Time to say GOODBYE...

As Emmerdale legend Zak Dingle passes away, actor LISA RILEY pays tribute to her beloved co-star, the late Steve Halliwell

- ALISON SLADE

EMMERDALE MONDAY-FRIDAY, 7.30PM, ITV1 SOAP

Lisa Riley has had many challenging scenes during her time in Emmerdale as Mandy Dingle, but one that appears in this Thursday's episode of the ITV1 soap proved particularly difficult for the star.

Following the death of the head of the Dingle clan, Zak, his grieving relatives gather outside Wishing Well Cottage for his burial. As Zak's casket is lowered into the ground, they take turns to talk about him.

And for Lisa, the sequence would prove too much.

Emotic Lisa Rile niec 'When it was time to do my monologue, our first assistant director, Lee, was very aware that I was struggling, recalls Lisa, 48, in an exclusive interview with TV Times.

'So they cut my speech, and it became about Mandy and Lydia. Blicksy [actor Karen Blick, who plays Lydia Dingle] will always look after me, like her character looks after Mandy.'

FATHER FIGURE