The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...

'' in 1997, by order of first appearance.

Lyn Hutchinson

Lyn Hutchinson, played by Sally Walsh, made her first appearance on 8 January 1997. Walsh said receiving the role of Lyn was "like coming home in a way" because she had previously worked with

Steve Halliwell Stephen Harold Halliwell (19 March 1946 – 15 December 2023) was an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Zak Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', which he played from 1994 until his death in 2023. Early life Stephen H ...

(

Zak Dingle Zachariah Bartholomew "Zak" Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Steve Halliwell. He first appeared on 20 October 1994. Halliwell initially joined the show as part of the Dingle family and was onl ...

) and Paul Fox ( Will Cairns). Louise Oswald of ''

The People The People may refer to: Legal jargon * The People, term used to refer to the people in general, in legal documents * "We the People of the United States", from the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution * In philosophy, economics, and political scienc ...

'' dubbed Lyn and

Kelly Windsor Kelly Windsor (also Glover) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Adele Silva. The character first appeared on 10 August 1993. Silva portrayed her from August 1993 until November 2000. In February 2 ...

(

Adele Silva Adele Silva (born 19 November 1980) is an English actress. She played the role of Kelly Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' on and off from 1993 to 2011. In 1989, she had a minor role in the final classic series ''Doctor Who'' story ' ...

) ''Emmerdale's'' "terrible twosome" and compared them to ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

's'' Battersby sisters. Oswald also stated, "Kelly and Lyn are the original sweet-faced kids with a frightening wild streak. Parents watching the show see what they get up to and start wondering what their own daughters are doing. And young soap fans love to see them up to the sort of tricks they wouldn't dare try themselves." Walsh's younger sister Amy Walsh joined the cast of ''Emmerdale'' in 2014 as

Tracy Shankley ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared or will appear during 2014, by order of first appearance. William Makepeace (Dudley Sutton) and his grandson, Se ...

. Lyn taunts Kelly Windsor about her relationship with teacher, Tom Bainbridge (Jeremy Turner-Welch), causing the two girls to fight and forcing Tom to separate them. Despite this, Lyn and Kelly later become friends. Lyn bullies

Emma Cairns The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1997, by order of first appearance. Lyn Hutchinson Lyn Hutchinson, played by Sally Walsh, made her first appearance on 8 January 1997. Walsh sa ...

(Rebecca Loudonsack) about her teenage pregnancy. She dates

Roy Glover Roy Glover is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Nicky Evans. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 4 August 1994, and departed six years later on 22 August 2000. Develo ...

(Nicky Evans) and

Marlon Dingle Marlon Dingle is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Mark Charnock. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 October 1996. Following the departure of Zak Dingle ( Steve H ...

(

Mark Charnock Mark Charnock (born 28 August 1968) is an English actor. He is best known for his role in ITV (TV channel), ITV's ''Emmerdale'' as Marlon Dingle, a role he has played since 1996. Charnock and ''Emmerdale'' co-star Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy ...

), who she then cheats on with

Scott Windsor Scott Windsor (also Dawson) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. From 1993 to 1996, Scott was played by Toby Cockerell. In 1996, Scott left the village to join the army and when he returned in 1998, Ben Free ...

(

Ben Freeman Benedict Freeman (born 8 April 1980) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Scott Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. After leaving ''Emmerdale'' in 2007, he embarked on a career in musical theatre, and has since playe ...

). Lyn breaks up with Marlon on his 25th birthday. Lyn and Scott start a relationship, which ends when she discovers Scott has been having an affair with Kelly, who is his stepsister. Disgusted by this, Lyn ends her relationship with Scott and leaves the village.

Barry Clegg

Barry Clegg, played by

Bernard Wrigley Bernard Wrigley (born 25 February 1948 in Bolton, Lancashire, England) is an English singer, actor and comedian. He is sometimes known by the nickname "The Bolton Bullfrog". Wrigley's career as a singer and storyteller began in the late 1960s, ...

, made his first appearance on 30 January 1997. Barry was introduced as the estranged husband of

Lisa Clegg Lisa Dingle (also Clegg) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Jane Cox. Lisa's storylines include being raped by her colleague Derek Benrose (Stephen Bent), becoming a parent in later life, assaulting a ...

(

Jane Cox Jane Cox (born 13 May 1952) is an English actress, known for her role as Lisa Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', a role she portrayed from 1996 to 2019 and again briefly in 2020 and in 2024. In 2011, she was nominated for the Britis ...

). Despite the couple being separated, Barry lived in an out building on the same farm as Lisa. He was "an irritation" to

(

), who was in love with Lisa. Barry is an

eccentric Eccentricity or eccentric may refer to: * Eccentricity (behavior), odd behavior on the part of a person, as opposed to being "normal" Mathematics, science and technology Mathematics * Off- center, in geometry * Eccentricity (graph theory) of a ...

, who builds a space rocket.

Marlon Marlon is a masculine given name. According to the ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', the popularity of Marlon Brando led to general awareness of the name (his father was also named Marlon), though the origin of the name is not known. Speculatio ...

(

) and

Butch Dingle The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1994, by order of first appearance. Dolores Sharp Dolores Sharp was introduced as a school friend of List of Emmerdale characters (1993)#Luke M ...

(

Paul Loughran Paul Anthony Martin Loughran (born 7 July 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish actor. He was educated at Methodist College Belfast. He is best known for portraying Butch Dingle in ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in which his character died in a b ...

) accidentally cause it to launch early while fighting, and it enters the Dingle's barn and explodes. Barry tries to stop Lisa from marrying

Albert Dingle ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 1995, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the series producer Mervyn Watson. ...

(

Bobby Knutt Robert Andrew Wass (25 November 1945 – 25 September 2017), known professionally as Bobby Knutt, was an English actor and comedian. He was known throughout his acting career for appearing as Albert Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale ...

), but is forcibly ejected from the church, leading to Albert's brother Zak to declare his feelings for Lisa. Months later, Barry competes against Zak for a busking pitch and he shows off his pedal powered microwave on a television show filmed in the village. Barry returns with a wedding present for Zak and Lisa's wedding. Although, they tell him he cannot come to the service, he attends Zak's stag night and lends him some money for the alcohol for the reception. John Millar of the '' Daily Record'' branded Barry's space travel ambitions as "a laugh."

Paddy Kirk

Dee Pollard

Dee Pollard (née de La Cruz) was the former wife of

Eric Pollard Eric Pollard (also Pollock) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Chris Chittell. He made his first appearance in the soap on 30 September 1986. Having appeared continuously since, he is currently the lon ...

and she appeared from February 1997 until April 1998. Eric Pollard flew to the Far East looking for love and found it with Filipino student Dee de la Cruz in a Manila restaurant. His initial interest was sex, but two weeks later he proposed and the couple made plans for Dee to follow Eric back to Britain. When she arrived in 1997, dressed in a miniskirt and skimpy coat, and wearing high-heels, the locals in Emmerdale were curious. They were shocked when she announced that she was Eric's fiancée. But the unlikely relationship continued and Dee became Mrs Pollard in a May registry-office wedding. Dee left Emmerdale in April 1998 after discovering that her mother had died and Eric had kept this hidden from her. Dee returned home to the Philippines. Her marriage with Eric was annulled in 2001.

Will Cairns

William "Will" Cairns arrived in Emmerdale in February 1997 with his family as the second child and only son of Tony and Becky Cairns. One of his main storylines was when he was kidnapped by, Fiona Mallender, the daughter of a soldier his father had served with who wanted to avenge her father's death on a training exercise, which she blamed Tony for. Will left the village in January 1999, joining the rest of his family in Germany after his father was injured in a climbing accident.

Emma Cairns

Emma Cairns arrived in Emmerdale in February 1997 with her family as the youngest child and daughter of Tony and Becky Cairns, heavily pregnant. She gave birth to her daughter Geri a month later. Her father Tony wanted her to have Geri adopted and Emma initially agreed. However, she changed her mind when she bonded with her baby daughter but this didn't last. Gradually, Becky found herself looking after Geri more and more and so Geri was put up for adoption after all. The father was later revealed to be Greg Cox, the ex-boyfriend of her sister Charlie. This led to Charlie leaving, only a few months after arriving. Her parents left for Germany in April 1998, with Emma joining them in the Summer.

Becky Cairns

Rebecca "Becky" Cairns arrived in Emmerdale, where she grew up when she was young, in February 1997 with her family. Becky had a lesbian fling with vet

Zoe Tate Zoe Tate is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Leah Bracknell. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 December 1989. Zoe was involved in many major storylines during her t ...

. After her affair with Zoe was exposed, Becky left with her husband Tony for

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in April 1998 in an attempt to patch up her marriage.

Charlie Cairns

Charlie Cairns arrived in Emmerdale in February 1997 with her family. She is the eldest of

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony the Tiger, cartoon mascot for Frosted Flakes cereal * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * ...

and Becky Cairns' three children. When her younger sister Emma gave birth to a baby a month later, she was devastated to learn her boyfriend, Greg Cox, was the father and this led to her departure in July.

Tony Cairns

Anthony "Tony" Cairns arrived in Emmerdale in March 1997 following the rest of his family after retiring early from the army. When his youngest daughter Emma gave birth to a baby girl who she named Geri at the young age of 13, Tony wanted her to have Geri adopted, to which Emma initially went along with. However, she defied her father and changed her mind when she grew close to her baby daughter. Tony left with Becky for

in April 1998 after he is offered a new job.

Geri Cairns

Geri Cairns was born to 13-year-old

, who was fathered by her sister, Charlie Cairns' boyfriend, Greg Cox. Initially, Emma's father, Tony Cairns advised her to give Geri up for adoption, which she originally agrees with, but changes her mind after she bonds with her. However, in August 1997 she does give Geri up for adoption. In November 1997, Geri's grandmother, Becky Cairns goes to Geri's foster home to bring her home, but Emma insists that it was her decision and giving Geri up was best for both of them. After the revelation that Greg was the father of Geri, Charlie broke up with him and disowned Emma, leaving the village.

Kirsty Hutchinson

Kirsty Hutchinson is the younger sister of Lyn Hutchinson (Sally Walsh) and the daughter of Heather Hutchinson (

Siobhan Finneran Siobhan Margaret Finneran (born 27 April 1966) is an English actress. She made her screen debut in the independant film '' Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' (1986) and subsequently worked consistently in television drama including roles in ''Coronation St ...

) and granddaughter of Jed Outhwaite (Tony Melody). She was also friends with

. After her mother quit her role as a barmaid at ''The Woolpack'', she moved to ''Hotten'' with her.

Dean Adlington

Ken Adlington, portrayed by Patrick Connolly, is the son of

Ken Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer * ''Ken'' (film), a 1965 Japanese film * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine * Ken Masters, a main character in th ...

and Margaret Adlington. He first appeared on 15 May 1997 and was a friend of

. In 1998, he and Lyn Hutchinson helped Tony Cairns with his outdoor activities course by stealing his van, by which his team were cheating. In May 1998, he played in the school rugby final and blamed Will Cairns when they lost as he arrived late after nursing a hangover.

Billy Hopwood

Lord Alex Oakwell

Greg Cox

Greg Cox was the boyfriend of Charlie Cairns, who fathered her sister,

' daughter Geri. When Charlie discovered this, she kneed him in the groin and broke up with him, leaving ''Emmerdale'' after. Geri was put up for adoption by Emma, therefore it can be assumed that Greg has played no role in Geri's upbringing.

Tara Thornfield

Jo Steadman

Jo Steadman was a biker and short-term girlfriend of Alan Turner. Jo wanted Alan to sell The Woolpack and travel with her to America. Alan told her that he had built his life in Emmerdale. He told Jo to live her dream and that he would wait for her. Jo never returned.

Lulu Dingle

Lulu Dingle was a relative of the Dingles, who arrived in ''Emmerdale'' for the ill-fated wedding of

(

) and

(

). Before the wedding ceremony, she flirted with

Ned Glover The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1994, by order of first appearance. Dolores Sharp Dolores Sharp was introduced as a school friend of Luke McAllister who first met when he def ...

(

Johnny Leeze John Harold Glen (31 December 1941 – 25 October 2020), known professionally as Johnny Leeze, was a British actor of television and film. He was perhaps best known for playing Harry Clayton in the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'' for ...

), claiming she was psychic. She offered Alan Turner (

Richard Thorp Richard Stanley Thorp (2 January 1932 – 22 May 2013) was an English actor. He was best known for his 30-year tenure portraying Alan Turner in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1982 to 2013. He also appeared in films such as '' The Dam Bu ...

) a reading for a round of drinks, but he politely declined. It is unknown how Lulu is related to the other Dingles in Emmerdale and hasn't been referenced since her appearance.

Doug Hamilton

Doug Hamilton, played by

Jay Benedict Jay Benedict (April 11, 1951 – April 4, 2020) was an American actor who spent most of his life and career in the United Kingdom. He was frequently cast as American characters in British films and television programmes. He was best known for hi ...

, made his first appearance on 2 October 1997. Doug is a businessman, who puts in an offer for the golf course, while "wining and dining"

Kathy Glover Kathy Brookman (also Bates, Merrick, Tate and Glover) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Malandra Burrows. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 November 1985. ...

(

Malandra Burrows Malandra Burrows (born 4 November 1965) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her long-running role as Kathy Glover in ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (1985–2001, 2005). Early life After deciding that she wanted to be a perfo ...

). Kathy later learns Doug is married and their relationship ends.

References

{{Emmerdale characters, year

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

*, Emmerdale