Zak Dingle takes the strain as Aaron unleashes his rage during another session on the punchbag. It's all getting a bit much for ol' Zak who suggests Aaron might get more out of joining a gym. Will Adam agree to sign up with his best mate?

Rhona and Paddy's closeness is plain for all to see - especially for their closest friend Marlon, who's worried about what's going on between the exes.

Having heard from Rishi that the Spanish 'timeshare' investment may have gone south, Frank is on the case. He has no idea that it's a non-existent business dreamt up by Megan and Charity, who are out to ruin him. But when Frank goes through Megan's phone to find the number of her 'solicitor' in Spain and presses 'call', it's Charity's phone which starts ringing… Will Frank find out he's being scammed?

Zak's all excited when he gets a letter naming him Kyle's legal guardian. But is Lisa thrilled at the prospect when he suggests they raise the little lad together? Knowing he's got a long way to go before Lisa forgives him for walking out on their marriage for Joanie, Zak takes steps to woo his long-time love.

Telling Lisa to her to get her gladrags on, he treats her to dinner at the Woolpack. But the date is a disaster, not least because Zak's one-time fling, Faith, is working behind the bar! As the dejected couple return home, a situation forces them to see the funny side of life...

Will the Dingle couple finally get back on track?

Zak is excited when he gets a letter naming him Kyle's legal guardian. But is Lisa keen on the idea of raising the little lad with her love cheat husband?

In a bid to woo Lisa, Zak suggests they get dressed up and have a meal out in the Woolie.

But Zak's attempt at romance falls flat, not least because one of Lisa's bitter enemies is working in the pub…

… Lisa's horrified to see Faith Dingle, who once had a fling with Zak, working behind the bar. Reminded of what a love rat Zak is, the meal ends on a sour note. But when they get home, things take a turn for the better thanks to some runaway pigs!....Watch Emmerdale from Monday 13 March on ITV.

This time last year, Zak Dingle ditched his wife, Lisa, to be with Joanie Wright. But when the family gathers to celebrate Christmas and Belle’s birthday, it’s Joanie’s turn to do the dumping…

Is Zak having doubts about his feelings for Joanie? “Zak is facing the fact Joanie was just an infatuation and not a deeper love.”

What can you tell us about Zak’s Christmas? “He’s at the homestead with the family and that in itself gets Joanie thinking, ‘Does he want to be with me or does he really want to be with his family?’ It’s Belle’s 18^th, so it’s a big family occasion and it reminds Zak of the good times when everyone was happy.”

Belle gets a new laptop for her birthday, why does that cause an upset? “There’s a recording on it of Zak and Lisa, which gets played. Basically, it happened after they’d stolen a Christmas tree together. Zak hurt his back and Lisa was giving him a massage. There’s a bit of groaning and Zak admitted to Lisa he doesn’t want to move away with Joanie.”

How does he feel about that? “He’s really embarrassed. The recording makes it sound like he doesn’t want to lose Lisa when he was just saying he didn’t want to leave the village. However, once Joanie’s heard it, it’s pretty much impossible for them to carry on. She leaves the Dingles’ and she says the two of them can’t even be friends when Zak catches up with her. Not even for Kyle’s sake.”

Will Joanie leave the village? “She does, but Lisa tracks her down and manages to persuade her to come back.”

Does Zak regret leaving Lisa and going off with Joanie? “I don’t know about that, but he’s certainly lost the moral high ground. Any member of his family can now turn around and say, ‘After what you’ve done, you can’t tell me anything.’ He used to be a symbol of somebody who always stood up for what he believes in, but he’s lost some of his credibility.”

Is there a chance that Zak will get back with Lisa? “I know viewers want that. Every time I go to get a newspaper, I hear ‘When are you getting back together with Lisa?’ Zak and Lisa are a soap tradition and people want them together. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

What are you doing for Christmas? “I’ll be with my family. Hopefully my Christmas will be better than Zak’s.”

As Christmas week gets underway there are plenty of surprises in store for the villagers. Nicola is delighted when she receives a beautiful necklace but who's it from? It's certainly not from her hubby Jimmy!

Meanwhile Belle's gift from Zak and Lisa has major repercussions when the Dingles get much more than they bargained for.

The Whites host a party at Home Farm where Rebecca's tinkering leads to a shock slide show for all the guests and Kerry braces herself as her compensation hearing gets underway. Will she be in the money?...

Nicola receives a beautiful vintage necklace as a Christmas gift and thinks it's from Jimmy but it most definitely isn't.

Jimmy's paranoia goes into overdrive as he quizzes Dan whose kiss with Nicola earlier in the year prompted a major fallout. Dan denies any knowledge of the necklace leaving Jimmy to ponder...who on earth is it from?

The Dingles gather to celebrate Belle's Christmas Day birthday.

Belle's delighted to see her mum and dad getting on so well together and even more chuffed when she gets her pressie...

It's a new laptop but it already has a recording on it. As the family and Zak's wife Joanie cluster round to have a listen they're all shell-shocked to hear a taped conversation of Zak telling Lisa he doesn't want to move to Leeds with Joanie. Uh oh. Awkward! How is Zak going to get out of this one? And could this be the end of his short marriage to Joanie?

Nutty nurse Emma is irritated that it's not just her and her sons together for Christmas Day.

Pete's got his girlfriend Leyla with him and it's not long before tensions between Leyla and Emma are rising yet again!

Emma insists Finn's new boyfriend Kasim spends Christmas with Finn and the family but Kasim is feeling more than a little suffocated by the close-knit Barton clan.

Leyla invites everyone round to celebrate Jacob's homecoming following his stint in hospital.

But the loud and noisy affair with Tracy, Pollard and David is a far cry from the intimate little Christmas Emma had in mind.

Emma's simmering when Leyla makes a joke about her to Kasim. Is the unhinged nurse about to blow?

Ronnie feels awkward and self-conscious when Lawrence gives him a very expensive watch as a lavish gift.

But someone who would be delighted with expensive gifts is money-grabbing Kerry. As she heads off to her compensation hearing with lawyer Pierce, is the trouble-maker going to find herself in the money?

As New Year's Eve approaches, Chrissie and Rebecca plan a posh party at Home Farm.

Rebecca has prepared a special slide show but when she sees Chrissie has tampered with it she decides to take revenge. What are the White's party guests about to be treated to on the big screen? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Sunday 25 December.

With Belle back in the village, Lisa and Zak Dingle are on edge. The worried parents are desperately hoping their daughter – who has been living away from home while she received psychiatric treatment – is going to fare well back in the village.

So when suspicious Zak finds Bailey, Belle's bloke, talking to Megan, he assumes the worst and lamps the doctor! He's left shame-faced when Megan explains Bailey was helping her, and that nothing untoward is going on between them.

Lisa's furious with her ex for causing such a scene. But when Zak later tells his ex-wife they need to pull together for Belle's sake, he then leans in for a kiss! How will Lisa respond?

When Zak finds Bailey talking to Megan, he assumes something is going on and lamps the Doc who's meant to be seeing Zak's daughter Belle!

Zak is hauled off Bailey, but the damage is done!

Megan tends to Bailey and explains he was just helping her...

Lisa walks in and is stunned to learn Zak has just kicked off.

Lisa's furious with her ex-husband for attacking Bailey, especially since they're meant to be keeping things calm for their poorly daughter Belle.

As Zak urges Lisa to forgive him, he tells her they need to portray a united front. But when he leans in for a kiss, will Lisa reciprocate?

As Zak urges Lisa to forgive him, he tells her they need to portray a united front. But when he leans in for a kiss, will Lisa reciprocate?

Later, Liv decides to take the bull by the horns and creates an online dating profile for Lisa.

And she looks pleased with the idea! Bye bye Zak?Watch the drama develop on Emmerale from Monday, October 31 on ITV

The search for missing Belle continues, but Zack and Lisa are dismayed when the police announce they're going to have to scale back the search.

The teen's worried parents are beside themselves. Lisa is determined to find her little girl and, with Chas's help goes into town, to hand out fliers and scour the streets.

Meanwhile, alone and hungry and with her psychosis back, Belle struggles to cope. Will anyone find her before it's too late?

Belle's alone, scared and in a mentally-fragile state.

Earlier in the week, Lisa and Zak are aghast when the police turn up and announce they're having to scale back the search for Belle

Lisa is furious that more isn't being done to help find their little girl and feels that everyone's giving up on her

Meanwhile Belle, whose psychosis has returned, holes up in a doorway in town

Alone and scared, the troubled-teen has to pick through scraps from bins to find something to eat

She still has Ellie's voice in her head. When Ellie tells Belle everyone hates her and orders her to throw away the scrap of paper with Bailey's number on it, Belle tosses it away

Chas and Lisa are in town handing out flyers and desperately talking to strangers asking if anyone has seen Belle. Meanwhile, Belle's tormented when a group of drunken blokes approach her and steal her sleeping bag

Later on a starving Belle becomes disorientated and suddenly collapses. Is anyone going to find her before it's too late? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday 5 September

Emmerdale’s Steve Halliwell explains to Soaplife why Zak is marrying Joanie when just about his whole family is against it. And hints that Joanie jilts him!

Does Zak love Joanie? “Yes, whether he is deeply in love with her or it is just a mad infatuation, I don’t know. I think he probably wishes he’d met Joanie [Denise Black] when he was a bit younger. But he describes Joanie as the woman of his dreams and is excited about marrying her.”

Does he feel bad for Lisa? “Well, he thinks that Lisa [Jane Cox] is coping with the whole thing as she has been kind, not caused problems and even wishes them well. He then finds out she has been crying on Chas’ shoulder and is not dealing with it well, so he tells her that he will always be there for her if she needs him.”

Does Zak have regrets? “I think so. He isn’t comfortable with the idea that he has damaged the family structure. They were so strong, the Dingles, but Zak has broken them.”

And Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) is ill again… “Zak doesn’t realise this. He is just really thrilled she is going to be a bridesmaid.”

But Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Charity (Emma Atkins) are hostile about his stag do, aren’t they? “Yes. Zak is not happy about it, but consoles himself with the fact that some of the family have come round.”

What happens when Zak accidentally calls Joanie "Lisa"? “Zak doesn’t know what he has done at the time as he’s had a bit to drink. It’s Kerry [Laura Norton] who tells him what he did. He doesn’t remember it at all, but he is worried about how that made Joanie feel.”

What happens on his wedding day? “It is not a particularly big wedding, but a faction of the Dingle family from Southampton appear, which fills the church up a bit more. Sam [James Hooton] keeps them all entertained as they wait for Joanie, who is late.”

Is she going to jilt Zak? “You will have to wait and see.”

Would you like Zak and Lisa to reunite? “Yes. As much as I enjoy working with both of them equally, I would because of a long tradition. Zak and Lisa are a symbol of loyalty and family values – it is what viewers want.”

Emmerdale, ITV

Joanie's looking forward to her Big Day with Zak Dingle in Emmerdale, but when her other half gets sozzled on his stag night, there are repercussions.

As Zak staggers home from The Woolpack, worse for wear, he takes a tumble into a bush. It's Joanie who comes to his rescue and helps pull him to his feet, but how will she react when her hubby-to-be mistakes her for Lisa!?

A nervous Zak waits at the church for Joanie, but starts to panic when she's a no show!

Earlier, an excited Joanie goes to collect her dress, but Belle feels terrible when Joanie sees the stain caused by the teen throwing red wine on it! How can Belle explain her actions?

Meanwhile, Zak gets stuck into his stag night, but goes overboard on the booze. He stumbles home from The Woolpack with his stags, Dan and Sam dressed as ballerinas, but suddenly trips headlong into a bush!

Thankfully his fiancee Joanie comes to his rescue, but as she pulls him to his feet she's shocked when he calls her Lisa!

An upset Joanie can't believe Zak's just used his ex-wife's name and is convinced her man still has feelings for Lisa.

On the day of the wedding, Lisa's surprised when Joanie turns up at her house.

She's even more surprised when Joanie makes a shock announcement. What has Zak's bride-to-be come to tell his ex?

Meanwhile, an anxious Zak waits patiently at the church with his best man, Sam.

As the minutes tick by and there's still no sign of Joanie, Zak can no longer hide his agitation.

Has Joanie decided she can't go through with the wedding? And if so, what will Lisa have to say about the whole debacle? Watch Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, August 8.

When daughter Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) told everyone about her dad’s affair in the middle of Christmas dinner, Zak decided to say goodbye to his family in the hope of starting a new life with Joanie (Denise Black).

But he got the shock of his life in last night’s episode, when Joanie rejected him, saying, “I don’t love you - not enough, anyway”.

What Zak doesn’t know is that his son, Cain (Jeff Hordley), had paid Joanie a visit and warned her to send his father back to his wife, Lisa (Jane Cox). If she didn’t, Cain said, then he would make sure Joanie lost custody of her adoptive grandson, Kyle - who is Cain’s son.

“I will get Kyle taken off you,” Cain threatened. “I’ll make it my mission. Dump Zak and make it convincing.”

And Joanie did.

What’s Zak going to do now?

“He could well become suicidal,” Steve told the Mirror. “He has lost absolutely everything. How can he carry on? If the family all shut off their love, it will be devastating for him.”

Zak tried to go home, telling Lisa he had made a mistake. But she told him she doesn’t want him, either.

“Get out of here and don't ever come back,” she told him.

Zak’s already had one nervous breakdown that nearly finished him.

Once the strong, proud head of the Dingle clan, he’s now a broken man again… And this time he might not mend.

Emmerdale returns to ITV tomorrow night at 7pm.

What are Zak’s feelings for Joanie?

“He has to admit to himself that he’s fallen for her. He loves his wife Lisa [Jane Cox], too, so he is in a bit of a dilemma.”

Does he feel guilty about cheating on Lisa?

“Absolutely, but the thing about infatuation is that there isn’t any logic to it. Zak knows how much he could lose.”

Why has he done this now?

“Zak has this massive sense of failure as a man. He had a nervous breakdown, nearly killed his son and his daughter’s got her own mental health issues. Also, he has not been able to make good money to support his family. There’s a sense of failure there and then along comes this woman who thinks he’s a great guy and he has been enjoying that a bit too much.”

Can you set the scene on Christmas day?

“They’re all there. Lisa, Debbie [Charley Webb] and Ross [Michael Parr], Chas [Lucy Pargeter] and Gordon [Gary Mavers], Belle [Eden Taylor-Draper], Sam [James Hooton], little Samson [Sam Hall], Cain [Jeff Hordley] and Moira [Natalie J Robb], Joanie [Denise Black] and Kyle [Huey Quinn]. Belle hints that she knows something and Zak is desperate for her not to say anything as he knows it could break the family apart. He’s not sure that he’s ready to make any commitment to Joanie, so it’s all a bit up in the air on Christmas day.”

Could this destroy the Dingles?

“It’s bound to affect them. Zak has already handed the kingdom of the Dingles to Cain as he felt too old to deal with the family’s problems. The dynamics were changing anyway, but this will really shake things up.”

Click HERE to see the storyline in photos.

Emmerdale, ITV.

How was Lisa feeling in the run up to Christmas?

"She was really excited because Belle [Eden Taylor-Draper] turned 17 and she’s been working on a car for her with Cain (Jeff Hordley] as a birthday present. Lots of the family were coming for Christmas lunch and she had Joanie [Denise Black] to help her with the sprouts, so things couldn’t be better."

How did she feel about the state of her marriage?

"Everything was fine and as it always had been. She would never suspect Zak [Steve Halliwell]  of anything because they are perfectly happy. They have been through such a lot together and are a strong unit – or so Lisa thought. "

So she had no suspicion that something was going on with Zak and Joanie?

"Lisa was totally oblivious to what was going on. Joanie was her mate. Now she knows the truth, she's devastated."

Belle knew, though…

"Yes - that's how it all came out on Christmas Day, just as everyone was settling down to their dinner. Belle was making digs about Joanie and Zak and then she just came right and asked why they were sleeping together."

Why would Zak cheat on Lisa?

"I don’t know. It is huge, but these things happen. You read of people in their seventies who suddenly aren’t with each other any more. It is a very human story."

Can Lisa ever forgive Zak?

"I don’t think so. There might be a chance for them in the future, but there might not. Right now she's thrown him out and is very angry."

Emmerdale, ITV.

Alarm bells ring for Lisa when she discovers Belle’s been taking drugs with Lachlan. “Lisa finds these pills and Belle says they are only ‘legal highs’, but Lisa points out they could be harmful… And it turns out they are because Lachlan ends up in hospital after taking them,” Jane tells Soaplife.

How does Lisa find out Belle’s taking drugs?

“Lisa and Zak [Steve Halliwell] are playing with Samson when he finds a ‘sweet’ on the floor. He’s about to eat it when Zak takes it off him. Lisa can see it looks like a tablet and Samson says that he’s seen Belle eating them. That raises alarm bells because Lisa knows they are pills.”

What does Lisa do about it?

"She wants to have an honest conversation with Belle [Eden Taylor-Draper], but she acts as if they’re nothing serious. Lisa frightens Belle by asking: ‘Would you give one to Samson?’ because, of course, she wouldn’t.  A teenager wouldn’t realise that these ‘legal’ drugs can be very harmful. They have not been tested and there could be anything in them.”

When does Belle take more drugs?

“She goes out on New Year’s Eve. After telling Zak and Lisa that she will never take drugs again, they take pity on her and let her hang out with Lachlan [Thomas Atkinson]. The next thing, Belle rushes back to the Dingles in a terrible state to say that Lachlan has collapsed after taking more of these ‘legal highs’ and she has left him at Home Farm.”

Does Lisa know that Belle burgled Edna?

“No, Zak knows about that, but hasn’t told her. She knows that there is stuff going on with Belle as well as the pills. She has been drinking and getting very upset. Lisa is having to take each day as it comes as things seem to be happening one after the other."

Is there more trouble ahead for the family?

“Belle’s story is a long one that will unfold over time. I think it really highlights the fact that young people need to talk and they need a lot of support.”

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times.

Zak Dingle is thrilled to have his daughter Belle home. But prison life has left scars. Belle is not the girl she was. She's being bullied and she won't reveal who the culprit is. "Zak's very concerned because he doesn't know how to help her," says Steve to Soaplife. "She's behaving oddly and Zak can't get to the bottom of it."

How is Zak trying to help Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper)?

"Both he and Lisa [Jane Cox] are trying to understand her and figure out if she's really ready to be back home. When Zak had a nervous breakdown, he felt that sometimes he was safer in the hospital, away from his life."

How is Belle different now?

"Underneath she's still his daughter, but a lot of armour has been put on emotionally. You'd expect that. She’s been traumatised by her friend dying at her hands and she's been locked away with some rough characters. Zak's trying to find his way back to the lovely child he knows."

What does Zak make of Lachlan (Thomas Atkinson)?

"He goes up to Home Farm ranting and raving about certain things he thinks Lachlan has done to upset Belle, but there is evidence that suggests it couldn’t have been him."

What is happening to Belle?

"Somebody is bullying her at school. She's also attacked and comes home covered in scratches and upset. Zak tries to get her to talk about it, but she won't and doesn't want the police involved."

What sort of Christmas are the Dingles in for?

"There is not a particular big storyline for them, but it’s also Belle's birthday over Christmas, so maybe the family can cheer her up a bit."

Emmerdale, ITV. Click here for dates and times.

You’ve had a rocky past. Do you share a lot in common with Zak?

“I can see a pattern to me leading to playing Zak. I went on a journey and it seemed to be my destiny to play this man who I understood. Everything the Dingles had been through, I had too – trouble with the police, fighting, being evicted. And if there were any aspects of Zak’s life I hadn’t lived, I knew people who had.”

When did you decide to write your autobiography?

 “I’ve been contemplating writing my story – the real story and not a white-washed version – for a long time and I finally got around to it. I have written plays in the past, but writing a book is completely different and I struggled with it for a time.”

What’s it called?

“If The Cap Fits: My Rocky Road to Emmerdale.”

Have you always wanted to write?

“I didn’t do that well at school and ended up working in the cotton mills. My life was so dull and uninteresting. I liked the arts and was in a band for some time. Then, I decided I wanted to become a writer.”

What inspired you?

“I’d read ‘On The Road’ by Jack Kerouac and decided to rough it like he had. Working in the factory was so mind numbing, I didn’t think I had anything to lose.”

You slept rough in London, was it tough?

“I was so hungry and got very thin. Back then, it was illegal to be homeless and I was arrested for sleeping in an empty Government building. I was sent to Ashford remand prison for two weeks and then I was put on probation and sent home. My dad didn’t want me back, he thought I was a waster.”

Did you continue to get into trouble with the lads back at the Cotton Mill?

"A few of us were drunk – drink is something that runs right through my story as a problem. We were wandering home at 11.30pm when one of the gang I was with threw a brick through an off licence window. We ran off with a lot of booze and somebody called the police to say they had seen a bearded youth running away from the scene – I had a beard then. They grabbed me and as you do, I took the rap and got sent to a detention centre for three months."

It must have been difficult serving time...

“I had not been there long when I had to serve cocoa through a hatch to the other prisoners. As I was about to start, another inmate put a knife to my back and when he said ‘burn’ I had to pour hot cocoa on some poor bloke’s hand. Eventually, I did get a chance to explain to these lads and they forgave me, as they knew this guy. Put it this way, it was a tough place."

When did you realise you wanted to become an actor?

“I signed up for acting classes after seeing an advert in the library. That was it. Bang! I knew I wanted to be an actor. I didn’t know about grants or anything, it was not part of my culture, but it was the thing I had been searching for and I signed up for this course at evenings and weekends.”

Where was your first acting job?

“Bolton Octagon theatre, playing bit parts and working as a general dogsbody. I loved it, but it was poorly paid and I wanted to marry my childhood sweetheart Susan, so I went back to the mill.”

You did marry Susan, but divorced and then married again. Do you have any children?

“I have a daughter, two stepsons, a granddaughter, step grandchildren – it’s all a bit Dingley.”

How did you get the part in Emmerdale?

“The casting director saw me on stage and rang my agent to say she wanted me to audition for this part as a petty criminal. There was me and six other guys and I got it.”

Taking into consideration your difficult past, is there anything you’d change?

“All my mates from the mill are retired now. They are fishing and playing boules in the park all day, but I wouldn’t change a thing. When I am acting, I have to concentrate so hard that I have no worries at all. I am alright in the pretend world – it’s the real world I have problems with.”

Steve, 60, who plays lovable rogue Zak Dingle, has been with the soap since 1994.

The autobiography is Steve’s story of rejection and redemption throughout a fascinating and colourful life.

But before he found success in Emmerdale, Steve spent many years looking for work, at one point spending time on the streets in search of food, sleeping in bushes, virtually living the life of a tramp.

If The Cap Fits is a warts-and-all story of Steve’s rise to fame and is being published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Steve’s first appearance in Emmerdale.

His other TV work include roles in ITV’s other soap, Coronation Street, and All Creatures Great and Small and he talks about that in his book, too.

Cain has shown no interest in getting back on talking terms with Chas - until now. He's not thinking of Chas as 'Sister of the Year' but after Chas said her piece a few days ago, Cain is speaking to her again - and he's not being snide or sarcastic... well, no more than he is with everyone. But he makes it clear that Debbie can't know. Which means Debbie's going to find out very soon...

Talking of women with attitude, Brenda's decided she's not going to be a pushover any more - and that turns Bob on! Oh, boy!