Emmerdale Zak Dingle's letter to Lydia 'revealed' in love child twist - but fans 'feel sick'

Emmerdale enthusiasts are wrestling with their discomfort after piecing together why Zak Dingle chose to give Lydia a letter following his off-screen demise.

This week, iconic Emmerdale character Zak Dingle (portrayed by Steve Halliwell) faced an off-screen death. Actor Steve, who brought the beloved character to life, sadly died in December last year at 77.

In response to the actor's passing, Emmerdale writers have crafted a storyline to account for Zak's on-screen death, which has been confirmed earlier this week, leaving viewers and the Dingles of the show in mourning.

Zak was residing in Scotland, prompting Cain (played by Jeff Hordley) and Sam (James Hooton) to travel there to retrieve his remains and return him to the village. The Dingle family congregated at Wishing Well cottage, sharing their grief over the tragic news.

During this sombre gathering, it was disclosed that Zak had left behind a letter specifically for Lydia (acted by Karen Blick), who is married to his son. Lydia chose not to disclose the letter's contents publicly, leaving Zak's daughter Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) puzzled about why he would write a letter exclusively to Lydia a sentiment echoed by fans, reports Leeds Live.

But there's chatter amongst fans predicting a major plot twist; rumours are swirling around the possibility of Zak having an illegitimate child, with some believing Lydia herself could be the revelation, citing the mysterious letter as a hint.

Lydia, who wed Sam in 2020, has been part of Emmerdale since 2016 and became a bona fide member of the Dingle clan through her marriage. On an Emmerdale fan group on Facebook, speculation abounds with fans questioning: "I don't understand why Lydia got a letter but Belle didn't??" Someone else quipped: "Love child maybe."

A third chimed in, writing: "I really hope not," accompanied with a string of sick face emojis. Meanwhile, a different user speculated: "A love child that's already in the program comes to light and Belle is shocked."

The anticipated funeral scenes for Zak are scheduled to broadcast this week. Appearing on ITV's Lorraine on Wednesday (October 16), Jeff, who plays Cain, gave viewers a sneak peek.

Reflecting on the experience, he shared: "It was poignant and really well written. A tribute to a dear friend Steve. We did have some laughs as well. He liked to joke on set, so as much as it was poignant when the cameras were rolling, we were telling stories of Steve throughout the week we shot it."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm