Emmerdale Vinny Dingle actor Bradley Johnson's real life - including hidden talent

Over the past week, Emmerdale's Dingles have been in the spotlight as they bid a heartfelt farewell to Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell), a beloved member of their iconic family.

Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) was part of the procession, assisting in carrying patriarch Zak's coffin into The Woolpack before his burial.

This marks Vinny's second significant loss in two years, following the tragic death of his wife Liv Dingle (Isobel Steele), who was fatally crushed by a caravan during a horrific windstorm.

Since his arrival in the village in 2019, Vinny has had a distressing time, including being a potential target for violent villain Tom King (James Chase) after defending abused Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper).

After being abandoned by his father Paul Ashdale (Reece Dinsdale), Vinny was raised by Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), Paul's former girlfriend, and became an honorary Dingle. Despite not being blood-related, Vinny is regarded as part of the family, reports Leeds Live.

The gentle and well-mannered character often clashes with Mandy over her questionable actions, but he considers her his mother - even though his biological mother is still somewhere out there.

However, Bradley Johnson, who portrays Vinny Dingle in the long-running ITV soap, leads a very ordinary life compared to his on-screen persona.

In addition to his role as Vinny in Emmerdale, 26 year old Bradley has starred in Shameless, The Royal, and The Syndicate. He has also showcased his talents on stage in productions of Peter Pan and Oliver!

Bradley's rise to fame began in 2017 when he appeared on the BBC talent show Let it Shine, competing for a role in the Take That musical. His outstanding performance earned him a spot in the final.

Viewers were left stunned by his powerful audition, where he performed Bring Him Home from Les Miserables, a clip that quickly went viral online.

Bradley has since showcased his impressive vocals on Emmerdale's YouTube series, The Woolpack Session, and frequently shares acoustic covers on his Instagram page.

In his personal life, Bradley has been in a relationship with Sammie Johnstone since August 2021. In October 2023, he revealed that he had proposed to Sammie, and she accepted, although their wedding date remains unconfirmed.

In June 2024, Bradley shared the exciting news that he and his fiancee are expecting their first child together. He posted a photo of a heart-shaped cake with the message 'Baby coming December 2024' written on top.

The soap star also shared Polaroid photos of the couple holding their ultrasound scan and a baby onesie. The picture was captioned 'Mum and Dad' alongside a red heart emoji, prompting congratulatory messages from his ITV co-stars.

Natalie Ann Jamieson, who plays Amy Wyatt on Emmerdale, commented: "OMG baby bradders! ! ! Congrats you gorgeous pair, couldn't be happier for you x x x."

Kevin Mathurin, who brings Charles Anderson to life on the small screen, expressed his joy with a simple: "Congratulations guys."

Dean Andrews, known for his role as Will Taylor, shared his elation: "Mate, I could not be happier for you both. Massive congrats."

Lisa Riley, embodying Bradley's on-screen mother Mandy Dingle, couldn't contain her excitement: "LOVE YOU BOTH SO SO SO SO MUCH. at long long last I can tell everyone-you are both going to be the absolute BEST! ! ! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ! ! so excited! ! ! ! I've said congratulations to you both over a hundred times."

While Bradley may be over the moon with his new fiancée Sammie, whispers once linked him romantically to Isobel Steele, known for her portrayal of Liv Dingle in the ITV series, before her character met an untimely end amidst a catastrophic storm.

Addressing the rumours, Isobel previously remarked in an interview with OK!: "Brad is wonderful and such a good friend of mine. We are very similar and work really well together when we have scenes just us two."

She clarified further by saying: "I can see why people jumped to conclusions, seeing two characters spending time together on and off-screen!

"For the record, me and Brad are not in a relationship. We are just very good friends who enjoy each other's company out of work as well as in work."

Emmerdale airs weekdays from 7:30pm on ITV and ITVX