Emmerdale is preparing to bid farewell to the legendary character Zak Dingle this week, following the passing of actor Steve Halliwell.
Steve, who portrayed the character on the enduring Yorkshire soap opera for nearly 30 years, passed away at the age of 77 in December 2023.
The Dingle clan first graced our screens in 1994 and have since become the largest family on the ITV show, with numerous generations of known members. They will all reflect on the dearly missed character Zak as the heartbreaking news of his death reaches the village.
Steve became a part of the cast in October 1994 and has been a central figure in the Dingle family ever since. Although Zak was initially intended to be a temporary character, he ultimately became one of the soap’s most identifiable villagers.
Outside of the beloved ITV soap, Steve led a vibrant life, filled with peaks and troughs that he channeled into the character of Zak. He experienced homelessness and even spent time in prison before achieving fame, reports Leeds Live.
The actor was born in Lancashire in March 1946 to parents Jenny and Fred Halliwell. He was raised in Bury alongside his older brother Clive, who was two years his senior.
In his early days, Steve trained as an apprentice engineer and held various jobs before enrolling at Mountview Theatre School with aspirations of becoming an actor.
Before joining Emmerdale, he struggled with alcoholism and depression, which left him in a dark place. This depression was a part of his life for 50 years.
Chatting with TV Times, Steve explained: “Everything the Dingles had been through, I had too; trouble with the police, fighting, being evicted. And if there were any aspects of Zak’s life I hadn’t lived, I knew people who had.”
He recounted his days of sleeping rough in London to the mag, revealing he “got very thin” and was “so hungry”.
Steve spilled the beans on his past, saying it was illegal to be homeless back then and shared how he got nicked for kipping in an empty government building. He continued: “I was sent to Ashford remand prison for two weeks and then I was put on probation and sent home.”
Explaining an altercation with the police, the actor confessed it was all because of an incident with a gang he used to run with. He divulged that one of the lads chucked a brick through a shop window and when the police got a call about a “bearded youth running away” with booze, he ended up taking the fall.
The Emmerdale legend went on to say he “took the rap” for the burglary and ended up doing time at a detention centre for three months.
Other interviews with the soap star revealed that landing a role on Emmerdale was a game-changer for Steve as he poured his heart into playing Zak. However, he checked himself into rehab in 2003 for alcoholism, which led to him taking a break from the show.
In 2018, the telly favourite needed time off from the soap for heart surgery and to have a pacemaker fitted. After a hiatus owing to the pandemic, Steve was back on Emmerdale in January 2021, much to fans’ joy.
Steve was married to his wife Valerie. The couple allegedly split up in the 90s, but reunited in the 2000s. The actor was previously married to his childhood sweetheart Susan.
He had three children, including actress daughter Charlotte. She was born in 1984. Charlotte has followed in her father’s footsteps in the entertainment industry. Outside of her acting, she set up the Interchange Performing Arts in 2017, a drama group.
Tragic news hit on December 15, 2023, with an ITV spokesperson confirming Steve’s death: “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that Emmerdale can confirm that our beloved Zak Dingle, has peacefully passed away.
“All our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones through this very difficult time, and we’d request that their privacy is respected as they grieve for his loss. Steve will forever be synonymous with Emmerdale.”
Described fondly by the channel, “The proud defender and head of the Dingle family. Heart and humour in all he did, it has been and always will be impossible not to smile when you think of him.”
A statement from Steve’s family following his passing said: “He went to sleep, peacefully with his loved ones around him. He was making us laugh to the end, the most amazing father and grandfather you could ever wish for, family was everything to him.
“We would like to thank the wonderful staff at St James Hospital and the Wheatfield Hospice for their love and kindness in his final days. He didn’t want sadness, just to rejoice in a life well lived.”
