The following article contains spoilers from an episode of Emmerdale that hasn’t aired on ITV yet, but is available to view on ITVX.
We can’t quite believe it, but Tina Dingle has returned to Emmerdale.
Last seen in 1996, Tina is the daughter of Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell) and Nellie Dingle (Maggie Tagney), making her the sister of Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper), Sam (James Hooton) and Cain (Jeff Hordley).
Tina is now played by Samantha Power, taking over from Jacqueline Pirie.
In tonight’s episode, the villagers gathered at the pub ready to say goodbye to Zak, who died earlier this week.
A last-minute funeral with the Dingles at the centre was as chaotic as you expected. In the Woolpack, as Zak’s loved ones shared memories of him, Cain started to feel pressure now he’s the eldest member of the family.
After the wake, Zak’s body was moved from the boozer and to the Dingle land, where he requested to be buried.
Just as the family gathered, they were interrupted by Tina shouting the odds.
It’s been almost 30 years since Tina was last in the Dales, which meant when she glanced at Belle, she had no idea she was looking at her little sister.
Tina announced that she was back to pay her respects to Zak, but the rest of the family believed she had no right to be at his funeral, given the lack of effort she made to stay in their lives.
The old face made it clear that despite the fact she’s been away for so long, she knows a lot about her relatives – and that was courtesy of Mandy (Lisa Riley).
The likes of Charity (Emma Atkins) and Chas (Lucy Pargeter) tried to tell Tina to leave, but she wasn’t budging. Still hellbent on judging her family, she then turned her attention to Lydia (Karen Blick), and wondered what she saw in partner Sam.
Wound up, Lydia retaliated by pushing Tina into a pile of mud, and what a moment it was.
As Tina attempted to get back up, Charity spotted an tag on her ankle. She laughed, noting the hypocrisy of Tina judging the Dingles for their criminal past, and yet there she lay with proof she was just as bad.
Two police officers then arrived and told Tina she wasn’t getting her tag off until tomorrow, which meant she had broken the rules.
Tina was led away but before she left, she told her family that ‘this’ – whatever that may be – isn’t over.
So, Tina Dingle has returned.
How much trouble is she going to bring to the village?
