Emmerdale viewers have been puzzled by the absence of a particular character following the death of Zak Dingle, played by Steve Halliwell. Last week, the village was shaken when Moira Dingle, portrayed by Natalie Robb, received the devastating news of Zak’s passing at his home in Scotland.
In real life, actor Steve tragically passed away in December of the previous year at the age of 77. In light of Steve’s death, the soap’s producers confirmed a final storyline for the beloved character, leaving fans emotional.
Zak’s death revived the Dingle family’s history as Tina, now portrayed by Samantha Power, made her return after nearly three decades, bringing with her two shocking revelations.
In a dramatic confrontation, she asserted her claim to her father’s estate and informed Mandy (played by Lisa Riley) that she is actually Vinny Dingle’s real mother, a role played by Bradley Johnson.
Since the funeral, Cain has been struggling with the loss of his father, Zak. The mechanic has now taken on the role of head of the Dingle family, symbolically wearing his father’s iconic flat cap on Monday (October 21) to mark his new position as the family’s patriarch.
However, viewers are left scratching their heads over the absence of Nathan Dingle, Zak’s eldest son, at the funeral. Nathan, the child of Zak and Nellie Dingle (played by Sandra Gough), has never appeared on-screen but has been mentioned throughout the years, according to reports from Leeds Live.
Emmerdale fans are buzzing with speculation about the enigmatic Nathan Dingle, who was first referenced by Tina Dingle (Jacqueline Pirie) in the 1990s and again at Butch’s (Paul Loughran) funeral. It seems Nathan has cut ties with the Dingles, leaving his whereabouts a mystery.
A curious fan took to Reddit to ask, “Is Nathan, Cain’s brother, ever going to show up in the village?”
Another fan replied, “He was only ever mentioned, never seen, and I believe the last time his name was brought up was back in the nineties. I honestly think he’s been erased from existence.”
Meanwhile, another fan expressed excitement, saying, “I hope so! The show could use a few more Dingles to fill the village!”
One viewer clarified the family connections, stating, “He’s actually Sam and Tina’s brother. He’s only Cain’s half-brother.”
A second pondered the potential for drama: “Are they ever gonna cast Nathan Dingle Cain’s brother to turn up seeing as he’s never been onscreen as well that could be a good storyline to pursue for em and it’d have a lot of potential”.
There’s even a theory floating around that Nathan may no longer be alive: “It seems he died and writers have definitely forgot he existed.”
The question remains: Will the truth about Nathan Dingle ever come to light for Emmerdale fans?
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