While Emmerdale’s Vinny Dingle has faced many challenges in the village, actor Bradley Johnson leads a contrasting life off-screen.
The Dingles have taken center stage in recent episodes of Emmerdale as they say an emotional goodbye to Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell), a cherished family member.
Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) participated in the funeral procession, helping carry Zak’s coffin into The Woolpack before the burial.
This marks Vinny’s second significant loss in two years, following the heartbreaking death of his wife Liv Dingle (Isobel Steele), who tragically died when a caravan collapsed on her during a severe storm.
Since joining the village in 2019, Vinny has faced various challenges, including being targeted by the ruthless Tom King (James Chase) after defending Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper).
After being abandoned by his father, Paul Ashdale (Reece Dinsdale), Vinny was taken in and raised by Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), Paul’s ex-girlfriend. Despite not being a biological relative, Vinny is considered a ‘true’ member of the Dingle family, according to Leeds Live.
Although Vinny often clashes with Mandy over her questionable decisions, he considers her his mother, despite not knowing his biological mother.
In contrast, Bradley Johnson, who plays Vinny Dingle, enjoys a much more ordinary life outside of the long-running ITV soap.
At just 26, Bradley has not only taken on the role of Vinny in Emmerdale, but he has also appeared in Shameless, The Royal, and The Syndicate. Additionally, he has stage experience, having performed in productions like Peter Pan and Oliver!.
Bradley rose to fame in 2017 after competing in the BBC talent show Let It Shine, which sought to find new cast members for the Take That musical. He secured a place in the final with a standout performance.
Viewers were left amazed by Bradley’s audition for the talent show, where he performed “Bring Him Home” from the musical Les Misérables, a rendition that quickly went viral across digital platforms.
He has showcased his incredible singing ability on Emmerdale’s YouTube channel, The Woolpack Session, and regularly shares acoustic covers on his Instagram account.
Bradley has been in a relationship with his partner Sammie Johnstone since August 2021. In October 2023, he announced that he had proposed to Sammie, and she accepted, although they have not yet revealed an official wedding date.
In June 2024, Bradley shared the exciting news that he and his fiancée are expecting their first child.
Bradley shared a photo of a heart-shaped cake decorated with the words “Baby coming December 2024” on top.
The soap actor also posted Polaroid pictures of the soon-to-be parents holding their ultrasound scan and a baby grow.
He simply captioned the image, “Mum and Dad,” along with a red heart emoji. His ITV colleagues quickly filled the comments with congratulations for the couple.
Natalie Ann Jamieson, who plays Amy Wyatt on Emmerdale, commented, “OMG baby bradders!!! Congrats, you gorgeous pair! I couldn’t be happier for you! x x x.”
Kevin Mathurin, the actor behind Charles Anderson, offered his good wishes: “Congratulations guys.”
Dean Andrews, better known as Will Taylor, expressed: “Mate, I could not be happier for you both. Massive congrats.”
On-screen matriarch Mandy Dingle, played by Lisa Riley, couldn’t contain her excitement: “LOVE YOU BOTH SO SO SO SO MUCH. at long long last I can tell everyone – you are both going to be the absolute BEST! ! ! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ! ! so excited! ! ! ! I’ve said congratulations to you both over a hundred times.”
While Bradley is currently engaged to his partner Sammie, there were previous rumors about him being involved with Isobel Steele, who is known for her role as Liv Dingle in the ITV drama before her character’s grim exit during severe weather.
At one point, Isobel addressed the speculation, telling OK!, “Brad is wonderful and such a good friend of mine. We are very similar and work really well together when we have scenes just the two of us.”
She went on to clarify, “I can understand why people jumped to conclusions, seeing two characters spending time together on and off-screen! Just to be clear, Brad and I are not in a relationship. We are simply very good friends who enjoy each other’s company both at work and outside of it.”
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