Emmerdale viewers were shocked after the 'long-lost identical twin' of Zak Dingle made his debut on the show. Soap legend Zak (Steve Halliwell) made his first appearance back in 1994 and died off-screen in October.
In real life, actor Steve sadly died in December last year, aged 77, reports Leeds Live. As Zak was based in Scotland, son Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Sam (James Hooton) travelled up North to collect his body and return him to the village.
When they returned to Emmerdale, it was time for Zak's funeral, which played out in eye-watering scenes that aired a few weeks ago. As well as the heartbreaking event, Zak's daughter Tina Dingle (Samantha Power) also appeared 28 years after her last appearance on the TV show.
Zak's death has since rocked the Dingle clan, as the beloved father was the head of the family. However, fans watching Thursday’s episode (October 31) were left stunned after spotting a lookalike relative of Zak Dingle.
During the episode, Charity (Emma Atkins) spoke to Ross (Mike Parr) about their child Moses. However, fans were left rather distracted. In the background, an extra appeared to be the spit of Zak Dingle. So much so that fans have claimed it could be Zak’s estranged brother or twin.
On an Emmerdale Facebook fan page, one person posted a photo of the Zak Dingle lookalike and wrote: “Zack’s back!!.” In the comments section, a second person wrote: “Omg I thought it was him too for a split second.” A third chimed in: “I thought that when I was watching it.”
As well as expressing their shock, fans shared the theory it could be Zak's long-lost relative. Another person penned: “It’s Zak’s estranged twin brother…” Someone else replied: “Don’t give them any ideas!” As a third quipped: “It will be Emmerdale’s next storyline, you watch.”
Steve joined the cast in October 1994 and he remained at the heart of the Dingle family ever since. While the character of Zak was only supposed to be temporary, he ended up becoming one of the soap's most beloved villagers.
Following the news of Steve’s death last year, the Emmerdale team said: “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that Emmerdale can confirm that Steve Halliwell, our beloved Zak Dingle, has peacefully passed away.
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“All our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones through this very difficult time, and we’d request that their privacy is respected as they grieve for his loss.
"Steve will forever be synonymous with Emmerdale. The proud defender and head of the Dingle family. Heart and humour in all he did, it has been and always will be impossible not to smile when you think of him."
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm
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