Lisa Dingle (also Clegg) is a fictional character 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, ...

soap opera ''

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

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 ...

. Lisa's storylines include being

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ag ...

d by her colleague

Derek Benrose The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2010, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Steve Frost. Charlie Haynes Charles "C ...

( Stephen Bent), becoming a parent in later life, assaulting a police officer, suffering an angina attack, dealing with her daughter's psychosis and discovering that her husband

Zak Zak may refer to: People * Zak (surname), a surname of Russian origin * Żak, a Polish surname * Žák, a Czech surname * Zak (given name) Fictional characters * Zak Adama, in the '' Battlestar Galactica'' franchise * Zak Dingle, in UK TV ''Emme ...

(

Steve Halliwell Stephen Harold Halliwell (born 21 March 1946) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Zak Dingle in the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', which he has played since 1994. Life and career Halliwell was born in Bury, L ...

) has fallen in love with their lodger

Joanie Wright ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 2013, by order of first appearance. #Ross Barton, Ross Barton (Michael Parr) made his debut in July. #Joani ...

(

Denise Black Denise Black (born 16 March 1958) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles in '' Coronation Street'' and ''Emmerdale'' and guest starring as ''Jessie Devlin'' Denny Blood's mother in '' ITV drama series '' Bad Girls''. Early lif ...

), which led to their divorce after 18 years of marriage. On 7 May 2018, the character left the village and ''Emmerdale'' confirmed Cox was taking a sabbatical from the show. Lisa returned on 8 March 2019, and revealed that she had been diagnosed with

amyloidosis Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which abnormal proteins, known as amyloid fibrils, build up in tissue. There are several non-specific and vague signs and symptoms associated with amyloidosis. These include fatigue, peripheral edema, weight ...

. Cox then announced that she had quit her role, and that Lisa would be

killed-off The killing off of a character is a device in fiction, whereby a character dies, but the story continues. The term, frequently applied to television, film, video game, anime, manga and chronological series, often denotes an untimely or unexpect ...

. Lisa made her final on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 24 May 2019. Cox briefly returned for voiceovers on 6 June 2019 and for several more in October and November 2020.

Storylines

Lisa meets

Zak Dingle Zak Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Steve Halliwell. He first appeared on 20 October 1994. Halliwell initially joined the show as part of the Dingle family and was only initially supposed to a ...

(

) and they develop feelings for one another. However, Lisa accepts a marriage proposal from Zak's brother

Albert Dingle ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 1995, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the series producer Mervyn Watson. E ...

(

Bobby Knutt Robert Andrew Wass (25 November 1945 – 25 September 2017), known professionally as Bobby Knutt, was an English actor and comedian. He was known throughout his acting career for appearing as Albert Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale' ...

). Lisa's former husband,

Barry Clegg The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1997, by order of first appearance. Lyn Hutchinson Lyn Hutchinson, played by Sally Walsh, made her first appearance on 8 January 1997. Walsh sa ...

(

Bernard Wrigley Bernard Wrigley (born 25 February 1948 in Bolton, Lancashire, England) is an English singer, actor and comedian. He is sometimes known by the nickname "The Bolton Bullfrog". Wrigley's career as a singer and storyteller began in the late 1960s, ...

), tries to stop the wedding and Zak declares his love for her. Barry causes the Dingle's barn to explode when he builds a rocket. Despite their problems, Zak and Lisa marry. Various family troubles kept them busy during that year, but Zak and Lisa were surprised when Lisa went out to the barn and went into labour, when Lisa didn't know she was pregnant. The arrival of baby Belle (Emily Mather; later

Eden Taylor-Draper Eden Taylor-Draper (born 28 October 1997) is an English actress. She portrays Belle Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', a role she took over from Emily Mather in 2005. Career In 2005, at the age of eight, Taylor-Draper was cast in the ...

) served to deepen Zak and Lisa's marriage, even surviving the nightmare that was Zak's ex-wife Nellie's stay in the village. Lisa was deeply saddened when Zak's son Butch (

Paul Loughran Paul Anthony Martin Loughran (born 7 July 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish actor. He was educated at Methodist College Belfast. He is best known for portraying Butch Dingle in ITV Soap Opera ''Emmerdale'' in which his character died in a b ...

) was killed in a bus crash in the village. She even moved out when it was clear Zak blamed her as she'd fixed the brakes on the vehicle before it crashed. After a few months, Zak realised he could not live without Lisa and begged her to move back in. In 2001, tragedy hit again when Zak was diagnosed with

testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an u ...

. Zak overcame the illness with Lisa's support and repaid his wife by inviting his mother Peg to move in. With Peg around, tensions in the Dingle household reached fever pitch. When she went, everyone was relieved. The family was split again when Zak went off to South America in 2002 in search of the Dingle treasure – without Lisa's blessing. With her husband away, Lisa felt vulnerable – especially with Zak's brother, Shadrach (

Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature fil ...

), coming on to her all the time. In the end, Lisa resorted to violent tactics to make Shadrach back off and was relieved he got the message. Although she enjoyed a few dates with

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

's (

Tony Audenshaw Antony Audenshaw (born 6 September 1964) is an English actor and singer. Audenshaw appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'' from 1994 to 1996). Then in 2000, he began portraying the role of Bob Hope on the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale' ...

) brother

Eddie Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology *Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle * Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

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Nigel Betts Nigel Betts is an English actor, who from 2003 to 2007 appeared on the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' as Eddie Hope. He also portrayed Tony in the BBC Two sitcom '' Boy Meets Girl'' and had a recurring role as Mr Armitage in the eighth series o ...

), it was clear that Zak was still the man for Lisa – a fact confirmed by his return and their subsequent reunion. Lisa and Zak were shocked to discover that Zak's granddaughter

Debbie Debbie (or Debby or Deb) is a feminine given name, commonly but not always short for Deborah (or Debra and related variants). Notable people * Debbie Allen, American actress, choreographer and film director * Debbie Armstrong, American athlete * ...

(

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 ...

) was pregnant and no one was aware of her pregnancy. Lisa felt she had let Debbie down and was determined to give her all the support she needed to bring up baby

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 ...

. Unfortunately, Debbie couldn't cope with being a mother. She did everything she could to avoid looking after her daughter which infuriated Lisa, causing many rows and this left Lisa at the end of her tether. So when Debbie gave baby Sarah to

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 ...

), who then disappeared, Lisa hit the roof. Unable to bear the sight of Debbie, Lisa was relieved when she departed the Dingle home. More tragedy was to hit the family when Zak's son, Sam (

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, ...

), announced his girlfriend

Alice Wilson Alice Evelyn Wilson, MBE, FRSC, FRCGS (August 26, 1881 – April 15, 1964) was Canada's first female geologist. Her scientific studies of rocks and fossils in the Ottawa region between 1913 and 1963 remain a respected source of knowledge. Earl ...

(

Ursula Holden-Gill Ursula Holden-Gill is an English Actress and Dramatherapist, best known for her roles as school secretary Carol on Channel 4's comedy drama ''Teachers'' (2001–2004), Alice Dingle on ITV's soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2004–2006) and Miss Fitzg ...

) was pregnant – only for that news to be followed by the revelation that Alice had cancer. Lisa proved to be the backbone of the family as everyone tried to prepare Sam for Alice's death and looking after their baby son,

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

, alone. The morning of the competition in ''Emmerdale'' 5000th episode, Lisa accidentally knocked out

Val Lambert Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a So ...

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

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 ...

(

Joseph 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 i ...

) tied and gagged Val whilst Lisa was gone, intending to ransom her. Val was fuming at the Dingles until Lisa accidentally let it slip that

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. ...

) was planning the wedding for that day. Val and Eric did get married, in front of friends and family. Lisa was relieved when Belle's time at private school came to an end. She went there initially because

Rosemary King Rosemary King (also Sinclair) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Linda Thorson. She first appeared on 23 March 2006 and became one of the show's central antagonists until her departure on 13 Septe ...

(

Linda Thorson Linda Thorson (born Linda Robinson; June 18, 1947) is a Canadian actress, known for playing Tara King in '' The Avengers'' (1968–69). Personal life Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, she attended Bishop Strachan School, and then moved to the ...

) realised how intelligent Belle was and offered to pay the fees. Anything else, from the uniform to school trips, were to be funded by the Dingles. But when Rosemary left the village, she stopped paying the fees and it was a struggle for Zak and Lisa to pay them. They borrowed a lot of money from Debbie, leading her to get into trouble with

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), who she borrowed the money from. After Zak quit his job at Home Farm, following a row over breakages Matthew King (

Matt Healy David James "Matt" Healy (born 16 July 1970) is an English actor born in Scotland. He is best known for his roles as Matthew King in ''Emmerdale'' from 2004 to 2008 and in ''The Bill'' as Alan Morton. Background When he was three years old ...

) insisted Zak pay for, Belle's friends found out that Zak hadn't paid the fees and teased her about it. So, recognising the problem, Zak and Lisa removed her from the private school and re-enrolled her into state school. In April 2009, Lisa's blind cousin,

Lizzie Lakely Lizzie Lakely is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Kitty McGeever. Lizzie is ''Emmerdale'' first blind character, and was played by a blind actress. She made her first on-screen appearance on 28 Apri ...

(

Kitty McGeever Catherine Jane Mitchell (15 October 1966 – 16 August 2015), known professionally as Kitty McGeever, was an English actress and comedian. She was the first blind actress to be cast in a British soap opera, playing the fictional character Lizzi ...

) arrived, and Lisa got her a job working at Sharma & Sharma alongside her. Lisa also managed to create a bond between Debbie and her daughter, Sarah. Andy agreed to let the Dingles see Sarah regularly, and by getting Debbie to visit at the same time as Sarah and play with her, a mother-daughter bond developed. Towards Christmas 2009, Lisa started nude modelling as the Dingles needed the extra cash for Christmas in order to buy Belle a laptop and other presents for family. When Lisa told Zak how tight fisted she thought

Nikhil Sharma Nikhil Sharma is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Rik Makarem. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 September 2009. Makarem's departure from the soap was announced ...

(

Rik Makarem Tarik Makarem (born 18 January 1982), is an English actor most famous for playing Nikhil Sharma in ''Emmerdale''. Classically trained he is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama. He won a Laurence Olivier Bursary in 2004 in ...

) was, Zak grew suspicious as Lisa had said the money for Belle's laptop came from a work bonus. Lisa was forced to tell Zak the truth. He initially wasn't happy she kept it from him, but he came round. When Eli and Shadrach found out, they kept making wisecracks so Lisa decided to stop due to the lack of support from people round her, after admitting to Zak that she felt good about herself. Also towards Christmas, Lizzie was knocked down in the dark by Zak's great-nephew,

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), as he was angry over his discovery that he was gay. She dropped her purse and Lisa was horrified, determined to know who it was. Soon after, Aaron returned Lizzie's purse to her, but refused a reward, as she didn't know who he really was. Later, Lisa accidentally punched a police officer, was arrested, and was sentenced to three months imprisonment. Upon her release in late 2010,

began working at the Sharma Sweet Factory alongside Lisa. They formed a close friendship, and Zak got on well with Derek too, but in January 2011, after agreeing to work overtime with Lisa, Derek took advantage of the fact they were alone and raped Lisa, Lisa faced further heartache in March, when she eventually told the police about her rape and they didn't have enough evidence to pursue a case against Derek. Lisa is furious because of this, but resigns herself to get over it. By the end of 2011,

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 ...

) had turned the whole village against himself as his conniving ways had gotten everyone fed up with him. In December 2011, Cain got justice when he was attacked and later found badly beaten on the verge of death. The main suspects in the attack were John Barton ( James Thornton) and

Jai Sharma Jai Sharma is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Chris Bisson. He made his first on-screen appearance on 11 September 2009, alongside his brother Nikhil (Rik Makarem). In 2013, Bisson temporarily de ...

(

Chris Bisson Christopher Paul Bisson (born 21 July 1975) is an English actor, known for portraying the roles of Vikram Desai in ''Coronation Street'' (1999–2002), Kash Karib in '' Shameless'' (2004–2007, 2009), and Jai Sharma in ''Emmerdale'' (2009– ...

), who both had reasons for Cain's comeuppance; John's wife

Moira Barton Moira Dingle (also Barton) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Natalie J. Robb. The actress successfully auditioned for the role after a call came through her agent. Robb's character and her family wer ...

( Natalie J. Robb) had an affair with Cain, while Jai and Cain were sworn enemies due to his history with

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 ...

). Lisa herself believed it may have been Jai, but it all came to a head in January 2012, after Aaron broke Jai's window; Zak confessed to all that he was Cain's attacker. Lisa was utterly shocked, but stood by her husband while Cain decided not to press charges, but his relationship with the rest of the Dingle clan became strained. In April 2012 Lisa began to notice some changes in Zak; he had been consumed in paranoia over his chickens, and while a vet confirmed they were fine, Zak had them all killed. Alarmed, the family put it down to Zak's cancer returning, but doctors later confirmed Zak was suffering a mental breakdown, and he was sectioned. While Zak was eventually reunited with his family, he still felt guilty over his acts.

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 ...

's (

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 s ...

) boyfriend Cameron Murray (

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 ...

) was sent to prison for the murders of Carl,

Alex Moss 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 Bucha ...

(Kurtis Stacey) and

Gennie Walker Genesis "Gennie" Walker (also Pascoe) 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 ann ...

(

Sian Reese-Williams Sian Reese-Williams (born 18 November 1981) is a Welsh actress, best known for playing detective Cadi John in three series of ''Hidden (2018 TV series), Hidden''. Early life Reese-Williams was born in Glanamman, South Wales. She lived in Swan ...

), but he escaped and took the entire Woolpack hostage, including Zak, who was nearly shot by Cameron when he engaged in a struggle with him. Zak, along with most of The Woolpack (excluding Debbie and Chas), was freed by Cameron, to a relieved (but still worried) Lisa's joy, that her husband had escaped. The duo are later relieved when Debbie and Chas both escape together whilst Cameron is killed after unintentionally electrocuting himself in The Woolpack. A feud between the Dingles and the Andrews family ignited when Belle's boyfriend Sean Spencer ( Luke Roskell) was found to have gotten Belle's friend Gemma Andrews (Tendai Rinomhota) pregnant. Lisa forbade Sean from seeing Belle again and forced him out when he visited to try to make amends. In April 2014, tragedy struck as Belle pushed Gemma over during an argument, and the latter banged her head on a stone, causing a brain hemorrhage which proved fatal. The two warring families then made peace after this event, but Belle was consumed by guilt and in July 2014, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after initially planning to confess to murder, but changed her mind at the insistence of Cain. Belle was sentenced to three months in a young offender's unit and Lisa was distraught. Stress continued to pile on to Lisa throughout the months as Charity's life spiralled out of control when her husband

Declan Macey Declan Macey is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', portrayed by Jason Merrells. He was introduced on 15 April 2010. The ''Emmerdale'' website has described the character by saying "Declan is a shrewd business ...

(

Jason Merrells Jason Scott Merrells (born 2 November 1968 in Epping, Essex) is an English actor, who is best known for his roles in ''Casualty'', ''Queer as Folk'', ''Cutting It'', '' Waterloo Road'' and ''Emmerdale''. Early life and education Jason Sc ...

) attempted to kill her, and Sam's girlfriend

Rachel Breckle 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 Bucha ...

(Gemma Oaten) was forced to go into hiding to cover for her, and it all came crashing down in October 2014 when Lisa, after welcoming Belle home against her boss Jai's wishes, was sacked from Sharma & Sharma, and suffered what she believed to be a heart attack as she cried herself home. Lisa's health scare lead to her being diagnosed with angina, and what she suffered was an angina attack. She would have to rest a lot more now, so Zak took up most of the household chores for Lisa's sake. After months of Belle's increasingly wavey and disturbing behaviour, Zak and Lisa discovered she had been hearing Gemma's voice in her head after she almost ran over Zak. This was found to be fueled by a drug addiction introduced to Belle by local teen

Lachlan White ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared or will appear during 2014, by order of first appearance. William Makepeace (Dudley Sutton) and his grandson, Se ...

(Thomas Atkinson). They pledged to help her when

Katie Sugden Katie Sugden (also Addyman and Macey) is a fictional character from the British ITV (TV network), 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 w ...

(

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 (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2001 to 2015. Early life Winward was born ...

) told the Dingles she knew of Belle's condition, but things went from bad to worse when Katie was found dead and Belle assumed bad events, such as Gemma and Katie's deaths, happened when she was around, and deciding the world would be better without her, almost jumped from the top of a barn roof, but was talked out of it by

Harriet Finch ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 2013, by order of first appearance. Ross Barton ( Michael Parr) made his debut in July. Joanie Wright ( De ...

(Katherine Dow Blyton), and caught by Cain when she lost her balance. Following this emotional rollercoaster, Belle was sent to an institute to help her problem, though she could not attend Katie's funeral, which upset her greatly. When Belle was released, Lisa was relieved to have all her family reunited. Throughout the summer of 2015, Lisa had vacated Emmerdale to dote on Granny Clegg, who had suffered a fall and needed care. She returned in September to find out that a helicopter had crashed into the village hall during Debbie's failed wedding to

Pete Barton ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 2013, by order of first appearance. Ross Barton (Michael Parr) made his debut in July. Joanie Wright (Denis ...

(

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 soa ...

). Lisa also introduced Granny Clegg's secret cordial wine recipe to Belle and her new business partner

Kirin Kotecha ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared or will appear during 2014, by order of first appearance. William Makepeace ( Dudley Sutton) and his grandson, S ...

(Adam Fielding). They showcased their opportunistic proposal to Lisa's former boss Jai and went into business, attempting to sell "Granny Clegg's Cordial" to big-buck supermarkets. However, concern was inevitable to Lisa as she began to suspect Belle and Kirin to be in a more "physical" relationship, so she had Debbie talk to her about intimate matters. Disgusted, Belle briefly began to drift away from Lisa, to her heartache, but they eventually sorted matters out. It was just Zak they had to watch out for. On Christmas Day 2015, Belle reveals to the family that she had seen Zak and the lodger

(

) together, making Lisa heartbroken. Zak is then exiled from the family. Lisa's self-esteem drops to an all-time low as a result of the impending dissolution of her marriage, despite the Dingles' especially Belle's, efforts to support her. She is then knocked for six after Cain informs the entire family of a devastating truth; Aaron was raped repeatedly from the age of 8 by his father,

Gordon Livesy 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 ...

(

Gary Mavers Gary John Mavers (born 1 September 1964), is an English television actor. Mavers graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is best known for his portrayals of GP Andrew Attwood in ''Peak Practice'' which he worked on for 5 years as a ...

). Lisa finally finds some common ground with Aaron considering the fact they have both been sexually abused. Lisa turns 60, and she is advised by Belle to make a fresh start, so Lisa buys a stunning dress and has herself done up at

Bernice Blackstock Bernice Blackstock (also Thomas and White) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Samantha Giles. She made her first on screen appearance on 25 November 1998. In September 2012, it was announced Giles ...

's (

Samantha Giles Samantha Elizabeth Giles (born 2 July 1971) is an English actress and author. She is known for portraying the role of Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. She had also portrayed Sally Boothe in the ITV drama series '' Where t ...

) beauty salon and she rocks The Woolpack to a very enigmatic Dingle clan. She shocks Belle by telling Zak and Joanie to come to The Woolpack during the party, intending to surprise them. Surprise is a thing that Lisa certainly delivers when she reveals that she has been to see a solicitor, and is divorcing Zak. This effectively ends their 18 year long marriage. Lisa is devastated to learn that Zak and Joanie are getting married. She later has to deal with a fresh family crisis when it's found out that Belle has been having an affair with a married man over twice her age, Dr. Jermaine Bailey (

Micah Balfour Micah Balfour (born 18 July 1978) is an English actor. He played PC Benjamin Gayle in the ITV police drama ''The Bill'' from 2007 to 2010. Before ''The Bill'', Balfour worked on ''Absolute Beginners'' at Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), The Lyric ...

), who actually treated Lisa for an angina attack not long before the revelation. Initially the family is disgusted with Bailey, and Cain and Zak even try to rough him up, only to be stopped by Lisa, who argues that in this case, the "Dingle" way of dealing with things won't work this time. The affair seems over, but Belle suddenly reveals she is pregnant with Bailey's baby, which results in him staying in the village after planning to leave due to the collapse of his medical career and marriage. Lisa mediates a reluctant truce between Bailey and the Dingles, and allows him to move into the home. Joanie asks Belle to be her bridesmaid and Lisa encourages an increasingly agitated Belle to do what she feels right, so she accepts Joanie's request, upsetting Lisa. However, Belle brings home the wrong dress from Joanie's hen night, and the day after, Joanie comes to pick it up and discovers it has a huge wine stain. Lisa owns up to it, and agrees to fix it for the wedding, secretly hoping to convince everyone she is fine with the wedding. Joanie has cold feet on her wedding day, but Lisa convinces Joanie that she should marry Zak, as he is in love with her. As Joanie and Zak say their wedding vows, Lisa looks on and is distraught that Zak has chosen to marry another woman. At an angina check up, the receptionist calls for "Mrs. Dingle" and both Lisa and Joanie answer, when it is Joanie the doctor is looking for. Lisa then makes the decision to change back to her maiden name. The other Dingles are upset by this, believing that Lisa no longer considers them family, and a Dingle meeting is called in The Woolpack. They convince Lisa to keep Dingle as her surname. When Joanie is released from prison, after serving time for assault, Lisa picks her up in her van. When Joanie inquires as to why Lisa is picking her up, Lisa pulls the van over and they discuss Zak. Joanie goes into

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

in front of Lisa, who informs Zak about Joanie's death. Together, they break the news to the other villagers in The Woolpack. After Aaron's half-sister Liv Flaherty spikes her drink causing a near-fatal cardiac arrest, Lisa has her arrested, drawing the ire of the Dingles and nearly causing a schism in the family. Lisa ultimately decides life in Emmerdale is no longer enjoyable so she opts to leave for Scotland, where she takes a job as a youth counselor. She briefly returns a few weeks later to clarify to Zak that she still loves him but she cannot stay in the village and be happy. Lisa plans to return to the village when

nearly kills Belle in September 2018, but this falls through. Zak goes to stay with Lisa in Scotland in October, later extending the visit into 2019. Lisa summons Charity to Scotland and informs her that she is dying due to

, and wants her to write a eulogy for her funeral even though doctors say Lisa still has ample time left. Zak is aware of Lisa's illness and is apparently not coping, so Lisa urges Charity to avoid informing the rest of the Dingles, including Belle, of her condition. Zak asked Lisa to marry him and after only two days of planning they married on 23 May 2019 in the church. Before the wedding, the Dingle's pigs escaped from their pen and were rounded up by Cain, Belle and Lisa in their wedding outfits causing Lisa's dress to become covered in mud. After the wedding, celebrations were held in the pub and Lisa went home to get changed as she did not want her wedding photos to be of her covered in mud. Zak went to find her and found her asleep on the sofa but when he tried to wake her up he realized that she had died.

Casting

Lisa Clegg was first introduced by producer Mervyn Watson in 1996 who cast

for the role. Lisa first appeared in August 1996, as a potential love interest for

(

) after his wife

Nellie Dingle ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 1995, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the series producer Mervyn Watson. E ...

(

Sandra Gough Sandra Gough (born 2 August 1943, in Manchester, Lancashire) is an England, English actress, best known for her role as Irma Ogden in the soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which she played from 1964 to 1971. Other roles have included Nellie Ding ...

) left to care for her father in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Jane Cox really loved the idea to play Lisa Clegg in ''Emmerdale''. In an interview shortly after landing the role of Lisa, Jane stated ..'I was told that Lisa was a big lady and most comfortable in wellington boots ... Jane Cox had originally auditioned for the role of Nellie Dingle. However Mervyn Watson gave the role to Sandra Gough, Cox was pleased she got the part of Lisa Clegg instead because she really enjoyed the character. ..She's very practical and down to earth. I like the fact that she spends most of the time in a boiler suit but can be sassy. ..

Departure and brief returns

On 8 March 2019, during a special episode to commemorate

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

, the character returned after a temporary break and told

(

) that she had been diagnosed with terminal heart condition

. After the episode aired, Cox announced that she had quit ''Emmerdale'' after nearly 23 years, and Lisa was killed off on 23 May 2019. Cox made a brief return for a voiceover on 6 June 2019, as each family member read a letter from Lisa. Cox also returned for several voiceovers in 2020, as part of

Belle Dingle Belle Dingle 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 Ma ...

's mental health storyline. The voiceovers were broadcast over the course of October and November 2020.

Reception

Cox was nominated in the category of "Best Actress" at the 2011

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 ...

References

External links

Lisa 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, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dingle, Lisa Emmerdale characters Television characters introduced in 1996 Female characters in television Fictional farmers Fictional factory workers Fictional machinists Fictional mechanics Fictional models Fictional victims of sexual assault Fictional taxi drivers