Mandy Dingle to make 'colourful' return to Emmerdale this autumn

Mandy Dingle

"It’s going to be very fun and colourful," promises Emmerdale

We last saw Emmerdale icon, Mandy Dingle, in January when she returned to the village with her teenage son Vinny in tow.

But Mandy’s visit – which coincided with her cousin Marlon’s (Mark Charnock) wedding to Jessie (Sandra Marvin) – was all too brief and left viewers wanting more.

Emmerdale, Marlon Dingle, Chas Dingle, Mandy Dingle

During her recent return Mandy Dingle was involved in loads of drama, including Chas attacking her!

In a press conference at the Emmerdale set in Leeds, executive producer Jane Hudson confirmed that much-loved Mandy, played by actress Lisa Riley, is returning imminently!

"We’re all very excited about Mandy and Vinny coming back into the village," said Jane. "They come back with scams and everything going on. There’s lots in store and it’s going to be very fun and colourful as she makes herself at home in the Dingle household."

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Her January visit, after a 17-year absence, saw Emmerdale fans wondering if Mandy’s son Vinny (Bradley Johnson) was her ex-husband Paddy Kirk’s love-child.

Though Mandy was the messenger who revealed there was a chance that Paddy’s biological dad was actually wrestler Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) rather than Paddy’s late dad who raised him, she clearly had another secret burning inside her.

Emmerdale, Mandy Dingle

Will Mandy's big secret finally come out when she returns later this year?

But with Paddy and Chas grieving the death of their baby daughter, Gracie, bubbly Dingle Mandy was seen to have decided to keep her other big news close to her chest.

The soaps’ producers remained tight-lipped about whether this secret will kick off Mandy’s next storyline, only confirming actress Lisa is already filming and will be on screen from "September-time".

Emmerdale continues on ITV.

Sarah Waterfall
Soaps Editor at What's On TV

Sarah has been writing about soaps for over 20 years! She’s worked for Hello!, WOMAN, PA News, Closer, TVeasy – and is currently What’s On TV's Soap editor as well as writing for WhatToWatch.com 


She’s interviewed tons of famous people from movie stars to pop stars, TV stars and of course, soap stars. The soaps have always been at the heart of Sarah's work; visiting the sets, getting the goss, and writing about all the soapy shenanigans week in week out, earning her a place on the judging panel for The British Soap Awards in 2017 and 2018 and on the BAFTA TV Awards in 2022 … and the nickname Soapbird!