Former Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has a couple of famous faces in mind to play her Mandy Dingle’s dad, should she ever return to the soap.
The soap favourite, 42, explained during an appearance on Loose Women earlier today that the exuberant character’s father was never seen on TV – and she would love one of two veteran comic performers to be cast in role.
Lisa also got Emmerdale fans’ hopes up as she teased a short-term storyline involving the household names could tempt her back to the ITV show.
She said: “The way I left the series was [Mandy’s] dad had a heart attack and a quadruple bypass down in Southampton – you never actually saw my father on screen.”
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“They sent me down to Southampton to see my dad and he had a male nurse.
“Then, of course, just after being married five months, I ended up in bed with my dad’s male nurse.”
Asked who she’d like to see cast in the role, Lisa continued: “There’s two people I love… if I had the choice of actor it’d be Bobby Ball or Ricky Tomlinson.”
Adding she is often stopped in the street by fans asking if she would return, Lisa indicated working alongside Bobby or Ricky would be a big incentive to play Mandy again nearly 17 years after her last appearance.
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“Never say never, I always say,” she said.
“It’s nice to know people want her to go back.”
Lisa – and Loose Women viewers – also enjoyed a surprise appearance from her former co-star and onscreen husband Dominic Brunt during the ‘soap week’ special.
Dominic, who plays vet Paddy Kirk, paid tribute to his pal’s acting skill in a short video message.
What a GORGEOUS trip down memory lane for me today. Fond memories 17 years ago playing Mandy Dingle in @emmerdale @itv 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼thanks to @dominicbrunt for your BEAUTIFUL surprise message, meant so much to me. #tearinmyeye 😘😘😘 https://t.co/T2tDYunIkR
— Lisa Jane riley (@Reallisariley) August 16, 2018
He said: “Lisa Riley when she was here was one of the silliest, most insane people I’ve ever worked with.
“However, she is one of the most professional and clever actresses I’ve ever worked with too.”
Dominic continued: “I miss her massively and I wish I could be there.”
A touched Lisa responded: “I spent three and a half years married to him in the show and every day he would tell me he wished he had a Mandy Dingle remote control just so he could shut me up!”
– Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays
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