Emmerdale legend ‘can’t stop crying’ as she issues emotional family update(Image: ITV)

Emmerdale favourite Lisa Riley was left wiping away the tears as she issued an emotional social media post.

The actress, 48, shot to fame playing Mandy Dingle on the ITV soap. Lisa made her debut way back in 1995, and since then she’s become one of the show’s beloved stars.

On Friday (July 4) though, Lisa had her followers rallying around after she shared a heartwarming family update. Taking to her Instagram, Lisa uploaded an adorable snap of her and her nephew.

Beaming with joy, the soap star expressed her pride at her nephew taking part in his school’s end-of-year performance. She wrote in the caption: “So incredibly proud this afternoon of my gorgeous nephew JOSHY.

The actress has issued an emotional family update(Image: Getty Images)

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“He had his end-of-year school performance, so talented on stage, me and my Dad had front row seats. Couldn’t stop crying (happy tears) now JOSHY has a full weekend with Aunty Lee Lee it’s going to be fun!!!

“Now in the car on our way back to Leeds, ready for tomorrow’s annual @maggiesyorkshire walk,” she added, as one person said in the comments section: “Love this! Of course he was.”

It comes after Lisa shared her heart-wrenching experiences following the loss of her mother and former Strictly Come Dancing partner Robin Windsor.

Reflecting on Lisa’s challenging years, Richard Madeley told her on GMB last month: “It’s like something out of a tragic novel.

“Your mother dies and then you go on this huge show, Strictly Come Dancing, and it rescues you and it takes you out of this pit of grief and you form this tremendous bond with your dance partner and then he dies.

She has played Mandy for years

“You are then left with this extraordinary double blow. Loss of your mother, loss of the saviour. What have you learnt about grief?”.

Lisa responded: “I’ve learned a lot about grief and how to deal with it, how to be open and literally ask for help because it’s ok.

“We all deal with things differently. I was pressing the bravdo button going ‘I have to go out and play Mandy Dingle everyday’ and some days I didn’t want to be funny but I realised there’s help out there.”