There are 80 plus actors in the Emmerdale cast, but between four and five hundred people working behind the scenes, from cooks to cleaners, set designers to seamstresses.
In an exclusive interview to celebrate the soap’s 50th anniversary, TVTimes magazine has teamed up with star Lisa Riley — better known as the iconic Mandy Dingle — to pay tribute to some of the unsung heroes who make it the success it is today.
Says Lisa, “Emmerdale is like a big tent — we have so many strong poles holding it up, and if those poles are taken away, we can’t make the show.
“I’ve picked these people out because of my own, personal experience, but everyone here plays their part. Emmerdale is a team and it’s the best team ever!”
Emma McDermott, First Assistant Director and Emily Joel, Second Assistant Director
"A scene will always start with a director’s rehearsal, which involves the actors, the director and the first AD, walking things through," Lisa explains.
"When that’s done, the director will go to the gallery and the first AD will bring the crew in, and take over. They are the voice on the floor; the commander in chief.
‘Emma is brilliant, and has so much respect for us as artists. She has worked on my biggest emotional stories, including Mandy’s infertility and Paul’s death, and she always makes sure I have the time to go to one side and get myself ready. I hold her in such high regard.
"Emily is a second AD, and it’s her job to make sure the cast are where they need to be at every minute of the day. Some actors live in Manchester, and the M62 is renowned for traffic jams. The knock-on effect of someone arriving 20 minutes late is enormous, but the second ADs have to keep everything moving.
"She’s the person who would organize a car to transport me from the studios to the village (which are several miles apart) and if there’s a rewrite, she’ll print and distribute the scripts.
"She’s the proverbial swan — graceful on the surface, but underneath, her legs are going like Usain Bolt!"
Clare Golds, Hair and Makeup designer
"Clare runs one of the busiest teams on the show, and I really trust her with Mandy’s look," Lisa reveals.
"For instance, Mandy normally has hair pieces and a full face of make-up, which takes about 40 minutes to do — or an hour if I don’t stop talking! But in times of turmoil, we have ‘minging Mandy’ with none of those things, so I'll discuss with Clare the gradual transition to having her back to normal.
"Detail is so important — I can’t bear vanity on screen.
"But the really brilliant thing about her is that she has been there for me in times of need. I’m normally very upbeat, but on the rare occasions I’m having a bad day, she can see it, even if I’m pressing the bravado button. I’m blessed to call her a friend."
Ian Holmes, Wardrobe designer
‘"Ian designed Mandy’s magenta and leopard print wedding dress for her wedding to Paul — it was inspired by The Vivienne from Drag Race and is one of the most iconic wedding dresses in soap," says Lisa.
"But I think one of his unsung genius moments was when Mandy bought the salon and he designed the leopard print tabards with the pink edging and our names across our boobs and ‘Pampamanda’ on the back.
"We work so well together to create Mandy’s unique look. I can send him a Whatsapp message or he’ll see something and say, ‘What about this?’
"We’re filming Christmas at the moment, and he’s got Mandy loads of new fur coats. One, in particular, makes me look like one of those ‘Forever Friends’ teddies - people keep coming up to me for cuddles!"
Bob Farrell, Head of Scheduling
"I’ve talked about Emmerdale being a tent — well if Bob’s pole fell, the show would crumble," Lisa admits.
"He works months in advance, planning when and where each scene is filmed and has to consider what actors are available — because some might be on holiday — and what locations can be used.
"You might want to shoot in Pampamanda for example, but if the prison set, which is next door, is in use, then you can’t.
"He’ll work with three or four directors, each with their own crew and clumps of cast and will weave things so that Mandy, for example, might start the day in the Woolpack and end up in the hospital — every minute is accounted for.
"It only takes someone to be off sick to put a spanner in the works, and that’s when he and his team really work their magic. How he creates his incredible jigsaw and still allows us time for a piddle and a brew is beyond me!"
Chris Prior, Cleaner
Says Lisa, "Chris is the first person I see in the morning and the last person I see when I leave at night, although I have been told he doesn’t actually live at Emmerdale and works a split shift.
"He is always polishing, vacuuming or emptying something, and does his job with such effort, detail, love and compassion.
"The pressure he and the other cleaners were under during the pandemic was phenomenal - we called him 'Daddy Dettol' by the end of it!
"I speak on behalf of my Dingle family when I say he is the ultimate unsung hero.
"He’s forever smiling and he’s a proper grafter."
Taransay Chisholm, Set Designer
"Taransay designed Pampamanda, and said it was like being a kid in a sweet shop," smiles Lisa. "The detail she went to was amazing, down to the leopard print hair foils and the pink and leopard nail files.
"I remember during the pandemic, it was scripted that Mandy had a really camp, gold lamé throw — Taransay was trolling the internet because all the shops were closed, but she did it; she found one.
"She has instilled such fun in my life because that set is a really gorgeous, happy place to be.
‘She says her dream would be to go up that spiral staircase and design the Pampamanda staff room. We talk about it on-screen, but no one ever sees what’s up those stairs.
"Can you imagine it? It would be pretty fabulous!"
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30 pm on ITV, with a hour-long episode on Thursdays — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on ITV Hub.
