Mandy Dingle

Last updated

Mandy Dingle
Emmerdale character
Mandy Dingle.jpg
Portrayed by Lisa Riley
Duration1995–2001, 2019–present
First appearanceEpisode 1992
20 July 1995 (1995-07-20)
Classification Present; regular
Introduced by Keith Richardson (1995, 2001)
Jane Hudson (2019)
Spin-off
appearances		The Dingles Down Under (1997)
The Dingles in Venice (1999)
In-universe information
OccupationBarmaid
Beautician
Father Caleb Dingle
MotherVera-Lynn Dingle
Husband Butch Dingle (1998–1999)
Paddy Kirk (1999–2001)
Paul Ashdale (2002–2005; common-law)
Adoptive sons Vinny Dingle
Uncles
First cousins
Other relatives

Mandy Dingle (also Kirk-Dingle) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale , played by Lisa Riley. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 July 1995 and departed on 28 September 2000. She returned briefly on 16 November 2001 and departed on 26 November 2001. After seventeen years, Riley agreed to reprise the role in late 2018 for a very brief stint, and made her on-screen return on 4 January 2019, and departed after three episodes on 8 January. On 10 July 2019, it was announced that Riley would be returning on a permanent basis, and Mandy reappeared from 12 September 2019.

Contents

Storylines

1995–2001

Mandy comes to Emmerdale for her cousin Tina Dingle's (Jacqueline Pirie) wedding to Luke McAllister (Noah Huntley). She later returns to live with her uncle Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell), having been disowned by her father, Caleb (Mike Kelly). She finds work as a barmaid at The Woolpack, where her feisty personality makes her an instant hit with the locals. Mandy is initially very promiscuous but the arrival of vet Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) proves to be a turning point in Mandy's life. She falls in love with Paddy and is willing to settle down and get married, but their romance suffers problems. Mandy's cousin Butch Dingle (Paul Loughran) overhears Paddy ridiculing their family and he tells Mandy, who orders Paddy out of her house. Paddy leaves for Ireland where he has a job and returns to the village the following month. He and Mandy reconcile after he apologises to her family.

Paddy's mother, Barbara Kirk (Judi Jones), disapproves of Mandy and, convincing her that she will only make Paddy miserable if they marry, pays Mandy to marry her cousin, Butch Dingle, instead. Butch had always been in love with Mandy and readily accepts his cousin's proposal, marrying her in a secret registry office ceremony. However, despite trying to make her marriage work, Mandy cannot ignore the fact that she truly loves Paddy and they begin an affair. Butch is livid when he discovers the truth and the Dingle family disowns Mandy for her infidelity, although her uncle Zak and his wife Lisa Dingle (Jane Cox) eventually come round after Paddy delivers their unexpected daughter, Belle (James and Emily Mather). Following her divorce from Butch, Mandy marries Paddy. However, Mandy soon begins feeling inferior as Paddy is a university graduate and she is just a barmaid. With Paddy's encouragement, Mandy enrols in a college course in Hotten, but this proves to be the downfall in their marriage. Whilst at college, Mandy becomes attracted to her lecturer and they eventually embark on an affair. However, when she discovers that her lecturer is only using her for sex, a distraught and guilt-ridden Mandy comes clean to a devastated Paddy. With their marriage over, Mandy then departs the village to live with her best friend, Kelly Windsor (Adele Silva), in London. She returns briefly the following year in order to win Paddy back after realising the mistake she had made but seeing that he is happy and settled with post office worker Emily Dingle (Kate McGregor), Butch's widow, Mandy leaves the village again.

2019–present

17 years later, Mandy returns to the village for the wedding of her cousin, Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Jessie Grant (Sandra Marvin) despite not being invited. She has her adoptive son Vinny (Bradley Johnson) with her. After the wedding, Mandy catches up with Paddy. She stays at the Dingles' farm, but Marlon and Sam Dingle (James Hooton) wonder why she is back, and Sam warns her not to cause trouble. Mandy and Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) have a fight over Paddy, but Mandy reveals she is not back for Paddy. Mandy and Chas later have a heart to heart and Mandy gives Chas a letter that Paddy needs to see. Mandy is later caught scamming a casino with Vinny, and after she is made to promise to stop causing trouble, the Dingles allow her to stay. Paul Ashdale (Reece Dinsdale) arrives in the village, and he reveals to Vinny that he is his biological father. Mandy explains to Vinny that he has a gambling addiction, and this led to him ruining their lives when Vinny was young. He promises that he has stopped gambling, but continues in secret.

Casting and characterisation

Riley made her first appearance as Mandy in 1995, for her on-screen cousin Tina Dingle's wedding to Luke McAllister. The character proved to be popular with viewers, so producers invited Riley to return as a full-time cast member the following year. [1] Riley recalled that someone told her "there's a Mandy Dingle on everyone's street", which she agreed with. Riley stated that Mandy "always says what people are thinking", and that "there's no nonsense with her". She also described Mandy as funny, camp and "in your face". She admitted that her character "could make you cry", and can come across as a manipulator, but refused the label, stating: "she's got such a big heart – she's a survivor, she'll do anything for her family, and if it means telling a few porky pies along the way, which she does, she'll do it because she wants to survive, and more often than not she has done." Riley explained in 2020 that Mandy's "vulnerable side" would be explored, and that it would "open a massive can of worms". [2]

Development

Departure

In June 2000, Riley confirmed that she had decided to quit the show in order to pursue further television work. [3] As the scriptwriters were plotting her exit scenes, Riley and the cast were "sworn to secrecy". However, Riley admitted that the storyline would be "heart-rending" and thought that viewers would need tissues as it airs. [3] She also commented, "Mandy Dingle has made me who I am and I love my job so it will be a painful leaving. It's very scary. I could end up selling socks!" [3] The characters exit was originally broadcast on 28 September 2000. [4] However she returned to the show briefly between 16 and 26 November 2001.

Reintroduction (2019)

On 13 November 2018, it was announced that Riley had agreed to reprise the role, with Mandy making her return in early 2019. [4] Of her return, Riley stated "I could not be happier to be returning in the New Year to Emmerdale. It's something I never thought would happen after 17 years, and I am so interested to see what trouble Mandy is capable of causing. But mostly being back with all my old friends, it's like I've never been away." [4] Mandy's return storyline will be "self-contained", and her arrival will "cause trouble" for her family, as she is hiding a secret. [4] Producer Kate Brooks added that Mandy "certainly ruffles a few feathers during her short stint back in the village, and she clearly hasn't lost any of the joie de vivre that made Mandy so popular and enjoyable to watch." [4]

Mandy returns during the episode broadcast on 4 January 2019. [5] She arrives unexpectedly for her cousin Marlon Dingle's (Mark Charnock) wedding to Jessie Grant (Sandra Marvin). Her former husband Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) is "uncomfortable by her presence" when she acts as a witness alongside him. [6] Paddy's partner Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) later fights with Mandy outside the church. Riley commented that once she learned that a stunt coordinator would be involved, she knew that Mandy was back. [6] The actress also explained where Mandy has been, saying "She's been living in Southampton for the past 17 years with her son – who's called Vinny (Bradley Johnson) – and she's been very happy. She's got a bit of money now, and she isn't as downtrodden as she once was. But she's not been invited to the wedding!" [6] On 10 July 2019, it was announced that Riley would be returning once again on a permanent basis, and Mandy reappeared on 12 September 2019. [7] Riley described it as "amazing, absolutely wonderful" to be back filming for Emmerdale, and that she is "loving every second". She also confirmed that she wants to stay on the soap for a long tenure. [8] Riley stated that Mandy needs "a good old-fashioned job in the village", opining that employment would be good for her character. She also stated that Mandy should apologise to and thank her family. [9]

Relationship with Vinny and Paul

Mandy returns with Vinny, who is initially said to be her son. However, later scenes reveal that he is Mandy's adoptive son. Riley was asked if she knew who his biological parents were, but she admitted that she knew nothing more than viewers. She said: "I'm yet to find that out – it's all still to unfold". [10] It is later revealed that Paul is Vinny's father, and Riley explained that Mandy "knows what Paul is capable of" due to their backstory. This leads Mandy to force a distance between the pair, since she "doesn't want to lose Vinny". Riley expected people to want Mandy to give Paul a second chance, but she affirmed that her character "knows how bad Paul has been", and that their history is complex. She confirmed that there would be long-term drama as part of the story, and that the viewers will eventually see how bad Paul is, labelling Paul as a "manipulator". [11] In scenes aired in 2020, Mandy opens up to both Paul and Vinny about a miscarriage she suffered in the past, and her subsequent infertility. Riley expressed her elation at being able to cover the story, since she has dealt with IVF not working in her personal life, and how it causes people to "treat you differently". [12]

It is established that Paul has a gambling addiction, and though he attempts to quit, he continues to gamble without Mandy and Vinny's knowledge. Riley confirmed that the story would have "darkness", and would question viewers as to how they could deal with the situation, since it throws such an "unbelievable curveball" at Mandy. [13] Vinny discovers Paul is gambling, and lies to Mandy about it. Riley explains that this is to reflect real-life situations, as the production team did heavy amounts of research for the storyline. She explained that "a child starts living a lie as they are fearful of losing their family unit", which Vinny is an example of. She states that "Paul is like any addict and will go to any lengths to feed that addiction". and adds that she is "invested" in the story as a viewer herself. [14] Paul "comes clean" to Mandy about the gambling, and as a result, Riley states that Mandy "feels totally manipulated by Paul", and confirms that her character "has no care" for him anymore, and "wants no remnants of him" in her life. Paul also abuses Vinny several times as a result of his addiction, which he does not tell Mandy. Riley states that if Mandy found out, she would murder Paul. She explains: "[Mandy] would kill for Vinny and would have the Dingle mafia behind her. Paul knows that. There would be no coming back. If and when she finds out, that is the end of everything." [15]

Reception

For her portrayal of Mandy, Riley won Most Popular Newcomer at the 2nd National Television Awards in 1996. [16] At the 1997 Inside Soap Awards, Mandy won the Biggest Laugh in Soap accolade, [17] while Riley was nominated for Best Actress. [18]

In 1996, Sarah Hey of the Daily Mirror wrote: "She is a brazen man-eater who could polish off a bloke for breakfast and be ready for another by tea-time. You can rest assured that Emmerdale's Mandy Dingle – the bawdy brunette with the fuller figure and gravelly laugh – would be chasing an army of Valentines today." [19] In 2020, Riley appeared on the Digital Spy Soap Scoop. When asked about the reaction to Mandy's infertility storyline, she stated that she was more than "inundated" with praise on social media. She noted that many of the comments were from people who had had hysterectomies, and they thanked both Riley and Emmerdale "for bringing it to the forefront". [12] Viewers described her as a "powerhouse", and demanded that Riley be awarded for the scenes. Digital Spy's Amy West stated that the scenes were "certainly a tear-jerker moment". [20]

Related Research Articles

Lisa Jane Riley is an English actress, comedian and television presenter. Riley is best known for portraying the role of Mandy Dingle in the long-running ITV soap opera Emmerdale between 1995 and 2001, and from 2019 onwards. She also replaced Jeremy Beadle as the presenter of You've Been Framed! between 1998 and 2002. She was also a contestant on the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, and a panellist on the ITV daytime series Loose Women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cain Dingle</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Cain Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Jeff Hordley. Cain made his first appearance on 30 March 2000, and in 2006, he was written out of the series when Hordley left the soap; however, the option for a return was confirmed, which occurred when Hordley returned to the cast in February 2009. Cain's main storylines have focused on discovering his "uncle" Zak Dingle is his father; his relationship with his cousin Charity Dingle ; discovering he is Debbie Dingle's father; his affair and subsequent relationship with Moira Barton ; being attacked in a whodunit storyline where his assailant was eventually revealed to be his father; being diagnosed with a brain aneurysm; supporting his nephew Aaron Livesy after discovering Aaron was sexually abused by his father Gordon Livesy as a child; reuniting with his and Chas' mother Faith Dingle ; his relationship with local vicar Harriet Finch ; building up a relationship with his children; being blackmailed by DI Malone to do drug runs for him; his feud with Al Chapman and taking blame for Al's murder to protect his younger son Kyle who was responsible for killing Al.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Dingle</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Debbie Dingle is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charley Webb. Webb has taken maternity leave three times, with the first time being in 2010 and the second throughout 2016 with Debbie departing on 1 January 2016. She returned on 24 January 2017 and then went on maternity leave for a third time in 2019 as Debbie left for Scotland on 13 August 2019. She returned for a short stint on 25 December 2020 and made her final appearance on 11 February 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy Kirk</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Paddy Kirk is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Dominic Brunt. He has been married four times: to Mandy Dingle in 1999, to Emily Dingle in 2002, to Rhona Goskirk in 2012 and to Chas Dingle in 2020. He has also had several extramarital affairs since arriving, notably with Viv Hope and Tess Harris. His other storylines in the series have included discovering his biological father and dealing with the loss of his child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charity Dingle</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Charity Boyd is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale, played by Emma Atkins. Suranne Jones originally auditioned for the role of Charity prior to Atkins being cast in the role. The actress began filming her first scenes in February 2000, and she made her first screen appearance as Charity during the episode broadcast on 30 March 2000. Actress Mica Proctor played a young Charity in a flashback episode about the character's past, which aired on 29 May 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belle Dingle</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Belle King is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Eden Taylor-Draper. Belle made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 25 December 1998, originally played by twins Emily and James Mather. James stopped appearing in the role in 2000 and Emily in 2005, at which point Taylor-Draper took over, remaining ever since. Belle has featured in various storylines throughout her time on the soap, such as falling down a mineshaft, killing her best friend Gemma Andrews, having an affair with doctor Jermaine Bailey, faking a pregnancy to prevent Jermaine from leaving after their affair is revealed, being diagnosed with schizophrenia, a relationship with Lachlan White, which ends after discovering he is a serial killer, and her mental health relapses. Belle married Thomas King in 2024, and it was announced that Belle would become part of a coercive control storyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Livesy</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Aaron Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Danny Miller. The character was originally played by Danny Webb and appeared in a recurring capacity. Aaron made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 24 December 2003. When Aaron was reintroduced in 2008, he was promoted to the full-time cast and the decision was made to recast the role. Miller successfully auditioned for the part and later admitted that he would have quit acting if he had not been cast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gennie Walker</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Genesis "Gennie" Walker is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Sian Reese-Williams. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 April 2008. Reese-Williams announced her departure from the show on 12 May 2013 and she made her last appearance as Gennie on 26 July 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross Barton</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Ross Barton is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, portrayed by Michael Parr. He made his first appearance in episode 6600 of the soap, broadcast on 9 July 2013. Ross first appears as the carjacker of Laurel Thomas, before being revealed to be the nephew of Moira Barton. The character is initially characterised as a bad boy and a "nasty piece of work". The softer side of Ross' personality is explored when he enters a secret relationship with police officer Donna Windsor, who has terminal cancer. When Donna dies, Ross bonds with her daughter April Windsor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liv Flaherty</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Liv Dingle is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Isobel Steele. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 25 February 2016. Liv was introduced as part of her half-brother Aaron Livesy's sex abuse storyline, which would see her realise that her father is a sex offender. Liv was initially characterised as a troublemaker, but her depth was explored following the decision to move in with Aaron. Steele has noted that similar aspects of her character are similar to herself, and appreciates that Emmerdale wrote her as a teenage with authority since she felt that this is rarely seen on television. Liv became the first asexual character to be featured in a soap opera, and Steele has been praised by viewers and critics for her role in the storyline. Asexual people felt that the character was an accurate portrayal of themselves and Steele has expressed her gratitude at being able to represent them on-screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meena Jutla</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Meena Jutla is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Paige Sandhu. Details surrounding her casting and Meena's characterisation were announced in September 2020 alongside that of two other new characters as part of what Emmerdale described as a "big autumn shake-up". She was introduced as the estranged sister of Manpreet Sharma and arrives in the fictional village with the intention of reconciling her relationship with Manpreet. Upon her casting, Sandhu described her character as irresponsible, apathetic, unreliable, wild and intelligent. She later revealed that Meena's backstory involves her often being ignored by her parents in favour of Manpreet, which led to Meena having sex with Manpreet's husband Dennis, which led to their marriage breaking down, as well as her relationship with her sister.

References

  1. ↑ "A to Z – Lisa Riley". All About Soap (1): 22–23. October 1999.
  2. ↑ Warner, Sam (8 April 2020). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley promises vulnerable scenes for Mandy in big new storyline". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Kelly, John (29 June 2000). "Lisa: I'm quitting TV soap". Daily Mirror . Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018– via HighBeam Research.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, Jess (13 November 2018). "Emmerdale confirms Lisa Riley is returning as Mandy Dingle". Digital Spy . Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  5. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 January 2019). "Emmerdale airs Mandy Dingle's return – has she brought Paddy Kirk's son with her?". Digital Spy . Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Jones, Allison (5–11 January 2019). "Mandy comes home... and all hell breaks loose!". Inside Soap (1): 4–7.
  7. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (12 September 2019). "Who is Emmerdale's Mandy Dingle again? Everything you need to know about the returning character". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley confirms her future in Mandy Dingle role". Digital Spy. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Seddon, Dan (30 October 2019). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley hints at major turnaround for Mandy Dingle's future". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  10. ↑ Warner, Sam (15 October 2019). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley drops a bombshell over Mandy's son Vinny". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Houghton, Rhianne (21 May 2020). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley hints at darker side to Vinny's dad Paul". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  12. 1 2 Dainty, Sophie (25 September 2020). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley addresses impact of Mandy Dingle's infertility story". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (11 October 2020). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley hints at dark turn for Paul and Vinny storyline". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (11 November 2020). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley reveals long-running story for Mandy, Paul and Vinny". Digital Spy . Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (13 January 2021). "Emmerdale star Lisa Riley warns Mandy would "kill Paul" over Vinny violence". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  16. ↑ "Secrets of my XS Lisa Riley". Sunday Mail . Scotland. 5 July 1998. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  17. ↑ "We are the champions of the soap world!". Inside Soap (80): 10–13. 26 July – 8 August 1997.
  18. ↑ "The 1997 Inside Soap Awards". Inside Soap (76): 48–49. 31 May – 13 June 1997.
  19. ↑ Hey, Sarah (14 February 1996). "I May Dangle like a Dingle but I Hate Her Taste in Men". Daily Mirror . Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  20. ↑ West, Amy (12 June 2020). "Emmerdale fans praise Lisa Riley's "powerhouse" performance as Mandy Dingle reveals heartbreaking secret". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
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