Emmerdale fans spot hidden Zak Dingle ‘tribute’ as Cain exacts brutal revenge

Eagle-eyed fans have spotted another subtle tribute to Zak Dingle during this Tuesday’s trip to Emmerdale.

The patriarch portrayed by the late Steve Halliwell was recently given an on-screen homage on ITV, which prompted his daughter Tina (played by Samantha Power) to come out of the woodwork.

In more recent scenes, the returning character wreaked havoc in the Dales as she was notably revealed as Vinny’s biological mother and she also got her hands on Zak’s will. This Tuesday (November 12), however, Tina was outsmarted by her own son who made out he would give her £50k if she returned the precious document.

Once he received proof she was only interested in his cash and Zak’s will was in his grasp, Vinny (Bradley Johnson) urged Tina to leave the Dales – and Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) made sure to give her a proper send-off by setting fire to her caravan.

Tina, who was surrounded by the rest of the Dingle clan, watched powerlessly as her belongings were being reduced to rubble and ashes while fans on Twitter, now X, shared their thoughts, with one suggesting: “What I found interesting tonight.. Zak burnt down Cains caravan when he didn’t support Debbie when she was pregnant with Sarah and tonight Cain burnt down Tina’s caravan. Wondering if that was put in on purpose as a little nod to Zak.”

The iconic scenes were aired in late March, 2005, when Debbie was pregnant with her first child, Sarah Sugden and in the wake of her breakup from Andy Sugden, whom Cain was not fond of. At the end of her tether with her father, Debbie made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him, only for the Emmerdale mechanic to lash out in a rage.

Zak soon got involved, appalled by his own son’s behaviour and called him out for terrorising Debbie. When Cain dismissed his concerns, declaring him “mad”, Zak decided to teach him a lesson by showing him how “mad” he really was with him. “Is this mad enough for you?”, he asked, taking hold of a lighter, lighting a piece of paper and throwing it into Cain’s caravan.

Cain was then asked to leave Zak’s land as his family turned their backs on him over his poor treatment of Debbie. Adding insult to injury, Zak pushed Cain out of the family field by suggesting he also set his car on fire. But the burning caravan was enough for Cain to get the message.

Actor Steve Halliwell, who played patriarch Zak for nearly three decades, sadly died in December 2023, with his co-stars attending his private funeral the following month in January.

He last appeared in Emmerdale on June 27th 2023, during which he was sat on his glitzy mobility scooter as he chatted to Dan, who was working on a car. The sweet funny interaction saw Dan refer to him as Evel Knievel, to which Zak retorted that the potholes were enough, adding: “I’ll give the ring of fire a miss.” Dan then went on to say that he was happy to see him out and about.

Zak received a mobility scooter from Cain and Chas after struggling to walk. His official exit was never aired, but it was later revealed by family members that he had gone to live with Debbie in Aberdeen. Throughout 2023 and 2024, even after Steve Halliwell’s death, various Dingles went up to Scotland off-screen to visit Zak and Debbie.