Emmerdale Dingle cottage's new owner 'revealed' after 57 years - and it's not Tina

Emmerdale enthusiasts have 'uncovered' the new proprietor of the Wishing Well cottage - and it's not Tina Dingle.

The iconic cottage has been a central part of the family since 1967, housing numerous members of the Dingle clan over the years. At present, Sam Dingle (James Hooton) is the head of the household, living there with his wife Lydia (Karen Blick), his cousin Mandy (Lisa Riley) and her son Vinny (Bradley Johnson).

However, a significant soap plot twist could be on the horizon. Recently in the Dales, Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell) tragically passed away off-screen. In reality, Steve died in December last year at the age of 77. This week saw Zak's funeral take place, delivering the expected drama.

During the funeral, the Dingles were surprised when an unexpected woman arrived - clearly a family member. The truth was soon revealed as Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) identified the woman as Tina Dingle (Samantha Power), reports Leeds Live.

Tina first made her appearance on Emmerdale in 1994 but departed two years later, in 1996. The character was initially played by Jacqueline Pirie, but now actress Samantha Power has assumed the role.

Zak's funeral quickly became a spectacle for the Dingles, as Tina began hurling insults at the family, overshadowing Zak's farewell. She also brazenly attempted to stake her claim on the Wishing Well cottage after being caught with pictures of the house on her phone.

However, Lydia quickly corrected her, revealing she had a copy of Zak's last wishes, which stated otherwise. It was then revealed that Tina was on tag, and a police officer arrived to take her away for breaching her probation. As she left, a furious Tina warned the Dingles that their dispute was far from over.

Now, viewers believe the Dingles will be forced to leave Wishing Well cottage, but not because Tina is the new owner. Fans have taken to social media to speculate that Ruby Milligan could be the new owner, as she is set to receive a large sum of money from her recently deceased estranged mother.

One fan wondered: "Will Ruby's inheritance from her mother give her the opportunity to buy the Dingle's cottage and land when they have no money to pay the taxman??" Another agreed, writing: "Yup I can see Caleb and Ruby trying to get it ." A third fan chimed in: "Yes maybe Ruby will buy it."

Tina made a shocking return to the soap this week, and new actress Samantha teased what's to come: "Well, she has no filters, and she will literally do anything to make sure she gets her way, including her claim to the house.

"She is not one to be trusted! I loved it!" She added: "She is feisty, bolshy, selfish, and she always seems to have an agenda and won't stop at anything to get what she wants!".

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm