Emmerdale star Lisa Riley shares her heartbreak over the death of a family member – weeks after her former Strictly partner Robin Windsor died

Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has shared her heartbreak over the death of a family member, weeks after she lost her former Strictly partner Robin Windsor.

Lisa, 47, who plays Mandy Dingle in the popular ON TV soap, took to Instagram on Monday to share the tragic news that her aunt Joyce had passed away.

The actress’ mother died of breast cancer in 2012, and in her post she referred to Joyce as her ‘second mother’.

In the same year, Lisa competed on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing alongside the late professional dancer Robin – who was found dead in a London hotel room last month.

“Just when I thought my heart couldn’t hurt anymore,” Lisa said in her post. ‘Having just lost Robin, I have received more devastating news. Last night my 2nd mother, my solid hand to hold since I was born, my beautiful Aunt Joyce, sadly passed away and joined my mother where they can now giggle again in heaven together.’

Lisa continued: ‘Who came to every show I performed in since I was 7…Aunt Joyce. Who came to every set and supported every inch of my career, Aunt Joyce. Constantly kept me up when mom passed by, Aunt Joyce.

‘Gived me confidence when I didn’t think I could do it Aunt Joyce. Let me dress up, apply makeup and sing endless songs from Annie, Aunty Joyce. Who I drank my last glass of wine EVER with before I got sober Aunt Joyce.’

‘You lived your life to the fullest, traveled the world and I listened. It became my hunger to discover everything the world has to offer. Your heart is bigger than anyone I have ever known, your kindness and empathy radiated from you.’

Lisa went on to say that what she will miss most is her aunt’s advice.

“You know me inside out, back to front and everything in between,” she said. ‘I trust you the most, always have. REST IN PEACE. Who can I watch “BEACHES” with now???? We’ve only seen it over a hundred times.

‘I love you, always will, but MOST of all I thank you – for your time, endless time, when you knew I really needed it. You went to heaven on Mother’s Day, can’t quite believe it. the biggest love to Uncle Jess and Si xxx.’

Her aunt’s death comes as Lisa continues to mourn the loss of her former Strictly partner Robin.

Following his death in February, Lisa shared a collage of photos of the pair and wrote: ‘My Bestie, My Robin, My Angel…….now our eternal angel who is loved will always be loved forever in my heart…… my very broken heart.

‘I love you, light your beautiful, electric energy from the sky. REST IN PEACE.’

It comes after sharing the reason she will refuse to get a cancer screening, even though her mother died of the disease in 2012.

Lisa saw her on-screen family being warned they could carry a cancer-causing gene, meaning they needed to be tested as soon as possible, in a February episode of the show.

Unlike the Dingle family on Emmerdale, Lisa said she will opt out of cancer screening after her mother, Cath, died of breast cancer aged 58.

The actress added that her family has a history of being diagnosed with cancer, as both her two great-grandmothers had breast cancer, while she lost three grandparents to other forms of the disease.

Talking to The mirrorshe said: ‘Awareness is very important and I have an optional mammogram every year for my peace of mind, but not having the test is my choice’.

‘I don’t want to be the person who lives with that for the rest of my life. I know people will judge me on that, but you have to walk in my shoes for a day.’

Despite her choice not to have a cancer screening, Lisa still said she was behind the show’s plot to make audiences aware of a faulty cancer gene.

‘I love the fact that we are portraying this on TV as many people may still not be aware of the faulty gene. It’s wonderful to know that we will teach the audience about it, but personally I don’t want to know.’

In a recent episode, Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) informed the Dingle family that she had been tested and had inherited the faulty BRCA2 gene which has caused her breast cancer.

She also warned the rest of the Dingle family to get tested if they had the same gene.

Famously highlighted by Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are faulty genes that significantly increase a woman’s risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

These defective genes also increase the risk of men developing male breast cancer and prostate or pancreatic cancer.

Most women in the UK have a 15% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime, a statistic that rises to 40-85% for women with the faulty BRCA2 gene and 65-85% for women with the faulty BRCA1 gene.

There is also a 50% chance that anyone with this gene can pass it on to their children.

Lisa, an ambassador for the charity Breast Cancer Now, is supporting cousin Chas on screen through her cancer battle, but admitted it has been difficult to film scenes with issues so close to her heart.

“Unfortunately, it’s a story that’s close to my heart and it’s affected me tremendously,” she said.