Debbie Dingle (also Jones and Barton) is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...

'', played by

Charley Webb Charlotte Anne Webb (born 26 February 1988), commonly known as Charley Webb, is an English actress. From 2002 to 2021, she portrayed the role of Debbie Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. In 2014, she was nominated for Best Female Dra ...

. 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. She was introduced as the foster child of

Paddy Kirk Paddy Kirk (also Dingle) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Dominic Brunt. He has been married four times: to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) in 1999, to Emily Dingle (Kate McGregor) in 2002, to Rhona Goski ...

(

Dominic Brunt Dominic Adam Brunt (born 15 April 1970) is an English actor, director and producer, best known for portraying the role of Paddy Kirk in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. For his role as Paddy, Brunt has been nominated in various categories at t ...

) and

Emily Kirk Emily Kirk (also Wylie and Dingle) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Kate McGregor. She made her first appearance in the episode broadcast on 5 May 1999. Initially portrayed as nervous and n ...

(

Kate McGregor Kate McGregor (born 1972) is an English actress known for her portrayal of the character Emily Kirk in British soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Born in Yorkshire, England, McGregor attended the now defunct Bretton Hall College of Educatio ...

) before being revealed as the daughter of

Charity Dingle Charity Dingle (also Tate, Sharma and Macey) 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 ro ...

(

Emma Atkins Emma Jayne Atkins (born 31 March 1975) is an English actress, best known for her role as Charity Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Atkins grew up in the village of Silverdale, Lancashire, and then went to study at the Uni ...

) and

Cain Dingle 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 opti ...

(

Jeff Hordley Jeff Hordley (born 7 March 1970) is an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Cain Dingle in the ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale''. For his portrayal of Cain, he has been nominated for the British Soap Award for Best Actor at three c ...

). She has featured in many storylines on ''Emmerdale'' including her relationships with

Andy Sugden Andy Sugden (also Hopwood) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Kelvin Fletcher. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 July 1996. Andy is the son of Billy Hopwood ( David Crellin) and Trisha ...

(

Kelvin Fletcher Kelvin Warren Fletcher (born 17 January 1984) is an English actor, model, racing driver and presenter. He played Andy Sugden in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', a role he played from 1996 until 2016. In 2019, Fletcher won the seventeenth ser ...

), which lead to her pregnancy at 15,

Jasmine Thomas Jasmine Thomas is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. She made her first screen appearance in the episode broadcast on 30 June 2005 and her last appearance on 26 March 2009. C ...

(

Jenna-Louise Coleman Jenna-Louise Coleman (born 27 April 1986), known professionally as Jenna Coleman, is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jasmine Thomas in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Clara Oswald in the science-fiction series '' Doctor Who'', ...

) and

Scott Windsor Scott Windsor (also Dawson) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale''. From 1993 to 1996, Scott was played by Toby Cockerell. In 1996, Scott left the village to join the army and when he returned in 1998, Ben Fr ...

( Ben Freeman), her daughter Sarah being diagnosed with a blood disorder, her disastrous relationship with Cameron Murray (Carl King's, Gennie Walker's and Alex Moss's real killer) (

Dominic Power Dominic Power (born 5 May 1973) is an English actor. Power has portrayed Leon Taylor in the ITV police drama ''The Bill'' and Cameron Murray in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. He is currently appearing in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks ...

), which sparked the 2013 week of episodes known as "The Woolpack Siege,"; a relationship with

Pete Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to: People * Pete (given name) * Pete (nickname) * Pete (surname) Fictional characters * Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe * Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...

(

Anthony Quinlan Anthony Quinlan is an English actor, known for his roles as Gilly Roach in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and Pete Barton in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Career Quinlan played Gilly Roach in the English Channel 4 soap opera A s ...

), who she later marries and her affair with

Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...

(

Michael Parr Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

), a relationship with Tom Waterhouse later revealed as Joe Tate (

Ned Porteous Edward Graham Porteous (born 7 July 1994) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Mark Fowler Jnr in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2016) and Joe Tate in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2017–2018). Early life Porteous is f ...

) and being conned by him but later forgiving him and getting back together, accidentally having Ross as the victim of an acid attack, learning Sarah suffers from heart failure and needs a transplant, and dealing with the false revelation that Cain killed Joe (although it was later revealed that he is alive).

Storylines

Upon arriving in Emmerdale in December 2002, Debbie was fostered by Paddy (

) and

(

). When Debbie shows

Sam Dingle Sam Dingle is a fictional character from the British television soap opera '' Emmerdale'', played by James Hooton. He made his first appearance in the episode broadcast on 14 February 1995. Storylines Sam arrives in Emmerdale village followi ...

(

James Hooton James Hooton (born 13 July 1973) is an English actor, best known for his role as Sam Dingle on the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', a role he has played since 1995. Early and personal life Hooton was born and raised in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, ...

) a photograph of her biological mother, he recognizes the young woman as his cousin,

(

). They eventually meet and she gets close to her stepfather,

Chris Tate Chris Tate is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Peter Amory. The character made his first appearance on 14 November 1989, when he arrived in the village alongside the rest of the Tate family – h ...

(

Peter Amory Peter Amory (born Peter Walton on 2 November 1964) is an English actor best known for playing the role of Chris Tate in ITV's soap opera ''Emmerdale''. He was born in Norwich, Norfolk. Personal life He was married to actress Claire King, wh ...

), but after meeting her biological father,

(

), the trio become a family and Chris is sidelined. This affects him extremely, resulting in him cancelling plans to adopt Debbie. Debbie, Charity and Cain move into Pear Tree Cottage and live together until Charity is found guilty of Chris's murder, so she and Cain move in with the Dingles. When the house becomes over-crowded, she and Cain move in with

(

) and

Daz Eden Daz Eden is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Luke Tittensor. He made his first appearance in the show on 9 October 2003. Six years into his tenure on the soap, it was announced that Tittensor had b ...

(

Luke Tittensor Luke James Tittensor (born 3 November 1989) is an English actor best known for his role as Carl Gallagher in '' Shameless'' (a role he shared with his twin brother, Elliott Tittensor) and his role as Daz Eden in '' Emmerdale''. Career Tittens ...

). Debbie's behaviour becomes erratic as she shows an interest in glamour and boys, resulting in her capturing Daz's affections. Debbie, however, prefers Andy and local curate,

Ethan Blake The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2003, by order of first appearance. Freda Darby Freda Darby is an acquaintance of Jarvis Skelton. She appeared in 2003 and 2005. After appe ...

(

Liam O'Brien Liam Christopher O'Brien (born May 28, 1976) is an American voice actor, writer, and director. He is a regular cast member of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' actual play series ''Critical Role,'' playing Vax'ildan ("Vax"), Caleb Widogast, and Orym. ...

), who is engaged to

Niamh O'Connor Niamh O’Connor is a best selling crime novelist, true crime writer and journalist for over 20 years. Life and work Wicklow based writer O'Connor is a journalist for the Sunday World. She is the True crime editor there. She has also produced ...

(

Tracey Moore Tracey Moore (born January 17, 1960) is a Canadian voice actress and voice director. She is most noted as the voice of Princess Toadstool in the ''Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''Super Mario World'', and the singing voice of Strawberry ...

). Debbie loses her virginity to Andy and he tells her that he has a crush on her. They begin dating, until Charity and Cain find out. Charity accepts the relationship but Cain disapproves and blackmails Andy into ending it, unaware that Debbie is pregnant. Andy's wife

Katie Sugden Katie Sugden (also Addyman and Macey) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Sammy Winward. She made her first screen appearance on 18 July 2001 and Winward's casting was announced a week prior. The ch ...

(

Sammy Winward Samantha Kate Winward (born 12 October 1985) is an English actress, singer and model. She is best known for playing the role of Katie Sugden in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2001 to 2015. Early life Winward was born in Bolton, Great ...

) had discover her affair with Andy and was pregnant with his child, causing angry at her and nearly divorce with him. Distraught, she hides it and plans to abandon the baby after giving birth but Daz sees her bump. Daz is with her as she gives birth and names her daughter,

Sarah Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a piou ...

. Debbie and Andy reunite briefly but it is short-lived and his brother,

Robert Sugden Robert Sugden (also Sugden-Dingle) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. The character originally appeared on the show regularly between 22 April 1986 and 3 October 2005. During that time he was first played ...

(

Karl Davies Karl Davies (born 6 August 1982) is an English actor, and voice actor, who portrayed Lyle Anderson in the TV series '' Kingdom''. Previously he had portrayed Robert Sugden in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Career Davies took over the role ...

), becomes romantically involved with Debbie. She, however, is unaware that he has an ulterior motive until he ends the relationship when Debbie tells him that she feels baby Sarah should stay with the Dingles while they go travelling. He then tells her that he wanted Sarah, not her. Feeling unable to cope with motherhood and knowing that Emily is leaving, she asks her to take Sarah. The Dingles are horrified so she moves in with

Ashley Thomas Ashley Thomas is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by John Middleton. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 December 1996. It was announced on 22 October 2015 that Middlet ...

( John Middleton), where she makes friends with

(

). Debbie confesses her love for Jasmine and they date for a while until Cain deliberately tempts Jasmine into sleeping with him. Wanting to hurt her, he makes sure Debbie sees them together. Debbie and Jasmine break up for a while but reconcile when Debbie learns that Jasmine is pregnant and wants an abortion.

Sadie King Sadie Sinclair (also King) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Patsy Kensit. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 10 May 2004. The character was introduced as the ex- ...

(

Patsy Kensit Patricia Jude Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and was the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder in the 1980s. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Bird ...

), pitying Jasmine, pays for her to go private and Debbie, knowing that Cain wants another child, tells him this, leading him to kidnap Sadie and Tom King (

Ken Farrington Kenneth William Farrington (born 18 April 1936) is a retired English actor. He first came to fame playing the role of Billy Walker, wayward son of publican Annie, in ITV's long-running soap opera, ''Coronation Street''. Following a brief period ...

) for financial gain to start a new life. Debbie tries to convince Cain to stay but he leaves and gives her some money. Emily returns Sarah to Andy and Debbie tells Andy that she does not want to be a mother.

Lisa Dingle Lisa Dingle (also Clegg) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Jane Cox. Lisa's storylines include being raped by her colleague Derek Benrose (Stephen Bent), becoming a parent in later life, assaulting a ...

(

Jane Cox Jane Cox (born 13 May 1952) is an English actress, known for her role as Lisa Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', a role she portrayed from 1996 to 2019 and again briefly in 2020. In 2011, she was nominated for the British Soap Award ...

) deliberately asks Debbie to visit when Sarah is there, hoping to create a mother-daughter relationship. She's successful and Debbie asks Andy for access but he refuses. Debbie starts dating

( Ben Freeman) but that ends when Scott leaves. Debbie gets

Eli Dingle Eli Dingle is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Joe Gilgun. He first appeared on screen in the episode which aired on 13 July 2006 and made his last appearance on 30 April 2010. He is the younger ...

(

Joe Gilgun Joseph William Gilgun (born 9 March 1984) is an English actor known for several roles, including that of Vinnie O'Neill in the Sky One series '' Brassic'', Marcus in Hollyoaks, Eli Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Jamie Armstrong ...

) to pose as Scott so she can get a bank loan. Debbie,

Chas Dingle Chas Dingle (also Spencer) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Lucy Pargeter. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 October 2002. Chas returned on 21 September 2003. Chas was ...

(

Lucy Pargeter Lucy Kate Pargeter (born 1 March 1977) is an English actress, known for her roles as Helen Raven in ''Crossroads'' (2002–2003) and Chas Dingle in ''Emmerdale'' (2002–present). She also finished third in the 13th series of the ITV reality ...

) and

Lexi King Lexi Nicholls (also King) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' played by Sally Oliver. She appeared from 2007 to 2009. Casting Oliver's casting was announced in June 2007. Lexi was initially introduced as th ...

( Sally Oliver) decide to stage a jewellery scam at Home Farm so they can steal a valuable necklace and share the proceeds. Debbie wants more money so she gets

Eric Pollard Eric Pollard (also Pollock) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Chris Chittell. He made his first appearance in the soap on 30 September 1986. Having appeared continuously since, he is currently the lo ...

(

Chris Chittell Christopher John Chittell (born 19 May 1948) is an English actor, known for his role as Eric Pollard in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. He has portrayed the role since 1986, making him the longest-serving cast member in the soap's history. ...

) to help scam Chas and Lexi but Lexi discovers the truth and the pair fight in the street, accidentally dropping the necklace down a drain. When Andy is sent to prison,

Jo Stiles Jo Stiles (formerly Sugden) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Roxanne Pallett. She made her first screen appearance during the epi ...

(

Roxanne Pallett Roxanne Carrion (born Roxanne Kaboli-Nejad, later Roxanne Pallett; 26 December 1982) is an English actress, television personality, and broadcaster. She played Jo Stiles in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2005–2008), and has appeared in th ...

), Andy's ex-wife, asks Debbie to look after Sarah, which Debbie enjoys. Debbie discovers that Andy is hitting Jo and worries about Sarah's safety, especially after she is suspended from nursery for biting another child. Debbie gives Jo money so she and Sarah can leave but Jo stays and allows Andy to see Sarah again, annoying Debbie. However, this does not last long as Jo leaves Sarah with Debbie and the Dingles as Debbie gets involved in the murder of PC

Shane Doyle The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2008, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Keith Richardson. Shane Doyle Shane Do ...

( Paul McEwan), Jasmine's ex-boyfriend. Jasmine is the real culprit as she attacks Shane when he attacks Debbie and kills him. She, Debbie and Eli then attempted to conceal what they'd done but Jasmine wants to confess especially after

Ross Kirk Ross Kirk is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Samuel Anderson. He appeared from 2007 to 2009. A cousin of Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), Ross is a police officer and during his 15 months in the vill ...

( Samuel Anderson) is charged with his murder. Debbie persuades her not to and they start dating again. They decide to run away together but the police catch Debbie and arrest her. With Jasmine on the run; Debbie is left to take the blame for the murder. Eli enlists Danielle Hutch to harm Debbie, so she is sent to hospital as part of a rescue attempt but Debbie refuses to go. At Debbie's court hearing, Jasmine arrives and admits murdering Shane. Debbie and Jasmine are found guilty and Debbie is released because of time served and her time in prison has made her realize that she wants Sarah back.

Natasha Wylde Natasha Wylde is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' played by Amanda Donohoe. She made her first appearance, along with her husband Mark Wylde (Maxwell Caulfield), on 15 January 2009. It was announced in July 2010 th ...

(

Amanda Donohoe Amanda Donohoe (born 29 June 1962) is an English actress. She first came to attention as a 16-year-old living with pop singer Adam Ant, appearing in the music videos for the Adam and the Ants singles "Antmusic" (1980) and "Stand and Deliver" ( ...

), concerned about Andy's reputation now that he is dating her daughter, Maisie, pays for Debbie to sue Andy for custody. However,

Maisie Wylde Maisie Foster (also Wylde) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Alice Coulthard. The character was introduced by series producer Anita Turner and first appeared in 2009. It was announced on 30 June 201 ...

( Alice Coulthard) does not approve. Maisie and Debbie have a fight and Debbie thinks that she has ruined her chances but Maisie ends her relationship with Andy so she will not be involved. Cain helps by asking

Aaron Livesy Aaron Dingle (previously Sugden-Dingle, also Livesy) 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 ...

( Danny Miller) to help. Aaron is dating Andy's sister, Victoria, and he persuades her to play truant from school and steal from local shops. Cain reports Andy to social services, informing them of Victoria's behaviour and his past domestic abuse. The social worker is concerned about Andy's ability to run the farm and look after Victoria and Sarah even before Jo confirms the domestic abuse allegation so Andy withdraws his claim for residency and Debbie is awarded sole residency. Debbie dates Michael Conway but he admits that he already has a girlfriend and they are due to marry within days. He insists that he loves Debbie so she tells him to call off his wedding but he cannot because his fiancée is pregnant. On attending the wedding, Debbie and Cain are shocked to discover that his bride is Charity. He calls the wedding off, wanting Debbie back, but she ignores him, choosing to build relationships with Charity and Noah instead until she catches Charity stealing Cain's money. Cain and Charity later reconcile but annoyed at their inability to get along, Debbie takes a job in Jersey. She returns months later and moves back in with her parents. Later she reveals that her boss tried to take advantage of her and she got revenge by humiliating him and stealing money. Debbie starts a new relationship with Cameron Murray (

), a man she previously had an affair with in Jersey, and discovers she is pregnant but has a

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...

and is annoyed that Cameron doesn't seem bothered. Sarah is diagnosed with a blood disorder,

fanconi anaemia Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease resulting in impaired response to DNA damage. Although it is a very rare disorder, study of this and other bone marrow failure syndromes has improved scientific understanding of the mechanisms of nor ...

. Debbie and her family campaign to find a bone marrow donor and are successful but the donor pulls out. Debbie and Andy do not like the idea of the bad side effects of other treatments and decide to have a child together to create a new donor. Cameron and Andy's girlfriend,

Alicia Gallagher Alicia Metcalfe (also Harding and Gallagher) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Natalie Anderson. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 August 2010. Alicia was in ...

(

Natalie Anderson Natalie Jane Anderson (born on 24 October 1981) is an English actress, singer and television presenter. She is known for her roles as Stella Davenport in the medical drama ''The Royal'' from 2005 to 2008 and Alicia Metcalfe in the ITV soap o ...

), are uncomfortable with the idea but Debbie and Andy go ahead. They emotionally blackmail Cameron and Alicia to agree by telling them that they'd do the same if their child was seriously ill. When they are refused IVF and artificial insemination attempts are unsuccessful, Debbie sleeps with Andy and is overjoyed to discover that she is pregnant but Cameron has had enough and leaves. Charity, thinking it was artificial insemination, persuades him to give Debbie another chance but Andy tells Cameron the truth. On learning this, Debbie begs Cameron to stay, for Sarah's sake as well as hers. Andy and Debbie learn that the baby is a match for Sarah after a CVS test. Cameron and Debbie eventually reunite after Debbie admits he is the only person she has ever truly loved. Andy is hurt but comes to terms with the situation when Debbie learns that she is expecting a baby boy while Cameron starts an affair with Chas. A few months into her pregnancy, Sarah asks if she, Debbie and Andy can go to Paris. Cameron wants to go but lets Andy take his ticket, claiming that he is going to Jersey to see his kids but goes away with Chas. Cain is suspicious when Cameron's son rings, looking for him. A few weeks later, Debbie is shocked when Cain reveals his suspicions about Cameron and realizes that she has doubts too. When Debbie and Cain confront Cameron, he lashes out at Cain but accidentally hits Debbie. She hits her head and fears she may lose her baby. Fortunately the baby is fine. Back home, Sarah asks if her brother still has "the magic potion" to save her and Debbie is tearful as she realizes how much Sarah wants her brother and how hurt she would be if anything happened to him. This, however, brings Cameron to his senses as he realizes how much he loves Debbie. Debbie is angry when Cameron forgets to check on Sarah when she is ill because he is on the phone to Carl about the £30,000 Carl is blackmailing them for. Meanwhile, Debbie gets home from shopping with Charity to find that Sarah has collapsed. When rushed to hospital, Debbie, Cameron, Charity and Victoria discover Sarah is in a pre-leukaemic state. Debbie demands to be induced but is refused, as her son will be premature, and could die. In ''Emmerdale''s live episode to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Debbie gave birth to a baby boy called Jack, after Andy's adopted father. When Debbie returns from hospital, she is unaware that Cameron killed

Carl King Carl Thomas King is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Tom Lister. The character and casting were announced in January 2004 when it was announced that producers were bringing "four new single 'hun ...

( Tom Lister) the night before. Debbie finds 6 new messages from Carl on her phone, 3 pictures and 3 texts of Cameron sleeping with Chas so Debbie threw Cameron out before showing the pictures to Cain and Charity. Cameron begged Chas to leave but they were stopped by Charity, Cain, Debbie and Zak. The police were called and Cain and Charity were arrested for breach of the peace. Chas confessed to Carl's murder and she was arrested. Cain and Charity were released without charge but Chas was charged with Carl's murder, despite pleading guilty to manslaughter. Cameron stood by Chas and declared his love for her in front of Debbie. As revenge, Debbie set fire to his possessions and trashed his truck. Cameron declared his love for Chas in the pub in front of Dan and Charity. Charity and Cain then swore to get revenge for Debbie. Debbie feels she needs to provide more for baby Jack and Sarah after Sarah begins her chemotherapy after her transplant and decides to set up a delivery firm, sleeping with newcomer

Dom Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an et ...

(

Wil Johnson Wilbert Charles Johnson (born 18 April 1965) is an English actor, who has had notable television roles in '' Waking the Dead'' and '' Babyfather'', and on stage in '' Othello''. He played Dom Andrews in ''Emmerdale'' from 2012 to 2014. Early ...

) to get his contacts. After it is revealed that Dom's boss, Pete, does drug work, he tries to get Debbie to do drugs runs for him and threatens Sarah, so Debbie terminates the contract. Debbie hires

Robbie Lawson Robert Arthur Lawson was born 14 September 1974 in Dunedin. He is a New Zealand cricketer who played for the Otago Volts in the Plunket Shield. See also * List of Otago representative cricketers This is a list of cricketers who have played ...

(Jamie Shelton) as her assistant and they begin selling cheap vodka. Their biggest orders were from Eric and

Val Pollard Valerie "Val" Pollard (also Lambert) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Charlie Hardwick. She made her first screen appearance in the episodes broadcast on 1 February 2004. Val was introduced as ...

(

Charlie Hardwick Claire Elizabeth Hardwick (born 3 November 1960)
''

Kerry Wyatt ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 2012, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Steve ...

(

Laura Norton Laura Norton (born 19 June 1983) is an English actress, known for her role as Kerry Wyatt on the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Norton has also appeared in numerous television series working for ITV and the BBC, and has significant theatre cr ...

), accidentally sets fire to Dale View. Debbie swore to pay Kerry back and almost kills her in the street. Kirk's interest in Debbie continues even though Robbie reveals he is engaged to a woman named Charlene. Kirk states that Charlene will have him for the rest of their lives and he deserves to have Debbie while he can and kisses her. Debbie becomes wary, remembering previous times with engaged men, like Michael. Debbie gets closer to Belle and is horrified when Belle drinks half a bottle of her dodgy vodka and is left with possible brain damage. The Dingles throw Debbie out and Andy takes the children away. She stays with Zak, gets her life back on track and gets closer to Cameron when he comforts her. Cameron feels sorry for Debbie when Andy takes the children, leading to them kissing briefly. Cameron persuades Debbie not to run away with Jack and Sarah because everyone has turned against her. Cameron feels a strong vibe towards her and accidentally, the pair sleep together. Just after sleeping with Cameron, he tells Debbie "that it felt right" in his opinion, and she is horrified that he wants her to cheat on Chas, like he did to her. Debbie denies it and says that it was a stupid mistake and that all she cares about is her kids before telling Cameron to leave but Debbie knows she still loves him. Cameron continues to fight for Debbie and after she angrily admits trying to kill Chas, Cameron realizes that it took a lot for her to confess, so he thinks she still trusts him. He follows her home from the café, unaware that Gennie is hidden upstairs with a dictophone, taping their conversation. Cameron confesses that he killed Carl. Debbie says she still loves him and they can get through it together, as she believed that he was with Chas while she was giving birth to Jack, but realizes that Cameron was "threatened" by Carl and killed him in "self-defence". Debbie and Cameron kiss and head to tell Chas they are back together and while kissing in the street, they notice Gennie leave Tug Ghyll. The pair chase her, leading to Gennie's car crashing down a ravine. Cameron pulls a hurt Gennie out of the car while Debbie calls an ambulance. Debbie asks if Gennie will be alright, he nods before returning to Gennie and kills her. Later, Debbie tells the police that she found Gennie after driving by and Debbie, Jai and the police, go to The Woolpack and tell Brenda, Bob, Nikhill and Chas about Gennie's death. When Cameron's murderous crimes are exposed by Debbie and Chas after finding Gennie's Dictaphone. Panicked and betrayed, Cameron holds Debbie hostage and threatens to have her killed but he is injured when he falls down the stairs. Debbie escapes and embraces Cain and Charity while Cameron is arrested and charged with the murders of Carl, Alex and Gennie. A month later, he manages to escape for jail and buys a ferry ticket so people would assume he'd left the country but he stays in Yorkshire. When Debbie, Chas and the other villagers learn of his escape, they panic, with Debbie fearing the worst. Later on, Cameron takes Sarah and locks her in a barn, assuring her he will get Debbie and Jack, and go away as a family. She believes him but when Zak and Moira are alerted of her disappearance, they look for her. Debbie and other villagers including Chas are in The Woolpack when she learns Sarah has been found by Andy and Moira, but Cameron is back and breaks into the Woolpack, taking everyone hostage. He knocks Marlon unconscious and leaves him in the cellar, where the flood water rises. Cameron accidentally shoots Alicia, and

David Metcalfe David Metcalfe is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Matthew Wolfenden. Storylines Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) had never divorced from his first wife, Eileen (Arbel Jones), and went on to have an ...

(

Matthew Wolfenden Matthew Wolfenden (born 5 May 1980) is an English actor best known for his role as David Metcalfe in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Wolfenden was born in Norwood Green, West Yorkshire. He was educated at Brighouse High Sc ...

) begs Cameron to let her out, so she can get medical assistance. He lets them and the other villagers out, except Debbie and Chas. After being hit by Marlon after he regained consciousness, Debbie and Chas rush to the cellar, followed by Cameron. He insists that he and Debbie will drown together but Debbie and Chas manage to escape. Trying to pull Debbie back in, he fails but grabs a light bulb and electrocutes himself. He is finally killed, ending his wrath and getting his comeuppance. Debbie rushes to Zak, soaking wet and crying as he reassures her Cameron is where he belongs – in hell, ending the Woolpack siege and Cameron's life. Debbie moves on from Cameron after a new employee at Dingle Automotives,

Ross Barton 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 (Ch ...

(

), makes a clumsy pass at her, she attacks him when he touches her arm. He constantly attempts to impress her but always fails. When his brother,

(

), thinks Ross is harassing her, he attacks Ross. An angry Ross later sets up Pete's car so he cannot go to a meeting, so Debbie comes out in the recovery vehicle. After sharing a moment together, they realize their attraction to each other and kiss. They have sex, but when Pete mentions Cameron, Debbie tells him to get lost. She tries to ignore him, but Chas persuades Debbie to try and leave Cameron in the past and make up with Pete. Debbie and Pete begin a secret relationship, but a jealous Ross soon finds out. When he deliberately damages

' ( John Middleton) car after an argument at the garage, Debbie insists he must pay to repair the damage himself. Ross later buys dodgy flash cars for Debbie to try and win her affections, but furious, she insists he get rid of them before her father finds out. He sells them and gives the money to her. Debbie briefly ends her relationship with Pete when he tries to insist she see someone about getting over what Cameron did to her. When Alistair Harper, a man on a callout, comes onto her, she ends up stabbing him in the leg with a screwdriver. She's arrested for assault but is let out on bail. She admits that she's still vulnerable to Pete who confronts Harper in hospital and threatens him to drop the charges. After discovering this, Debbie kisses him and they get back together. Debbie becomes guardian to Charity's baby son while Charity is in prison. The Dingles name the baby

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

. While leaving Moses in Pete's care, Debbie begins an affair with Ross. Ross, however, is later revealed to be the father of Moses. Debbie is unaware of this and continues sleeping with him. Debbie and Pete later plan to marry in August bt Debbie and Ross intend to run away together a few days before. There plan is discovered by Cain and ruined as he reveals to Debbie that Ross is Moses' father. Debbie then orders Cain to dispose of Ross, so he leaves him in a locked van on the edge of a cliff. Debbie and Pete get married, but he learns about her affair with Ross due to Ross recording a conversation with Debbie which was accidentally played as Chas, thinking it was the first wedding song. Pete is furious with Debbie, but moments later a helicopter damaged by an explosion caused by

Chrissie White Chrissie White (23 May 1895 – 18 August 1989) was a British film actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 180 films between 1908 and 1933. White married actor and film director Henry Edwards in 1922, and in the 1920s the two ...

(

Louise Marwood Louise Marwood (born 13 March 1979) is an English actress and comedian, known for portraying the role of Chrissie White in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', which she played from 2014 until 2018. Early life Marwood was born on 13 March 1979 i ...

) crashes into the village hall, killing

(

Charlie Hardwick Claire Elizabeth Hardwick (born 3 November 1960)
''

Ruby Haswell The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2011, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Steve Frost. Flynn Buchanan Flynn Buch ...

( Alicya Eyo). Debbie is found under collapsed debris and fights for her life, as Pete and Cain carry her out of the rubble. Ross escapes from Cain's van and sees Pete putting an unconscious Debbie into the car. He goes to the hospital and asks Pete whether she is alive. He does not respond, worrying Ross. Debbie, however, is on life support and wakes up later. Unknown to her, Pete has knocked Ross unconscious in a fight. Fearing that Ross is dead, Pete conceals him and returns to visit Debbie in hospital. She begs for Pete's forgiveness and holds out her hand expecting Pete to hold it, to which he does, and tells her to forget Ross. Debbie later comes home but Pete cannot cope with his guilt and tells Debbie he killed Ross, shocking her and she compares him to Cameron. Ross, however, is later seen alive in a hospital bed, determined to win back Debbie. They later begin a relationship. Debbie leaves on New Year's Day 2016 after learning Ross shot Robert (now played by

Ryan Hawley Ryan Alexander Hawley (born 21 September 1985) is an English actor, known for his portrayal of Robert Sugden in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2014 to 2019. Early life Hawley, son of Christine and Steve, spent his childhood partly in ...

) and Andy was involved. In October 2016, Debbie decides to sell the business and her home to Chrissie, apparently deciding also not to come back to the village. In January 2017, Cain is watching the news in which he spots Debbie with Sarah and Jack taking them on the run with her after stealing a car with 50,000 euros in it and committing a hit and run, Cain tries to contact her but she doesn't answer. The next day she returns to the village with all the French and English police looking for her, Debbie tells Charity and Cain the hit and run wasn't her and must've happened before she stole the car. Two men then turn up at the Dingles, and after tying up Sam, they kidnap Sarah and Jack, and demand £50,000 by later that evening. Debbie, Cain, Charity, and Ross manage to acquire the money by having Charity pose as Chrissie - even though the plan nearly failed after Charity shot herself with a horse tranquilizer gun. The men get their money and return Sarah and Jack in a tense standoff. Debbie breaks down later that night - she needs the money for Sarah's medical treatment as she has been diagnosed with cancer. When Debbie's grandmother Faith comes back to Emmerdale she donates money for Sarah's treatment. Debbie tells everyone that she is taking Sarah to

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

for her treatment, which is met with her families doubt on whether she will make it out of the country without being arrested. As a result, Charity plans on taking Sarah instead of Debbie. Debbie later begins a relationship with businessman Joe Tate (

) after he buys her a new car however he pretends his name is Tom Waterhouse but later reveals he is Joe Tate, Chris' son and Debbie's former stepbrother, Joe also reveals that he blames Charity for his father's death. He starts feuding with the Dingles saying he never loved Debbie and she soon learns that Tom has invested in a golf course that will be built on the Dingles' cottage which Joe demolishes. Debbie pays drug dealer Simon McManus (Liam Ainsworth) to physically attack Joe and when Simon sees Ross stepping out of Joe's car, he believes Ross is Joe and throws acid in Ross' face, however Debbie begins a relationship with Joe. Ross later shoots Debbie and after she fights for her life in hospital she becomes stable and confesses to Ross that she was the person behind his acid attack. On Christmas Day 2020, Debbie returns to the village and was revealed to be the mystery woman of whom he was texting and secretly meeting with.

Development

Characterisation

Webb told Gemma Graham from ''TV Buzz'' that the reason she "loves" playing Debbie is that she has always been a fighter. "Nothing will knock her down and if it does she'll get back up again". Webb said that she would not pick a fight with Debbie because she would win "any day". In one storyline Debbie takes part in a jewellery heist with the help of Chastity Dingle (

) and Lexi Nicholls ( Sally Oliver). Lexi is given a bracelet at a sale and pretends she has stolen it to impress Debbie. Oliver told Kris Green of

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

that Debbie thinks that stealing jewellery must be easy. Debbie thinks of a "big master plan" and they attend a party at Home Farm. The three females "dress up-the-nines" in "camp costumes". Debbie gets Chas and Lexi to cause a diversion while she steals an expensive necklace. Oliver said that over the following episodes viewers found out what really happened with the necklace and what they plan to do with it. Debbie's attitude causes Lexi to become suspicious; Oliver said that Lexi "wants the necklace straight back, it's not the sort of thing she's going to take lightly." Debbie starts plotting to sell the necklace and keep the proceeds for herself. Oliver said Debbie swaps the necklace for a fake and makes Chas and Lexi think she has lost it. The production team did not use real diamonds in the storyline and opted for plastic glass. Oliver said that she did not think they would get away with the scam.

Get-rich-quick scheme

On 28 December 2012, Tom Eames, from

, confirmed ''Emmerdale'' character Debbie Dingle would reportedly attempt to inherit people's fortune by conning them in an upcoming plot. Following recent clutches at the hands of unfaithful boyfriend Cameron Murray (

), Debbie will use her family's history –

and

– of con schemes to receive financial gain in order to provide for her children

Sarah Sugden Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pi ...

and

Jack Sugden John Jacob "Jack" Sugden is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. The character was originally played by Andrew Burt from 1972 to 1973 with a ...

. "Debbie's on a mission and she's taking no prisoners!" an Emmerdale insider told

Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas in the United Kingdom, including '' Coronation Street'', ''Doctors'', ''EastEnders'', ''Emmerdal ...

. "Heartbroken she might be, but she has no intention of sitting about moping. Debbie will be putting her Dingle skills to maximum use as she prepares to set her plan in motion. "Her initial target is Dom, but once it becomes clear Debbie will stop at nothing in order to get her way, Cain and Charity start to wonder whether their daughter might be out of control." Webb commented on her character's new appearance, during the scheme: She becomes very business-minded, almost overnight. She suddenly goes through this massive change, to her looks and her hair. "It's all about earning money for the kids. She's determined that no-one will ever be able to screw her over again." "She's watched her mum and dad do what they want and get what they want for years. Now she's saying, 'That's it – I'm like you'. "Even Charity's shocked, but Debbie's got a one-track mind at the moment. She just wants to become a mini-Cain. The Cameron thing has left her completely broken, and this is the only way she can get through it. She's putting on a mask and pretending everything's okay."

Wedding crash and explosion

In July 2015, a trailer was aired stating that some major characters were to be killed off, which was confirmed in August to be a helicopter crash and an explosion, Debbie is the central character in the storyline as it happens as she is marrying Pete. A special week of episodes involving the wedding, the explosion and the helicopter crash aired from 3 August 2015, and the helicopter crash leaves Debbie fighting for her life.

Temporary departure

In June 2015, Webb announced she was pregnant with her second child and took her maternity leave later that year. Debbie departed on 1 January 2016 and it was confirmed in December 2016 that Webb will make her return in January 2017. Her return scenes aired on 24 January 2017.

Maternity leave and departure (2019, 2021)

In 2019, it was announced that Webb would be taking maternity leave for a third time; her return scenes aired in December 2020. Her exit scenes aired in February 2021; Webb's husband Wolfenden has stated that she would only reprise her role once the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

protocols in place on the soap were retired, but confirmed that she had no plans to return. Later that year, Wolfenden was accused of mimicking the accent of a mixed race actress on set. An investigation into the accusations was launched and Webb was reported to have sided with Wolfenden. Webb subsequently made the decision to leave ''Emmerdale'' permanently.

Reception

For her portrayal of Debbie, Webb won the "Best Young Actor" award at the 2005 ''Inside Soap'' Awards. In 2007, Webb was nominated for "Best Actress" at the

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies give ...

and the ''Inside Soap'' Awards. On Digital Spy's 2012 end of year reader poll, Chas and Cameron's affair and the subsequent effect on Debbie was voted fourth in the "Best Storyline" category, receiving 8.9% of the vote. Webb told Gemma Graham from TV Buzz that the reason she "loves" playing Debbie is the fact she has always been a fighter. "Nothing will knock her down and if it does she'll get back up again". Webb said that she would not pick a fight with Debbie because she would win "any day". Webb was nominated for the

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

award and the Villain of the Year award at The British Soap Awards 2013, and has been nominated for the Best Actress award again in 2014. Kris Green of Digital Spy said that he thought the jewellery heist storyline was inspired by the 2000 Millennium Diamond heist. A writer from

Holy Soap Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas '' Home and Away'' and '' Neighbours'', which are broadcast ...

said "this tough cookie has had an eventful life, despite her tender years" and named Debbie's most "memorable moment" as being imprisoned for Shane's murder. In 2011, Gemma Graham of ''TV Buzz'' said that Webb had spent ten years in British living rooms playing Debbie. They said she is a character that has received numerous blows because she is a Dingle – but always came back fighting. If anyone needed a character from Emmerdale to fight their battles, Graham said that Debbie would be their choice. Of her attitude Graham added, "There's barely a soul in the soap's village who hasn't received a tongue-lashing from our Debs at one time or other. Quite honestly, she even puts the fear of God into us." Sarah Ellis of ''

'' said that Debbie was not happy with Cameron nor Andy, "judging by the amount of time she spends looking miserable." Roz Laws of the '' Sunday Mercury'' branded Debbie as an "ice queen".

References

External links

Debbie Dingle
at

itv.com itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 13 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV brand (or the UTV brand in Northern Ireland). The website offers online streaming, ...

Debbie Dingle
at

What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compe ...

Debbie Dingle
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dingle, Debbie Emmerdale characters Television characters introduced in 2002 Female characters in television Adoptee characters in television Fictional offspring of incestuous relationships Female villains Fictional bisexual females Fictional characters involved in incest Fictional female businesspeople Fictional kidnappers Fictional mechanics LGBT villains Fictional criminals in soap operas Fictional taxi drivers Fictional teenage parents Teenage pregnancy in television Fictional LGBT characters in television Fictional prisoners and detainees Teenage characters in television