Samantha Power has been causing drama for her family in Emmerdale as her character returns to reveal the truth to the Dingles.
The actress, who plays Tina Dingle, has been making life difficult for Lisa Dingle as he wants people to know that Vinny is actually her biological son.
The soap star may have made a major splash when she retired for Zak Dingle’s funeral, but she wasn’t the first actress to play the role.
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The character of Tina Dingle dates back to 1994 when she made her debut in Emmerdale months after her dad Zak. She was initially played by Jacqueline Pirie.
She remained on the show until 1996 when she fled the village after rejecting a proposal from Frank Tate. She went to London and little has been heard about her since then.
While the new actress portraying Tina might sound like she hails from the Yorkshire Dales, she is actually from Dungarvan in County Waterford.
She has also appeared in several other popular TV shows, including the Sky comedy Brassic where she played Donna, the sister of Davey and Barry.
The actress also made appearances in the BBC soap Doctors, the Channel 5 drama Cold Call, Coronation Street, Holby City and in Little Britain.
Outside of her work life, Samantha is happily married to her husband Nathan Walker, with the couple sharing pictures of their trips abroad on social media. In the past year, they have enjoyed holidays to Italy, Barbados, Brazil, Spain and Malta.
Opening up about stepping into Tina’s shoes, Samantha said: “I was so nervous. It’s an iconic role to fill so I wanted to do it justice.
“My husband said he had never known me to be this nervous! My first scene on my first day was at the graveside with ALL the Dingles! That’s a lot right!"
She added: “Luckily everyone was so nice and welcoming. I have to say a special shout out to Lisa Riley, the nicest human being! When I met her at the screen test I felt so safe, she couldn’t have been more giving and supportive and encouraging and that continued daily on set. I loved working with her!”
While Tina won’t be on the show for long, the Waterford native admitted she would love to come back, stating: “Tina is just fantastic to play so I would love the opportunity to come back and cause more mischief.”
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