Jeff Hordley has teased the identity of an unexpected attendee at Zak Dingle’s (Steve Halliwell) funeral in Emmerdale.
The Dingles will gather to pay their respects to the patriarch in emotional scenes next week, after Zak passes away off-screen in Scotland.
The farewell to the iconic soap character comes after actor Steve Halliwell died in December at the age of 77, following a short period of illness.
Amid their collective grief, the Dingle family get a blast from the past when a long-lost relative appears at the graveside…
Hinting at who it might be, Jeff – who plays Zak’s on screen son Cain Dingle – says: ‘It’s someone you might know. They’re not going to make things go smoothly for the Dingles.
‘Could it be someone back from the dead?’
Zak’s funeral takes place soon after Cain and brother Sam (James Hooton) head to Scotland to bring their father home following his death.
‘The funeral has got Dingles written all over it,’ Jeff says. ‘If you could say shotgun wedding or shotgun funeral, you’d kind of get a picture of what it’s like.’
Emmerdale cast pay tribute to Steve Halliwell and Zak Dingle
Cain Dingle star Jeff Hordley reflects on filming the funeral episode:
‘There’s really poignant moments in it. And whilst we were filming, we were all focused and giving the script everything it needed. But off camera as well – and Steve would have enjoyed this, because Steve always liked to have a giggle behind the camera – whilst we weren’t rolling, we made sure we had some laughs as well.
‘Because when we do get together as a group, we do make sure that it’s fun to film. What I’m trying to say is that the mood wasn’t just downbeat, we were making sure that we were having a laugh, and Steve wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.’
Mandy Dingle actress Lisa Riley said:
‘The best part for us, as the Dingle family, was the way that this went through production. From Laura (Shaw), our producer, who’s known us for years, grown up with us, and then Peter Kerry who has written the script, who was part of the development team of the Dingles all those years ago. Finally, Jeff Naylor, our director, directed Steve Halliwell and Zak’s first ever episode! So you’ve got all that thrown in the mix, it’s so nostalgic! So for us, as a family, it was obviously the biggest blessing and we’re so happy that it all happened in this way.’
‘Also, when you think of Steve Halliwell and the character of Zak, you always think of his love of music. So the team has brilliantly incorporated his music into this episode. Zak’s love of music and the nostalgia are all there for the viewers to see.’
Lucy Pargeter aka Chas Dingle:
‘Working with Steve was like the fun of being in nursery every single day. I can’t remember any day that was serious or any day that he ever flew off the handle or was angry about anything. It never felt like a work day with Steve, it was just like having your head teacher in your classroom and they just say ‘let’s all have fun!”’
Sam Dingle star James Hooton:
‘I have so many brilliant memories of Zak. I used to like the really silly, unbelievable stuff that we did back in the 90s. One memory is of a crying Elvis doll that the Dingles tried to convince people was like a crying Mary Magdalene sort of thing. It was a doll that they’d stolen from a second-hand clothes shop and they were using it to make money.
‘Another hilarious story that springs to mind is when they tried to send Butch into orbit, the most unbelievable storyline at that time but we always tried to do it with pathos and believability. It used to make us laugh so much that sometimes it became difficult to get through a scene.’
Belle Dingle star Eden Taylor-Draper reflects:
‘Steve, to me, was the funniest man ever! He was a really weird combination of a father figure, best friend, a standup comedian and a counsellor. He was everything. It really feels like he lives on because all of us have traits of his; our sense of humour or things we bond over, so everyday when we are together, it feels like Steve is still part of the conversation or moment.’
The actor also said the cast did their best to keep the mood on set light as they filmed the emotional scenes, explaining that it is what Steve would have wanted.
Jeff explained: ‘There’s really poignant moments in it. And whilst we were filming, we were all focused and giving the script everything it needed. But off camera as well – and Steve would have enjoyed this, because Steve always liked to have a giggle behind the camera – whilst we weren’t rolling, we made sure we had some laughs as well. Because when we do get together as a group, we do make sure that it’s fun to film.
‘What I’m trying to say is that the mood wasn’t just downbeat, we were making sure that we were having a laugh, and Steve wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.’
The actor had played the role of Zak between 1994 and 2023, during which time he featured in countless storylines, including the surprise birth of daughter Belle, the death of his son Butch in a bus crash and his beloved partnership with on-screen wife Lisa, played by Jane Cox.
