An Emmerdale legend will make a surprise return on Thursday night – despite being murdered five years ago.
Lisa Dingle, played by actress Jane Cox, was originally written out of the show in 2019 after the character was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a terminal heart disease.
But he will make a ghostly appearance in the Yorkshire Dales as screen daughter Belle prepares to marry her abusive fiancé Tom King.
A source said Sun: ‘Belle faces a horrible future as Tom’s true colors emerge, but her mother Lisa will be there for her in spirit.
Actress Jane Cox has reprized her role in a special way for the surprise appearance.
Lisa Dingle, played by actress Jane Cox, will make a surprise return on Thursday night, despite being murdered five years ago (pictured with Zak Dingle, played by Steve Halliwell).
She will make a ghostly appearance in the Yorkshire Dales when screen daughter Belle marries her abusive fiance Tom King.
It really is one of the most touching moments seen in Emmerdale. Jane was more than happy to return in her own special way, but sadly she was unable to visit the set and personally meet her on-screen daughter.
Cox played the matriarch of the Dingle family for 23 years before her emotional exit, but has since made several brief cameos, albeit in voiceover.
His latest return comes just two months after the death of actor Steve Halliwell, who played alongside Cox’s on-screen husband Zak Dingle.
Halliwell, the second-longest serving cast member after joining Emmerdale in 1994, died in a Leeds hospice on December 15, aged 77.
Speaking at an Emmerdale press event in January, actress Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays his daughter Belle, revealed that her funeral took place the day before her wedding scenes were filmed.
She said: ‘We had the funeral yesterday and all the Dingles went, it was beautiful. Obviously, Steve is a very important part of our lives and it’s wonderful to be here on set because he is still with us every moment.”
Halliwell’s family paid tribute to the ‘incredible father and grandfather’ in a heartfelt statement, sharing: ‘He went to sleep peacefully with his loved ones around him.
“He made us laugh until the end, the most incredible father and grandfather you could ask for, family was everything to him.
Cox originally left the show in 2019 after Lisa was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a terminal heart disease.
His return comes just two months after the death of Steve Halliwell, who played opposite Cox’s on-screen husband Zak Dingle.
‘We would like to thank the wonderful staff at St James Hospital and Wheatfield Hospice for their love and kindness in his final days. I didn’t want sadness, just to be happy about a life well lived.’
ITV added: “All our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones at this very difficult time, and we ask that their privacy is respected as they mourn their loss.”
‘Steve will always be synonymous with Emmerdale. The proud defender and head of the Dingle family.
‘With heart and humor in everything he did, it has been and always will be impossible not to smile when you think of him.