lisa Dingle), and reached number five in the charts with Hillbilly Rock!

Babies for the Dingles in Emmerdale

We’ve seen five generations of Dingles on our screens and some very memorable births!

Lisa and Zak and baby Belle
Baby Belle’s arrival was a surprise for her parents! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

A Christmas miracle

Lisa didn’t know she was expecting when she gave birth to baby Belle. She felt a bit peculiar while she was out in the pen, helping Paddy look after a poorly pig. Lisa gave birth to baby Belle with Paddy’s help, on Christmas Day in 1998.

Chas and Paddy say goodbye to baby Grace
Chas and Paddy said a sad goodbye to baby Grace (Credit: ITV)

Heartbreak for Chas

There was heartbreak for Chas Dingle when she found out her unborn baby wouldn’t survive for long after she arrived. Chas chose to continue her pregnancy and when she gave birth to baby Grace, she and dad Paddy, imagined their daughter’s future. Baby Grace only lived for 29 minutes.

Debbie’s surprise

Teenager Debbie Dingle got pregnant after a brief affair with Andy Sugden. She kept her pregnancy a secret from just about everyone and eventually gave birth to little Sarah in the woods. Debbie struggled with motherhood at first, but she’s now devoted to Sarah and her son Jack.

Weddings for the Dingles in Emmerdale

Robron finally tie the knot

Everyone had waited a long time for Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle to tie the knot. They finally got their shiz together and planned their big day, only for Aaron’s mum Chas give birth to tragic baby Grace the day before. But with Chas’s blessing the pair finally walked down the aisle and made Robron official.

Tina’s revenge

Tina Dingle played a long game of revenge when she seduced brother Ben’s killer, Luke McAllister. She wooed Luke, convincing him and everyone else they had a future, she pretended to be pregnant, planned a wedding and manipulated Luke into selling his family heirlooms. And then she jilted him at the altar. Ouch!

Chas and Carl on their wedding day
Chas took revenge on cheating Carl on their wedding day (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Chas gets her own back

Tina was obviously in Chas’s mind when she found out her fiancé Carl King was cheating with Eve Jenson. Just like her cousin before her, Chas kept on wedding planning, pocketing the cash Carl was handing over, and jilted him at the altar. He totally deserved it, let’s be honest. It was Chas’s finest moment!

Debbie and Pete’s explosive wedding

If we’re after the most dramatic wedding in Emmerdale, then Debbie Dingle’s big day with Pete Barton definitely fits the bill. Not only was the bride’s affair with the groom’s brother revealed at the reception, but thanks to a chain of events involving Robert Sugden, Chrissie White and Adam Barton, a helicopter crashed into the party, killing Val Pollard!

Lisa and Zak as Lisa dies
Lisa passed away on her wedding day (Credit: ITV)

Lisa’s tragic big day

After finally rekindling her relationship with Zak, Lisa was thrilled when they walked down the aisle for a second time. The pair had a perfect wedding day – the Woolpackers even made an appearance at the reception – and then Lisa headed back to Wishing Well Cottage to change her dress. She sat down next to loyal pooch Monty and passed away peacefully. SOB!

Deaths for the Dingle family in Emmerdale

Of course, with the births and the marriages, there has to come the deaths. It’s the circle of life, as Elton John would say. Here’s the best ones:

faith and Cain enjoy the day together at the seaside in Emmerdale Dingles Emmerdale
Cain gave Faith a memorable ‘trip’ to the seaside before she died (Credit: ITV)

Faith makes her mark

Yes Faith wasn’t the best mum to Chas and Cain, and she didn’t even know newcomer son Caleb, but everyone loved her just the same. From her arrival in Emmerdale to her final days spent on a trip to the seaside (sort of), she stole the show, and her peaceful death with son Cain at her side, was perfect.

Gennie’s tragic demise

It was YEARS ago but we’re still reeling at Genesis Walker’s brutal death at the hands of Dales killer Cameron Murray. Gennie had worked out Cameron was the killer, but he chased her down and killed her. It was a shocking soap moment and one Emmerdale fans will remember forever.

Drama for the Dingles in Emmerdale

Where there’s a Dingle, there’s always drama! It’s hard to pick the most dramatic Dingle moments but here’s a few that got our hearts racing.

Charity gives evidence against Bails Dingles Emmerdale
Charity bravely faced her abuser in court (Credit: ITV)

Charity v Bails

Brave, bold Charity confronted her past, literally and metaphorically, when she took on her one-time abuser, DI Mark Bails. Not only did Charity face the rapist police officer in court, she also discovered the son she thought had died – Ryan Stocks – was alive and well, and reconnected with him.

Chas and Debbie Vs Cameron

Emmerdale killer Cameron Murray went to jail, only to escape and come back to the village to torment his former lovers Chas and Debbie. In tense scenes, unhinged Cameron held the whole pub at gunpoint, shooting Alicia Metcalfe in the process. And then he pursued a terrified Debbie and Chas through the flooded pub cellar before he was electrocuted and died.

Tom smashes the door with an axe as Belle screams
The tension was high as Tom tracked Belle down (Credit: ITV)

Belle and Tom’s axe-wielding confrontation

It’s hard to pick a moment from this ongoing tale, but just a few weeks ago, Belle lashed out and stuck an axe in Tom’s back – and who could blame her?! The moment when a frantic, screaming Belle was on one side of the door, with Tom smashing his way through, Jack Nicholson style, will go down in Emmerdale history!

Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.

Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.

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