Zak Dingle
Encyclopedia
Zachariah Bartholomew "Zak" Dingle is a fictional character
in the British
soap opera
Emmerdale
played by Steve Halliwell
. He first appeared on 20 October 1994 and has remained since except for a brief break from 2002-2003. On his time in the show he has been involved in a testicular cancer storyline and becoming a father late stage in his life. Halliwell joined the show as part of the Dingle family and was only initally supposed to stay for a few episodes. Halliwell has been nominated for several awards for his portrayal of Zak.
describe him as the "patriarch" of the Dingle family adding he is "Ostensibly a scrap dealer and pig farmer" although he sends "most of his time either doing nothing at all, or dreaming up scams and schemes". They also labelled him as occassionally being "a violent man" who is "prone to jealousy, however, he will do anything for a quiet life and a pint in the Woolpack!" Halliwell said that Zak was "brought in as a violent nutter, then after they introduced the rest of the family, this workshy, loveable rogue started to emerge, and they started writing more comic elements for the Dingles". Halliwell described the family saying they are "petty thieves" and "a bit part of the under class of life" who "still hold those old values that people are more important than money" and said "We do strike a chord with a lot of people. Most of us will never be rich, so they can identify with the Dingles much easier than rich characters". What's on TV
described him as a "General dodgy dealer" who is an "all round wrong 'un" and the "keeper of the 'Dingle code' - which basically means that he makes sure all Dingles live on the wrong side of the law". Holy Soap
described him as "head of the Dingle clan, Zak is the scallywag you can't help but have a soft spot for" before adding that he "has had several odd jobs over the years, but he tends to fill his coffers by masterminding several dodgy deals with his brother, Shadrach."
Zachariah "Zak" Bartholomew Dingle was born on 19 January 1952 in Liverpool
Zak first appeared in 1994, challenging old adversery Ned Glover to a Bare-Knuckle fight, which he went on to lose. Zak was former bare knuckle champion of the Dales and his family were notorious throughout the village for their rogueish behaviour. His original family consisted of wife Nellie, sons Butch and Sam and daughter Tina. He had another son, Ben, who had been killed in a fight with the local Doctors son Luke Mcallister, although he was found to have a heart defect, this did not stop the Dingle's pointing the finger at Luke. The family quickly established themselves in the village, and forced Luke's family away, although he stayed and ended up with Tina, much to the annoyance of Zak, who arrived in the village and began to beat Luke, and was only stopped in his tracks when Tina announced her preganancy. However, it was established she had lied to humiliate him at the altar in revenge for Bens death, leading to him killing himself in his car and nearly Tina in the process. As the head of the Dingle clan, Zak is no stranger to drama. His first wife, Nellie, left him, and he lost two sons, Ben and Butch, in tragic circumstances but Zak soldiers on. He is ever hopeful that the Dingle family can overcome all obstacles.
.
In 2000, Zak and Lisa’s marriage was pushed to the limit when Nellie returned. With tensions between them rising, Lisa moved out. Tragedy then struck when Butch was killed in a bus crash. Since Lisa had serviced the bus before it was declared roadworthy, Zak blamed her for the accident and it looked like the marriage was over for good. Zak couldn’t let go that easily and an uneasy truce was declared - largely for the sake of Belle.
In 2001, Zak had the uneasy task of telling violent Cain
that he was his real father. After some violent words, the two men accepted the situation and a bond developed between them.
Zak’s health took a turn for the worse when he discovered he had testicular cancer. Zak's illness ensured he got his problems in perspective and his marriage was firmly back on track. Domestic harmony was shattered when his mother Peg came to stay. Zak blamed Peg for the death of his father, Jed, believing she murdered him. When she revealed the truth about Jed deserting them, a truce was declared. When Peg left the village, there was a better understanding between them.
Zak shocked his family when he disappeared to Chile in search of the Dingle fortune. While he was away, Lisa became close to Eddie Hope and it looked like Zak may have lost her for good. Lisa still loved the old scoundrel and they reconciled on his return.
In 2005, Zak was saddened when his son, Sam, left to start a new life with his girlfriend Alice Wilson
in Norfolk. Losing Sam made Zak more protective of the other members of his family.
When it was revealed his granddaughter Debbie
was having an affair with Andy Sugden
, Zak hit the roof - and Andy! The fling came back to haunt them when Debbie gave birth to baby Sarah
after concealing her pregnancy from everyone. Like the rest of the family, Zak was delighted that Debbie and her daughter are safe and well, welcoming Sarah into the fold. However, Debbie couldn’t cope with motherhood and despite efforts to get through to her, he was devastated when she gave the baby to her foster mother, Emily Kirk
, who subsequently disappeared.
With Debbie gone, Zak had a new crisis to deal with when Sam returned to Emmerdale. He told Zak that he and Alice were expecting a child. Tragedy struck when Alice was diagnosed with cancer. The family rallied round as the couple tried to come to terms with the situation. Under Zak’s guidance, Sam gave Alice the support she needed and the couple were delighted when Samson was born. Their happiness was short lived though, as Alice was told her illness was fatal just as she was preparing to marry Sam. The family were devastated by the diagnosis but Zak was determined to see Sam through the tough times ahead.
Earlier in Zak's history, the family encountered many problems with the then Home Farm owner, Frank Tate. Frank tried to evict the family unsuccessfully and one episode saw the Dingles' celebrate Frank's death with a victory chorus; 'We hate Frank Tate, he tried to evict us, the police came and nicked us, but now, you are dead'. The song was accompanied by them banging their cutlery fiercely on the table whilst at an evening meal. The more recognisable and noted members of the family were also present; Mandy Dingle, Butch Dingle and Sam Dingle.
Zak became friends with Rosemary King
. He took her at face value, despite her being devious and manipulative. They got on and she asked him to keep a discreet eye on her son, Grayson, and let her know what he was doing. She hired him as gamekeeper at Home Farm and confided family secrets, knowing she could trust him.
She also bonded with his daughter, Belle, and paid for her to attend private school. That ended when Rosemary confessed to poisoning her daughter-in-law, Perdita Hyde-Sinclair
and Zak told her to stay away from him and his daughter, Belle.
In May 2008, Zak resigned as gamekeeper of Home Farm after Eli broke some advertising material for Matthew King's press launch, at a cost of £1500. Matthew insisted Zak pay for the breakages which he did, with money meant for Belle's school fees. Zak asked Matthew to refund the money, and Matthew agreed, after the insurance company had paid out. Zak told Matthew he couldn't wait but Matthew refused to pay Zak any sooner.
Since then, Zak has been keeping an eye on his family. He was concerned that Sam had developed quite a soft spot for Jo Sugden and annoyed when Sam was beaten up by Andy Sugden. Zak warned Andy if he came anywhere near Sam again, he'd be fighting Zak.
After Jo threw Andy out, he and the other Dingles helped Jo run the farm and were shocked by her revelation that Andy had been beating her up for months. When Jo left the village, wanting to reclaim her life, Zak and Lisa got custody of Sarah. When Andy found out, he tried to take Sarah back but Debbie wouldn't let him. Zak told him he was welcome to visit any time, though.
in 2002 Halliwell was nominated for Best actor for his portrayal of the part and Zak was nominated for Hero for his testicular cancer storyline. In 2007 he was again nominated for Best Actor. In a poll to find the "top soap bloke" of all time which was run by Loaded
Zak came fourth. Holy Soap commented on his memorable moment as being when he "made quite an entrance in 1994, when he challenged Bernard McAllister to a bare knuckle fight after he thought Bernard's son, Luke, was responsible for Ben's death." Fellow Emmerdale cast member James Hooton
commented that said Steve Halliwell often gets recognised for his alter ego saying "Steve can't tie his shoelaces in the street without people noticing. It's the beard".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
played by Steve Halliwell
Steve Halliwell
Steve Halliwell isan English actor best known for his part in ITV's Emmerdale as smallholder Zak Dingle, a role he has played since 1994....
. He first appeared on 20 October 1994 and has remained since except for a brief break from 2002-2003. On his time in the show he has been involved in a testicular cancer storyline and becoming a father late stage in his life. Halliwell joined the show as part of the Dingle family and was only initally supposed to stay for a few episodes. Halliwell has been nominated for several awards for his portrayal of Zak.
Casting
He arrived with the rest of the Dingle family and along with the family was to "run riot through the rural tranquillity and put the muck back into the mix". The family where originally supposed to be "nothing more than a bit of spot of bother over a couple of episodes" but later were kept. In 2003 it was announced Halliwell was to take break. This led him to commented that he had "no axe to grind" and it wasn't "about salary or storylines" and added "I love Zak, I love Emmerdale, but I've asked for a spell out to spend some quality time with my family and friends". In 2010 Halliwell said that his casting in Emmerdale was "the greatest break in my professional life".Characterisation
ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
describe him as the "patriarch" of the Dingle family adding he is "Ostensibly a scrap dealer and pig farmer" although he sends "most of his time either doing nothing at all, or dreaming up scams and schemes". They also labelled him as occassionally being "a violent man" who is "prone to jealousy, however, he will do anything for a quiet life and a pint in the Woolpack!" Halliwell said that Zak was "brought in as a violent nutter, then after they introduced the rest of the family, this workshy, loveable rogue started to emerge, and they started writing more comic elements for the Dingles". Halliwell described the family saying they are "petty thieves" and "a bit part of the under class of life" who "still hold those old values that people are more important than money" and said "We do strike a chord with a lot of people. Most of us will never be rich, so they can identify with the Dingles much easier than rich characters". What's on TV
What's On TV
What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...
described him as a "General dodgy dealer" who is an "all round wrong 'un" and the "keeper of the 'Dingle code' - which basically means that he makes sure all Dingles live on the wrong side of the law". Holy Soap
Holy Soap
Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours, which are broadcast on the channel...
described him as "head of the Dingle clan, Zak is the scallywag you can't help but have a soft spot for" before adding that he "has had several odd jobs over the years, but he tends to fill his coffers by masterminding several dodgy deals with his brother, Shadrach."
Backstory
Zachariah "Zak" Bartholomew Dingle was born on 19 January 1952 in Liverpool
Zak first appeared in 1994, challenging old adversery Ned Glover to a Bare-Knuckle fight, which he went on to lose. Zak was former bare knuckle champion of the Dales and his family were notorious throughout the village for their rogueish behaviour. His original family consisted of wife Nellie, sons Butch and Sam and daughter Tina. He had another son, Ben, who had been killed in a fight with the local Doctors son Luke Mcallister, although he was found to have a heart defect, this did not stop the Dingle's pointing the finger at Luke. The family quickly established themselves in the village, and forced Luke's family away, although he stayed and ended up with Tina, much to the annoyance of Zak, who arrived in the village and began to beat Luke, and was only stopped in his tracks when Tina announced her preganancy. However, it was established she had lied to humiliate him at the altar in revenge for Bens death, leading to him killing himself in his car and nearly Tina in the process. As the head of the Dingle clan, Zak is no stranger to drama. His first wife, Nellie, left him, and he lost two sons, Ben and Butch, in tragic circumstances but Zak soldiers on. He is ever hopeful that the Dingle family can overcome all obstacles.
1994-
In 1996, many of Zak’s prayers were answered when he met Lisa Clegg. They were instantly smitten and, after a few hiccups, the couple married on 28 January 1998. That Christmas, the couple got an especially welcome Christmas present when Lisa - who had no idea she was pregnant - gave birth to their daughter BelleBelle Dingle
Belle Lisa Dingle is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was originally played by Emily Mather from 1998 until 2005, but is now played by Eden Taylor-Draper.-1998-2005:...
.
In 2000, Zak and Lisa’s marriage was pushed to the limit when Nellie returned. With tensions between them rising, Lisa moved out. Tragedy then struck when Butch was killed in a bus crash. Since Lisa had serviced the bus before it was declared roadworthy, Zak blamed her for the accident and it looked like the marriage was over for good. Zak couldn’t let go that easily and an uneasy truce was declared - largely for the sake of Belle.
In 2001, Zak had the uneasy task of telling violent Cain
Cain Dingle
Cain Dingle is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is played by Jeff Hordley.-Character creation:In 2000 series producer Kieran Roberts introduced three new members of the Dingle family. The new characters were introduced to the regular cast in 2000, who first arrived...
that he was his real father. After some violent words, the two men accepted the situation and a bond developed between them.
Zak’s health took a turn for the worse when he discovered he had testicular cancer. Zak's illness ensured he got his problems in perspective and his marriage was firmly back on track. Domestic harmony was shattered when his mother Peg came to stay. Zak blamed Peg for the death of his father, Jed, believing she murdered him. When she revealed the truth about Jed deserting them, a truce was declared. When Peg left the village, there was a better understanding between them.
Zak shocked his family when he disappeared to Chile in search of the Dingle fortune. While he was away, Lisa became close to Eddie Hope and it looked like Zak may have lost her for good. Lisa still loved the old scoundrel and they reconciled on his return.
In 2005, Zak was saddened when his son, Sam, left to start a new life with his girlfriend Alice Wilson
Alice Wilson
Alice Evelyn Wilson, M.B.E., F.R.S.C. was a Canadian geologist and paleontologist. She conducted field studies on rocks and fossils in the Ottawa region between 1913 and 1963....
in Norfolk. Losing Sam made Zak more protective of the other members of his family.
When it was revealed his granddaughter Debbie
Debbie Dingle
Deborah "Debbie" Dingle is a fictional character in the British ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale. She is portrayed by Charley Webb...
was having an affair with Andy Sugden
Andy Sugden
Andrew "Andy" Sugden is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Kelvin Fletcher.-1996–2007:...
, Zak hit the roof - and Andy! The fling came back to haunt them when Debbie gave birth to baby Sarah
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
after concealing her pregnancy from everyone. Like the rest of the family, Zak was delighted that Debbie and her daughter are safe and well, welcoming Sarah into the fold. However, Debbie couldn’t cope with motherhood and despite efforts to get through to her, he was devastated when she gave the baby to her foster mother, Emily Kirk
Emily Kirk
Emily Kirk was a fictional character in ITV Soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Kate McGregor....
, who subsequently disappeared.
With Debbie gone, Zak had a new crisis to deal with when Sam returned to Emmerdale. He told Zak that he and Alice were expecting a child. Tragedy struck when Alice was diagnosed with cancer. The family rallied round as the couple tried to come to terms with the situation. Under Zak’s guidance, Sam gave Alice the support she needed and the couple were delighted when Samson was born. Their happiness was short lived though, as Alice was told her illness was fatal just as she was preparing to marry Sam. The family were devastated by the diagnosis but Zak was determined to see Sam through the tough times ahead.
Earlier in Zak's history, the family encountered many problems with the then Home Farm owner, Frank Tate. Frank tried to evict the family unsuccessfully and one episode saw the Dingles' celebrate Frank's death with a victory chorus; 'We hate Frank Tate, he tried to evict us, the police came and nicked us, but now, you are dead'. The song was accompanied by them banging their cutlery fiercely on the table whilst at an evening meal. The more recognisable and noted members of the family were also present; Mandy Dingle, Butch Dingle and Sam Dingle.
Zak became friends with Rosemary King
Rosemary King
Rosemary Venitia King is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Linda Thorson. She made her last appearance on the show on 13 September 2007-Character's background:...
. He took her at face value, despite her being devious and manipulative. They got on and she asked him to keep a discreet eye on her son, Grayson, and let her know what he was doing. She hired him as gamekeeper at Home Farm and confided family secrets, knowing she could trust him.
She also bonded with his daughter, Belle, and paid for her to attend private school. That ended when Rosemary confessed to poisoning her daughter-in-law, Perdita Hyde-Sinclair
Perdita Hyde-Sinclair
Perdita "Perdy" Hyde-Sinclair is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Georgia Slowe.-Character's background:...
and Zak told her to stay away from him and his daughter, Belle.
In May 2008, Zak resigned as gamekeeper of Home Farm after Eli broke some advertising material for Matthew King's press launch, at a cost of £1500. Matthew insisted Zak pay for the breakages which he did, with money meant for Belle's school fees. Zak asked Matthew to refund the money, and Matthew agreed, after the insurance company had paid out. Zak told Matthew he couldn't wait but Matthew refused to pay Zak any sooner.
Since then, Zak has been keeping an eye on his family. He was concerned that Sam had developed quite a soft spot for Jo Sugden and annoyed when Sam was beaten up by Andy Sugden. Zak warned Andy if he came anywhere near Sam again, he'd be fighting Zak.
After Jo threw Andy out, he and the other Dingles helped Jo run the farm and were shocked by her revelation that Andy had been beating her up for months. When Jo left the village, wanting to reclaim her life, Zak and Lisa got custody of Sarah. When Andy found out, he tried to take Sarah back but Debbie wouldn't let him. Zak told him he was welcome to visit any time, though.
Reception
At the British Soap AwardsBritish Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
in 2002 Halliwell was nominated for Best actor for his portrayal of the part and Zak was nominated for Hero for his testicular cancer storyline. In 2007 he was again nominated for Best Actor. In a poll to find the "top soap bloke" of all time which was run by Loaded
Loaded (magazine)
Loaded, first published in 1994, is a British magazine for men that is considered to be the "original lads' mag". Its motto is "For men who should know better".-History:...
Zak came fourth. Holy Soap commented on his memorable moment as being when he "made quite an entrance in 1994, when he challenged Bernard McAllister to a bare knuckle fight after he thought Bernard's son, Luke, was responsible for Ben's death." Fellow Emmerdale cast member James Hooton
James Hooton
James Hooton is an English actor best known for his role as Sam Dingle on the popular ITV1 soap Emmerdale who he has played since 1995. He started his career with the Carlton Junior Television Workshop.-Career:...
commented that said Steve Halliwell often gets recognised for his alter ego saying "Steve can't tie his shoelaces in the street without people noticing. It's the beard".
External links
- Zak Dingle at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
- Zak Dingle at What's on TVWhat's On TVWhat's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...
- Character profile at Holy SoapHoly SoapHoly Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours, which are broadcast on the channel...