MANDY Dingle is set for a blackmail nightmare in upcoming Emmerdale scenes.
Viewers of the ITV soap have recently seen Mandy (Lisa Riley) be reunited with her long absent cousin Tina (Samantha Power).
Mandy Dingle is set for a blackmail nightmare in upcoming Emmerdale scenes[/caption]
Tina Dingle made her return to the village last month[/caption]
Mandy is at Tina’s mercy in scenes yet to air[/caption]
Spoilers suggest fan favourite Mandy is set for a difficult time ahead of her.
In scenes yet to air, Sam (James Hooton) is dumbfounded by Tina’s audacity as she continues to reside next door to Wishing Well and maintains her claim on the house.
Meanwhile, Sam’s further distressed upon realising his father Zak’s (Steve Haliwell) will has been taken.
Mandy – having been blackmailed by Tina – reluctantly hands over Zak’s will to keep Vinny’s (Bradley Johnson) parentage a secret.
Tina is secretly his biological mother, although Mandy raised him.
However, Mandy is beyond frustrated when Vinny sticks up for Tina.
The young man protests Tina’s in the village to get to know her family, rather than run off with Zak’s money.
Elsewhere, Tina tries to persuade Sam to sell the house – as a drunken Sam accidentally admits Vinny’s got Liv’s inheritance.
Iconic character Tina returned to the village last month for her dad Zak’s funeral.
New actress Samantha Power took over the role from original star Jacqueline Pirie.
Scottish actress Jacqueline played Tina in her original stint, spanning 1994 to 1996.
Previously, The Sun exclusively revealed she was approached to return – but declined.
A source said: “Jacqueline loved her time on Emmerdale and life as an actress but it was a long time ago and she’s moved on.
“She lives in Canada now and has a new career as a novelist and while she’ll always be fond of the show, a return isn’t something she’s interested in.
“These things happen, people move on and recasts happen all the time.”
Soap characters who’ve been recast
Soap operas are staple viewing for many people, but even some of the most famous characters have been played by different actors. Here are some examples from over the years.
- Tracy Barlow: Kate Ford took on the role of Corrie legend Tracy Barlow in 2002. Before Kate, three other actresses had played Tracy – most notably Dawn Acton from 1988 to 1999.
- Nick Tilsley: Ben Price has been playing Gail’s oldest child in 2009, but the former Footballers’ Wives star is the third actor to take on the part.
- Sarah Platt: Although Tina O’Brien debuted as Sarah Platt in 1999, she is the third actress who has played the iconic role of Sarah Platt.
- David Platt: Completing the line-up of Gail’s children, David was initially played by Thomas Ormson for a decade before Jack P. Shepherd took over.
- Daniel Osbourne: For almost a decade, the role of Ken Barlow’s son Daniel has been portrayed by actor Rob Mallard. Before Rob joined, two other actors had previously played Daniel.
- Bethany Platt: Fans know Lucy Fallon as Bethany nowadays but before her, three other actresses had stepped into the character’s shoes.
- Kirk Sutherland: Before Andy Whyment took on the role of Kirk, he played by an uncredited actor in his very first appearance.
- Todd Grimshaw: Gareth Pierce stepped into the role of Todd back in 2020, becoming the second performer to play this part.
- Summer Spellman: Harriet Bibby became the second actress to play Summer, taking over the role from Matilda Freeman in 2020.
- Ryan Connor: Ryan Prescott currently plays the long-running character, but Ben Thompson and Sol Heras had earlier portrayed the role.
- Martin Fowler: Although Martin was the first baby born on-screen in EastEnders, he hasn’t always been played by the same person. His current portrayer, James Bye, is the third actor to star as the character.
- Peter Beale: Seven actors have portrayed Ian Beale’s elder son, with the current actor, Thomas Law, in his second stint as the character.
- Ben Mitchell: Ben has been played by a total of six actors – with Max Bowden bowing out of the role in March 2024.
- Bobby Beale: Before Clay Milner Russell, Ian’s younger son had been played by four other actors.
- Freddie Slater: Bobby’s best mate, Freddie Slater, had been previously played by twins Alex and Tom Kilby before Bobby Brazier took over in 2022.
- Chelsea Fox: Former Coronation Street actress Zaraah Abrahams took over the role of Chelsea in 2020. The character had been first played by Tiana Benjamin from 2006 to 2010.
- Lauren Branning: Jacqueline Jossa took on the role of Lauren in 2010, succeeding Madeline Duggan who’d played her from 2006 to 2010.
- Johnny Carter: Johnny has been played by three actors since debuting in 2013 – most recently, Charlie Suff has taken on the role.
Viewers were not fully convinced by the recast, however, as one penned: “The original Tina was nothing like this character that has been brought in.
“She had all the Dingle traits but was profound about her ways to get what she wanted. She was not loud or trashy.”
Another added: “When they said familiar face … what they really meant was familiar name with a different face.”
Emmerdale airs on ITV1 and is available to watch on ITVX.
Mandy is hiding the secret of Vinny’s parentage[/caption]
