One of Emmerdale’s most iconic characters, Zak Dingle, is set to get a send off
and tribute later this year after beloved actor Steve Halliwell died at the end of last year.
Speaking with The Sun and other press, producer Sophie Roper confirmed that
the character, who had been seen on the show since 1994, would be laid to rest
in the coming months in a funeral service.
Roper said: “The Dingles have been at the heart of our show for 30 years now and will continue to be so. And as many of you will know, of course, we lost Steve recently… So we’re going to be marking Zak’s passing, [the] iconic Zak Dingle character, in the coming months with a Dingle funeral.
“[It will be] so very difficult for a lot of people who work on the show and, obviously, for a lot of our viewers who hav
e grown and loved Zak for many, many years. But it will be a hugely fitting tribute to such an iconic character coming up.”
Halliwell passed away in December 2023, and last appeared on the soap in June of that year.
At the time of his death, John Whiston, managing director of continuing drama and head of ITV in the north, said in a statement: “Steve Halliwell was one of those rare human beings who was as wonderful off screen as on.
“To millions of Emmerdale viewers, he was the brawny but crafty Dingle patriarch who led the clan with a strong fist and a warm heart. To everyone who worked on Emmerdale, he was a much-loved friend and colleague, the undoubted father of the show, but also its fun, mischievous uncle. We will miss him enormously.”
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