Emmerdale viewers believed Moira was due to face a harrowing health ordeal (Image: ITV)
Moira Dingle is facing a shocking relapse into her alcoholism on Emmerdale.
Life on Butlers Farm has been nothing short of overwhelming for the farmer portrayed by Natalie J Robb. Earlier this year, she has notably faced the wrongful arrest and imprisonment of her trans son Matty (Ash Palmisciano) who had been accused of stabbing Samson Dingle.
While Matty has since been freed, trading places with Samson who was sentenced to four years behind bars this week, the ordeal has caused tensions to emerge within Moira’s marriage with Dales tough man Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley).
The pair have struggled to keep both marriage and family afloat, with Moira complaining this Thursday, August 8, 2024, that she’d been overwhelmed with her house chores and her parental responsibilities.
Cain and Moira’s marriage has been headed towards the rocks as she keeps a huge secret from him (Image:ITV)
However, viewers of the ITV programme have suspected that something was wrong with Moira, as they noted that her irritable and snappy behaviour was stemming from a worrying health issue. But all doubts were finally gone when Moira was spotted drinking from an open whisky bottle during a phone chat with Matty.
Despite this, more viewers believed that Moira’s ordeal may be more serious with one suggesting: “After watching todays Emmerdale, I think Moira might have early-onset alzheimer’s. Because she is having signs ie Severe mood swings and behaviour changes and confusion, cognitive blackouts.”
Another echoed: “Is Moria Bi-Polar one minute she’s ready too kill someone’ today she’s happy as Larry”, while a third theorised: “I can feel a menopause storyline coming up.” A third added: “#Emmerdale are they giving Moira a Brain tumor or some other head condition?”
This wouldn’t be the first time that Moira struggles with her reliance on the booze. Three months ago, one fan took to Reddit to discuss the soap stalwart’s seemingly “forgotten” addiction, asking: “When did Moira stop being an alcoholic? Moira was off the rails and a full-blown alcoholic… but now she’s drinking casually, like nothing ever happened. Did they just decide to bin the storyline, or is she ‘cured’?”
Moira has had a complex relationship with alcohol for several years. In 2022, she hit the bottle to cope with all her troubles as Cain faced a hefty prison sentence for killing Al Chapman, a murder his young son Kyle had actually committed.
Two years prior, Moira’s addiction had spiralled out of control once Cain found out about her affair with Nate Robinson and her behaviour had left fans terrified she could put her life at risk during one of her binges.
At the time, Moira had been cast out of her own family while Nate, who had by then been revealed to be Cain’s son, was welcomed into the Dingle fold immediately.
Speaking to Inside Soap at the time of the storyline, actress Natalie J Robb had suggested that “Moira is using alcohol as a crutch.” She’d added: “She’s not really an alcoholic, but her boozing is affecting her judgement and causing her to make some very silly decisions. She’s her own worst enemy at the moment.” But could things take a turn?
