Who was Liv Flaherty in Emmerdale? A look back at her life and death
We miss you, LivEmmerdale has paid tribute to Liv Flaherty, as it comes up to the anniversary of her heartbreaking death. She arrived in 2016, before departing the soap back in 2022. And it’s safe to say, she brought quite a lot of drama.
It’s been three years since we said goodbye to Liv. And it’s clear that her brother, Aaron Dingle, still misses her terribly.
But what was Liv’s story in Emmerdale? And how did she die? Let’s have a look.
Who is Liv Flaherty in Emmerdale?
Liv was played by actress Isobel Steele, who has since gone on to have a music career after the show.
Liv was Aaron Dingle’s younger half-sister. They had different mums, but shared the same father – Gordon Livesy. Liv’s mum was Gordon’s ex-wife, Sandra Flaherty.
Aaron met his little sister back in 2016, when he was trying to get Sandra to stand up for him in his abuse trial against Gordon. And the first time they came face-to-face, she even stole his wallet!
But after the trial, a troubled Liv decided she wanted to move in with her big brother. And that was her arrival to Emmerdale.
Was Liv asexual in Emmerdale?
In her mid-teens, Liv began questioning her sexuality. While struggling, Liv even tried to kiss her best friend, Gabby Thomas. But soon realised she wasn’t into girls.
However, Liv soon realised she actually wasn’t interested in men or women sexually. And after some taunting and bullying, Liv confided in Belle about her sexuality, admitting she may be asexual.
This was a prominent storyline in Liv’s time on the show, as she began a relationship with Jacob Gallagher, while he was being groomed by Maya Stepney.
He made sure Liv knew he would not pressure her into sex, which made Liv happy that he understood her feelings.
Were Liv and Vinny married in Emmerdale?
Liv went on to meet Vinny Dingle and the pair very quickly became an adored couple in the village. And despite all their trials and turbulences, they were the perfect pair.
Vinny was completely understanding about Liv’s sexuality, and just loved her for her. But he was also struggling with his own abusive dad, Paul. As a result, he was forced to break up with Liv, deeming her a “weirdo”.
However, Liv soon found out the truth and the pair were able to put their struggles behind them and fully commit to their relationship.
Eventually, they went on to get married. And were together right up until Liv’s heartbreaking death.
Was Liv an alcoholic in Emmerdale?
Liv did develop an alcohol problem in Emmerdale after she accidentally spiked Lisa Dingle’s drink.
She and Gabby stole some ketamine from Vanessa Woodfield’s bag to spike Bernice’s boyfriend Daz’s drink. But they got mixed up and Lisa had the spiked drink.
To cope with her guilt, Liv started drinking. And when she was sent to prison, things got even worse and her dependance on alcohol increased massively.
She also hit the bottle following Paul Ashdale’s death. Paul had just beat Liv up, and then he got trapped in the barn. While Liv tried to rescue him, she wasn’t able to in time as the barn exploded and he died.
But, wanting to change her life around, Liv finally was able to get sober, following another return to the bottle.
Did Aaron and Liv get on when she died?
When Aaron was in a relationship with Ben Tucker, a drunk Liv got into an argument with him, which was recorded.
But at the time, serial killer Meena Jutla turned her attention on Ben, murdering him. But as Liv couldn’t remember her conversation with him, and the police had the phone recording, she was sent to prison.
Aaron believed his sister murdered his boyfriend and left the village. But it was finally revealed that Meena was behind it all.
In the end Aaron returned and the pair finally made their relationship right again. But they didn’t get long as Liv’s death came way too soon.
How did Liv die in Emmerdale?
In a huge storm celebrating Emmerdale’s 50th anniversary, Liv tragically died because of a caravan.
Liv and Vinny had been asked to babysit Eve, but as they made their way through the village, a caravan hurtled towards them, trapping Liv.
The paramedics arrived and quickly realised the caravan was actually the only thing keeping Liv alive.
Heartbroken Aaron and Vinny were there by her side, saying goodbye to Liv, when she tragically passed away on October 16 2022.
It was a death that left quite a lot of Emmerdale viewers devastated, as they always hoped Liv would get the happy ending she deserved.
Read more: Emmerdale fans thrilled about Robert Sugden flashback episode: ‘We need it’
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm, with an early release at 7am on YouTube and ITVX.
