During Thursday’s episode of Emmerdale (Thursday October 17) Tina Dingle made a dramatic return to the soap.
Previously played by Jacqueline Pirie, Tina is now played by Brassic star
Samantha Power. Appearing at Zak Dingle‘s graveside, Tina didn’t receive a warm welcome from the other Dingles.
But is she back for long and can she be trusted?
Who is Tina Dingle in Emmerdale?
Tina Dingle first appeared in Emmerdale in December 1994. She is the youngest daughter of Zak and Nellie Dingle.
Her most famous storyline saw her plot a long-winded revenge scheme, where she faked a relationship with Luke McAllister and even pretended to be pregnant with his child. This lasted until they made it down the aisle and were about to say I Do, before she cruelly informed him it was all a lie and she was just avenging her brother Ben’s death – for which she held Luke responsible.
Luke went on to kidnap her and take her on a wild drive through the village. Tina managed to jump out of the van moments before it crashed, killing Luke.
Tina was later involved in a love triangle with Frank Tate and Steve Marchant. She left in December 1996, determined not to end up like Frank’s wife Kim.
There has been the odd mention of Tina since, but she failed to return for big events such as Belle’s birth or her brother Butch’s funeral.
Tina Dingle’s return – can she be trusted?
During Zak Dingle’s funeral, a woman was seen taking pictures of Wishing Well Cottage. When the Dingles returned to the house to bury Zak, it was revealed that the woman was Tina Dingle and she’s after a share of the house.
She proceeded to dig out her family members and didn’t even know who her half-sister Belle was. Referring to the majority as “ex-cons” and calling her brother Sam thick, she didn’t exactly make a good impression.
Speaking about the character, Samantha Power said: “I absolutely do remember Jaqueline who played Tina. She was absolutely fantastic, I remember her character vividly! So I am very lucky to get the chance to pick up where she left off!”
On whether Tina can be trusted, she said: “She is feisty, bolshy, selfish and she always seems to have an agenda and won’t stop at anything to get what she wants! She has no filters and she will literally do anything to make sure she gets her way, including her claim to the house.
“Tina is really good at manipulating people, especially the Dingles, so I don’t think any of them are safe. She is not one to be trusted! I loved it!”
How long is she staying for?
Sadly, it looks as if Tina’s return is just temporary. For now, at least.
On if she’d like to return, Samantha said: “Definitely! It has been a very special job! Genuinely, it was the nicest job! Everyone was so kind, generous, encouraging and welcoming across all the departments!
“Emmerdale is an amazing place to work and Tina is just fantastic to play so I would love the opportunity to come back and cause more mischief.”
Emmerdale Insider has reached out to Emmerdale for confirmation on how many episodes Samantha will appear in.
Samantha Power on landing the role of Tina Dingle in Emmerdale
Samantha has revealed that she was nervous about appearing in Emmerdale, saying: “My husband said he had never known me to be this nervous! My first scene on my first day was at the graveside with ALL the Dingles! That’s a lot right!
“Luckily everyone was so nice and welcoming! I have to say a special shout out to Lisa Riley, the nicest human being! When I met her at the screen test I felt so safe, she couldn’t have been more giving and supportive and encouraging and that continued daily on set! I loved working with her.
“On my first day it was Zak’s funeral, not only were they saying goodbye to Zak but also to the legendary Steve Halliwell and so to be there on location in the village I felt extremely honoured to be a part of that.”
On whether there were any memorable moments, Samantha shared: “There was one specific scene with Lisa where I was face down in a pool of mud. That was extremely memorable and I loved every second of it. There was also a scene which involves an explosion which was so impressive…”
Sounds like Tina’s visit may be short, but extremely exciting.
