On Thursday’s episode of the ITV soap, the day of Zak Dingle’s funeral arrived, and his family got ready to say goodbye to their cherished patriarch.
Emmerdale fans are calling for a beloved recurring character to be upgraded to a full-time role following his charming appearance in Thursday’s episode (17 October).
In the latest episode, the residents of the Dales were grappling with the day of Zak Dingle’s (played by Steve Halliwell) funeral as his family prepared to bid farewell to their patriarch with one last celebration.
The Dingle clan gathered outside The Woolpack, with Sam (James Hooton), Cain (Jeff Hordley), Marlon (Mark Charnock), and Vinny (Bradley Johnson) ready to carry the coffin into the pub.
However, their plans took an unexpected turn when PC Swirling (Andy Moore) showed up, prompting Belle to worry.
Charity (Emma Atkins), noticing the officer’s presence, remarked, “I think he would have loved having the law here. It’s like he planned it himself,” according to reports from Leeds Live.
Approaching PC Swirling, a cautious Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) said, “You don’t want to bother us, not today.”
Vinny quickly jumped in, saying, “You can see it’s a family funeral.”
The serious-faced officer quickly clarified, “I’m just here to pay my respects, I promise.”
Their conversation was interrupted as Sam called Vinny over to help lift Zak’s coffin from their battered van. More surprises followed later in the episode when Tina Dingle (Samantha Power) arrived to say goodbye to her father after being away for 28 years.
Actor Moore’s depiction of PC Mike Swirling has become a key element of the ITV series Emmerdale, regularly appearing since 2004 to handle the legal issues of the local community.
As one of Emmerdale’s most frequently recurring characters, Swirling often engages with well-known residents like the Dingles.
Fans were thrilled to see Swirling attend Zak’s farewell on Thursday, and now they are eager to see more of him in future episodes.
Soap fans took to Facebook to share their thoughts, with one viewer commenting, “It was nice to see PC Swirling paying his respects.”
Another fan added, “It was lovely for him to show up in honor of Zak. They should feature him more often since he’s popular with the audience.”
A third viewer simply said, “I like him,” while another agreed, “Love him.”
Additional praise came from another fan who expressed gratitude for the entire team: “Yes, he did well, and so did all the actors and writers. Great job, everyone—you got it just right.”
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