Emmerdale’s Mandy Dingle star opens up on soap first in ‘exciting’ Christmas storyline

Emmerdale is set to air a host of huge storylines over the Christmas period, and it seems like fans are in for a major shock

Christmas is renowned for being an incredibly dramatic and action-packed period in soapland, and it appears Emmerdale viewers are in for a real treat this year.

Lisa Riley, who portrays Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale, has hinted at what’s to come during the festive season, describing the storylines as “really exciting”. Mandy and her spouse, Paddy (Dominic Brunt), take centre stage in a new plot, alongside Paddy’s dad, Bear (Joshua Richards).

The actress revealed that Vicky Thomas will be helming the Christmas Day episode of Emmerdale.

Vicky was the director responsible for the soap’s massive limo crash, which led to the deaths of multiple characters, including Amy Wyatt and Suzy Merton.

This year’s festive storylines are scheduled to extend into the New Year, as soap chiefs prepare for the much-anticipated Emmerdale and Coronation Street crossover episode, which will air in January, according to the Daily Star.

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“You’re going to find out. It’s going to straggle over the whole of Christmas and into the New Year, and it’s a storyline that’s never been done before,” Lisa told The Sun.

“When we got the script, we were told months ago, it’s something really exciting,” she continued. “That’s so good about soaps, we’ve planned loads of things to knock you off kilter.”

Audiences last witnessed Bear earlier this year, when his conduct suddenly shifted and he started behaving unpredictably, prompting Paddy to become certain his father was battling depression.

When Paddy was assaulted by a dog, he considered putting the dog down to ensure village safety. This predicament caused a rift between Paddy and Bear, with Bear’s advice to his son to toughen up leading to Paddy evicting him from the house.

Bear then packed his car and deceived his family about having a friend who would accommodate him. He subsequently vanished, leaving viewers to speculate whether his actions were due to an unidentified illness.

However, Lisa hinted that Bear’s situation could be entirely unforeseen, telling fans that the plot “might be a complete curveball”.

She continued, stating that Emmerdale’s scriptwriters are “dropping stuff” intended to deliberately “knock you off kilter”.

The crossover episode of Emmerdale and Coronation Street is a first for British soaps, with a special one-hour episode set to air in January, marking the first time the two ITV shows will merge.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm.