The Dingles are the largest and most iconic family in Emmerdale, known for their fierce loyalty and protective nature, along with proud traditions that span generations. This makes it challenging for outsiders to gain acceptance into the family.
Those who have married into the Dingle clan, like Paddy (Dominic Brunt), Moira (Natalie J Robb), and Rhona (Zoe Henry), have managed to integrate successfully, while Lydia (Karen Blick) has become a de facto matriarch, despite not being born a Dingle.
For others, gaining acceptance can be more difficult, often hinging on their willingness to fully embrace Dingle traditions. Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly), for example, has only recently begun to fit in due to her friendship with Moira, as her previous snobbery and poor behavior kept her outside the circle of trust.
Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), who lives at Home Farm, is independently wealthy and runs her own business, which adds to her challenge of being accepted by her boyfriend Vinny Dingle’s (Bradley Johnson) family. Nevertheless, she’s putting in the effort to connect.
In the episode airing on Monday (October 21), Gabby arrived at Wishing Well with a thoughtful gift for the family, who had just buried their beloved patriarch, Zak (Steve Halliwell), the day before. She brought a pie, hoping to alleviate the need for cooking during their time of grief.
While this gesture seemed kind, Mandy (Lisa Riley) was less impressed. She questioned whether Gabby was being patronizing by offering a corned beef and onion pie, suggesting that she perceived the simple dish as something the less privileged Dingles would enjoy.
Gabby further fueled Mandy’s skepticism when she revealed that she had asked Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) to make the pie because she didn’t know how to use the oven, reinforcing Mandy’s belief that Gabby was out of touch with the family’s realities.
“They have corned beef at the Hide, do they, or do they just save it specially for us Dingles?” Mandy teased, clearly enjoying making things difficult for poor Gabby.
Gabby then made another misstep by questioning why Sam (James Hooton) and Vinny were making the marker for Zak’s grave themselves. She offered her help but had to admit, to everyone’s surprise, that she wasn’t good at woodwork.
It wasn’t going well, so she decided to sit down and keep quiet. And that was her biggest mistake of all as Mandy and Vinny yelled at her to get up. She’d been sitting in Zak’s chair.
Sam stepped in, reassuring everyone that Zak would have insisted they not stand on ceremony, but Gabby was still left feeling mortified.
“It feels like me and Gabby are on another planet,” Mandy later complained to Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper). However, her worries quickly shifted when the recently returned Tina Dingle (Samantha Power) appeared at the salon, threatening to claim a share of Wishing Well and reveal that she is Vinny’s biological mother.
Could Gabby prove to be a valuable ally for Mandy in her fight against Tina over Vinny?
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