Emmerdale viewers are abuzz with speculation that the latest arrival, Dylan, played by Fred Kettle, might have deeper ties to the village than just his connection with April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan).
Dylan was introduced as a street-dwelling Samaritan when he offered refuge to a runaway, April. She stayed in a squat with him, and he cared for her until an emergency unfolded where April gave birth to a stillborn baby and was taken to hospital.
After her return, April’s encounter with Dylan in the village sparked tension, particularly with her dad, Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock). In a surprising turn, after a relapse prompted by Marlon’s actions, Marlon suggested paying for Dylan’s rehab treatment.
Emmerdale fans, meanwhile, have been crafting their own theories on Dylan’s lineage when Tina Dingle (played by Samantha Power) left the village under dramatic circumstances after Vinny (Bradley Johnson) discovered she was his biological mother.
A flurry of fan theories surfaced online about the identity of Dylan’s parents, with one particular fan pointing out on Reddit several potential names linked to Dylan: “I’m sure we’ve all seen the rumour posts claiming that fans have figured out who Dylan’s secret father is (Why is it always father and not mother?). These are the men that I have seen mentioned: Cain Dingle, Joe Tate, Eli Dingle, Aaron Dingle, Ross Barton,” reports Leeds Live.
The post elaborated: “Now, I really hope that if Dylan returns as a permanent character, and I really hope that there are plans to bring him and Fred Kettle back, that he’s not connected to any of these characters. But, if he needs to be tied to a character, I think the most interesting parent that Dylan could be given would be Tina Dingle.
“Didn’t they establish that she has some other children? It wouldn’t surprise me that her kid would run away. I’ve been vocal that I think Sam and Lydia should foster Dylan. Sam and Vinny would be Dylan’s closest blood relatives if Tina were Dylan’s mother. Seeing Vinny as Dylan’s big brother could be a great story. Even without her on the show, it would give the character some good family ties that do not seem too forced since Tina has been off-canvas for so long setting up a decent story for when she returns. What is their relationship like? Why did he runaway? Has she tried to find him?”
The fan added: “Now, again, I hope that Dylan has no ties to Emmerdale. That’s my first pick (not that my opinion really matters). I think that’s what would make for the most interesting character development for him, but if I had, was forced, to connect him to someone, I think Tina is the most interesting possibility.”
One enthusiast concurred: “Tina is a good shout not Cain or Aaron or Bob for the love of god, but will he ever return?”.
Meanwhile, another chimed in: “It would make more sense if he was one of Tina’s kids.”
One person commented: “I think it’s going to be Tina. We all know she’s a s*** mum, so her not reporting her son missing (and pretty much selling the other one to Mandy) makes sense. They did tease that she had other kids. I hope not- both because the village already has too many Dingles, and because I can’t stand Tina.”
However, another viewer had a differing opinion: “Why not just have him be a stand-alone character? Bring in a new family. Why does he have to have ties to anyone in the village? But the Tates may be more fitting. If he’s Aaron’s, I personally think that would set the character back…but it’s a soap.”
And yet another fan agreed: “I quite agree, why do all new characters have to be related to somebody resident in the village?”
