Emily Dingle
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Emily Kirk (also Wylie and Dingle) is a fictional character from 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 ...
television soap opera ''
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 ...
'', played by
Kate McGregor Kate McGregor (born 1972) is an English actress known for her portrayal of the character Emily Kirk in British soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Born in Yorkshire, England, McGregor attended the since defunct Bretton Hall College of Educ ...
. She made her first appearance in the episode broadcast on 5 May 1999. Initially portrayed as nervous and naive, Emily lived a sheltered life with her father and lacks social skills, until she takes a job at the local post office. Writers established a relationship between Emily 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 ...
). McGregor thought the characters brought out the best in each other.


Casting

McGregor joined the cast of ''Emmerdale'' straight from appearing in a stage production with a small theatre group. It marked her first television role. She admitted that acting in a soap opera was harder than she expected, saying "Most of the time I just walk around trying to look as if I know what I'm doing, even though I'm not really sure." She also felt "scared to death" watching her first appearance, but realised that her performance was not as bad as she had imagined. McGregor hoped to stay with the show for a long time, as she had enjoyed her first few weeks.


Development

McGregor told Wendy Granditer from ''
Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly soap opera and television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom. The magazine is currently released every Tuesday. It covers storylines featured in British and Australian soap operas that are broadcast in t ...
'' that her character "comes across as a bit of an oddity, but it's not really her fault." Describing Emily's background, McGregor said that Emily's mother died when she was two, and she lived a sheltered life with her father on his farm. Emily had limited contact with the outside world and was lacking in social skills, as she had no experience dealing with people, until she gains employment at the post office in the village. McGregor called her "incredibly nervous and naive." Discussing the future of her character, McGregor wanted Emily to stand up for herself, gain some more freedom from her father and live a bit. She also wanted Emily to get some new clothing, commenting "She only seems to have two skirts and three blouses, which she mixes and matches and always wears with a pink anorak." McGregor speculated that the clothes once belonged to Emily's mother. Emily soon catches the attention of established regular
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 ...
). McGregor hoped they would get it together, as she thought they brought out the best in each other. She told Granditer that Butch helps to boost Emily's confidence by taking a genuine interest in her. McGregor also pointed out that due to Emily's upbringing, she has no experience of boyfriends or sex, so she might be shocked by the extent of Butch's feelings for her. She hoped the writers would handle their romance tenderly. Butch and Emily's bludgeoning relationship is tested by Emily's disapproving father John Wylie (Seamus O'Neill). John wants to keep the couple apart and attacks Emily after catching her with Butch. Loughran said that Butch "feels helpless" about the situation, especially after John makes it sound like Butch was the one who hit Emily. The locals change their minds after Butch rescues John and Emily from a crashed car. John ends up in a coma, and Loughran joked that there is a part of Butch that is happy, as it means he can see Emily more easily. He commented "Butch sees it as a chance to show how genuine he is." The actor also described the romance between the characters as "very sweet and twee". Emily and Butch's relationship progresses when they go on a date to an Italian restaurant in Leeds. McGregor called it "excitement overload" for Emily as she experiences several firsts, such as trying pizza. During their meal, Emily impulsively kisses Butch. McGregor said that while her character does not know anything about love, she enjoys being around Butch, adding "She's been shut away for so long and now she's in an exciting new world, with her first job and bloke." McGregor took maternity leave from the serial in early 2006. She returned to filming in September and her return scenes were transmitted in October. In October 2007, it was announced that McGregor had quit the series in order to pursue new projects. Speaking to Janet Tansley of the ''
Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St. Paul's Square, Liverpool, England. It is published Monday through Sunday, and is Liverpool's da ...
'', McGregor felt saddened to leave Emmerdale but felt that Emily had run her course and she wanted to focus on being a full-time mother. When asked if there were any similarities between her and Emily, McGregor replied "She’s an old fashioned girl with old fashioned values; I’d like to think I’m modern." McGregor made a brief return in 2008 for the serial's first gay wedding between
Paul Lambert Paul Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of Ipswich Town. Lambert played as a midfielder and won the Scottish Cup in 1987 with St Mirren as a 17-year-o ...
( Matthew Bose) and
Jonny Foster Jonathan "Jonny" Foster is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Richard Grieve. He appeared from 2007 to 2008 and in 2009. Openly gay, in 2008 Jonny enters into a civil partnership with Paul Lambert ( ...
(
Richard Grieve Richard Grieve (born 25 January 1970) is an Australian actor, who has worked extensively in film, television, theatre and musical theatre, but is perhaps best known for his roles in the British soap ''Emmerdale'', and two Australian television ...
).


Storylines

Emily lived a sheltered life with her strict father, John Wylie. His wife, Claire died when Emily was two years old, and John became fiercely protective of his daughter and brought her up to be afraid of the outside world. However, when Emily takes a job at Viv Windsor's (
Deena Payne Diane Margaret "Deena" Payne (born 29 August 1954) is an English actress and former singer. She is best known for playing Viv Hope in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Life and career Payne was born in Orpington, Kent. She used ...
) post office, Emily's life is transformed. Emily is drawn to Butch Dingle, but has to cope with her father's disapproval. During an argument, John attempts to strike Emily, but Butch punches him, scaring Emily in the process. John refuses to let Butch see Emily and they fight, leading to a car chase which ends with John flipping his Land Rover. Butch saves Emily and John before the car explodes, and John warms up to Butch. When Butch is seriously injured in a bus crash, it soon becomes clear that he is going to die. He and Emily marry at his hospital bed before Butch dies. Alone again, Emily keeps a low profile until she meets Ed Willis (James Midgley). Although her friends think they are well suited, Emily does not feel anything romantic for him. On a night she is supposed to be seeing Ed, Emily has sex with her close friend
Paddy Kirk Paddy Dingle (also Kirk) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Dominic Brunt. He has been married five times: to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) in 1999 and 2024, to Emily Kirk, Emily Dingle (Kate McGregor) in ...
(
Dominic Brunt Dominic Adam Brunt (born 15 April 1970) is an English actor, director and producer, best known for portraying the role of Paddy Kirk in the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. For his role as Paddy, Brunt has been nominated in variou ...
), who had also married into the Dingle family. Paddy and Emily's relationship goes from strength to strength. They get engaged and marry in a surprise wedding after their friends
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 ...
) and
Tricia Dingle The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1998, by order of first appearance. Jed Outhwaite Jed Outhwaite is the father of Heather Hutchinson (Siobhan Finneran) and the grandfather of ...
(
Sheree Murphy Sheree Victoria Murphy (born 22 August 1975) is an English actress and television presenter, best known for her roles as Dawn in ''Only Fools and Horses'', Tricia Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Eva Strong in the Channel 4 soap op ...
) call off their nuptials at the last moment. Emily is desperate for children, so she and Paddy decide to become foster parents. After a couple of false starts, the couple forge a close bond with Debbie Jones (
Charley Webb Charlene Joanne Webb (born 26 February 1988), commonly known as Charley Webb, is an English actress. From 2002 to 2021, she portrayed the role of Debbie Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. In 2014, she was nominated for Best Female ...
). But when it was revealed that Debbie is
Charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...
(
Emma Atkins Emma Jayne Atkins (born 31 March 1975) is an English actress, best known for her role as Charity Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Atkins grew up in the village of Silverdale, Lancashire, and then went to study at the Un ...
) and
Cain Dingle Cain Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Jeff Hordley. Cain made his first appearance on 30 March 2000, and in 2006, he was written out of the series when Hordley left the soap; however, the opt ...
's (
Jeff Hordley Jeff Hordley (born 7 March 1970) is an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Cain Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. For his portrayal of Cain, he has been nominated for the British Soap Award for Best Actor at three c ...
) daughter, Emily is bereft. However, she remains close to Debbie and supports her through tough times. Paddy and Emily's marriage becomes strained, and Paddy has an affair with Viv. When she discovers the affair, Emily throws her husband out of their home and smashes up the Post Office. Emily decides to leave the village, but
Daz Eden Darren "Daz" Eden is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Luke Tittensor. He made his first appearance in the show on 9 October 2003. Six years into his tenure on the soap, it was announced that Titten ...
(
Luke Tittensor Luke James Tittensor (born 3 November 1989) is an English actor. Early life Luke Tittensor is the identical twin brother of Elliott Tittensor. They are both from Heywood, Greater Manchester, and attended Heywood Community High School. They ...
) turns up and begs her to help Debbie who is giving birth. On arriving, Emily finds Debbie's baby in a bad way and her quick thinking saves her life. Debbie names her daughter Sarah and Emily decides to stay in the village. Unable to cope as a mother, Debbie leaves the childcare to Emily, who enjoys being involved in Sarah's life, but Cain accuses her of interfering. Emily finally has enough and makes plans to leave. Debbie decides she does not want to be a mother and begs Emily to take Sarah with her, which she does. Cain tries to find her after getting a lead that she has gone to
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, but by the time he got there, Emily was gone. Emily returned to the village the following year and give Sarah to her father,
Andy Sugden Andy Sugden (also Hopwood) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Kelvin Fletcher. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 July 1996. Andy is the son of Billy Hopwood (David Crellin) and Trisha Ho ...
(
Kelvin Fletcher Kelvin Warren Fletcher (born 17 January 1984) is an English actor, model, racing driver, presenter and farmer. He played Andy Sugden in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', a role he played from 1996 until 2016. In 2019, Fletcher won the sevent ...
). His sister
Victoria Sugden Victoria Sugden (also Barton) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played since 12 October 2006 by Isabel Hodgins. As a young child, Victoria was played by Jessica Heywood until 1997, followed by Hannah Midg ...
( Hannah Midgley;
Isabel Hodgins Isabel Hodgins (born 23 November 1993) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Victoria Sugden in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2006. Career Hodgins made an appeal in the '' Salford Advertiser'' for funding to allow he ...
) notices Emily living in her old house. She is branded a child-snatcher and is largely ignored by the village for months. Emily tries to commit suicide by walking into the river with stones in her pocket, but she is saved by her former brother-in-law
Sam Dingle Sam Dingle is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by James Hooton. He made his first appearance in the episode broadcast on 14 February 1995. Casting Actor James Hooton was cast as Sam in December ...
( James Hooton), who soon develops romantic feelings for her. However, Emily does not feel the same way. She attempts to make a romantic advance towards
Ashley Thomas Ashley Thomas is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by John Middleton. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 December 1996. It was announced on 22 October 2015 that Middleto ...
( John Middleton). His wife Laurel Thomas (
Charlotte Bellamy Charlotte Bellamy (born 19 March 1973) is an English actress. She is known for her long-running role as Laurel Thomas in ''Emmerdale'' on ITV (TV network), ITV. Other television roles included Sue Taylor in ''EastEnders'' (1997), and Harriet Pot ...
) then tries setting her up with Bishop George Postlethwaite ( Peter Cartwright), who helps her to decide that she wants to train as a vicar. Emily says goodbye to her friends, especially Viv, and leaves the village for Manchester. She makes a brief return for Paul Lambert and Jonny Foster's commitment ceremony. She offers her condolences to the Thomases, whose baby son Daniel has died, and she leaves after attending his funeral.


Reception

For her portrayal of Emily, McGregor received a nomination for Most Popular Newcomer at the 6th National Television Awards. ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' critic Thomas Quinn observed that John and Emily "have the kind of father-daughter relationship that keeps Jerry Springer in fist fights." The '' Daily Records Rick Fulton praised the pairing of Emily and Butch, saying "their relationship encapsulates what is best about ''Emmerdale'', which is rapidly taking the humour and quaintness of old Corrie for itself." He called the couple "the Laurel and Hardy of the box" and said that "they put a smile on your face and make you root for them." ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
's'' Nancy Banks-Smith observed that everyone liked Butch and Emily and likened the pair to "the Start Rite kids, skipping innocently hand in hand into the sunrise". She also wrote that even by the show's standards, Emily is "a daft dimmock". Sarah Moolla 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 ...
'' enjoyed the change in Emily's personality when she learned of Paddy's affair, writing "Hurrah for her! Meek Emily finally throws off the shackles of self-restraint. She wrecks Viv's shop, then really works up steam and tells Paddy their marriage is over."


References


External links


Emily Kirk
at
itv.com itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 13 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers the ITVX streaming service, with sections for ITV News, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirk, Emily Emmerdale characters Television characters introduced in 1999 Fictional shopkeepers Fictional British postal workers Fictional attempted suicides British female characters in soap operas English female characters in television