ITV Emmerdale Tina Dingle's secret child 'revealed' - and he's already in the Dales

Emmerdale's Tina Dingle's secret offspring has been 'revealed' - and he's a familiar face on the small screen.

Tina first graced the Emmerdale scene in 1994, exiting after two years in 1996. Initially played by Jacqueline Pirie, the role has now been taken up by Samantha Power.

This week saw Tina's dramatic return to the village for her father Zak Dingle's (Steve Halliwell) funeral. Zak passed away off-screen and his body was returned from Scotland to Emmerdale for the family to bid their final goodbyes to the patriarch.

However, the funeral took an unexpected turn when a mysterious woman arrived, clearly linked to the Dingles. The woman was soon outed as Tina Dingle by Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter). The Dingles' mourning was disrupted by Tina's abrasive behaviour and her audacious claim to the family home, reports Leeds Live.

Subsequently, it was revealed that Tina was on electronic tag and a police officer arrived to take her away for violating her probation terms. But fans are convinced Tina is concealing a significant secret: she has a child.

Moreover, fans believe they've figured out the identity of this child - and he's already known to Emmerdale viewers. A fan speculated on an Emmerdale Facebook group: "Just think both Cain's mum faith and his half-sister Tina have both slept with frank tate."

Speculation is brewing among fans over a potential storyline twist, with one viewer commenting: "Watch there be another Frank jnr come back with Tina." The fan-theories didn't stop there, as another added their suspicions: "Defo that Josh, both nasty!"

Delving into character analysis, a third person penned: "That would be good. Would explain why he was so horrible to Sam." Meanwhile, another suggested a lingering secret, stating: "Probably! She seems to be hiding something."

Tina's performer Samantha has dished on what the audience can anticipate, revealing of her role: "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!"

Samantha went on to describe her character further: "She is feisty, bolshy, selfish, and she always seems to have an agenda and won't stop at anything to get what she wants!"

Reflecting on unforgettable moments during filming, Samantha recalled: "There was one specific scene with Lisa where I was face down in a pool of mud. That was extremely memorable, and I loved every second of it. There was also a scene which involved an explosion, which was so impressive."

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm