Albert Dingle
| Albert Dingle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Emmerdale character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Bobby Knutt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1995–97, 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 21 December 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 21 October 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by |
Mervyn Watson (1995) Steve Frost (2004) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Mechanic (until 1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Albert Ezekiel Dingle is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Bobby Knutt. He made his first appearance on 21 December 1995.
Storylines
1995–2004
Albert is the eldest child of Jedediah and Peg Dingle. He was married to Delilah and they had two sons, Marlon and Eli.
Upon his first appearance on the show, he had been in prison for armed robbery. Albert makes his first appearance in Emmerdale in December 1995 after being released and it is soon clear that he is possibly the most deceitful and cowardly of the Dingles. It is also revealed that Albert has been to prison repeatedly. In February 1996, Albert is sent to prison for stealing Eric Pollard's car and is released in May. Albert welcomes the arrival of his son, Marlon, but also welcomes the arrival of Lisa Clegg. Albert begins wooing Lisa but discovers that his brother Zak also has feelings for her. However, when Zak fails to put up a fight for her, Lisa decides to marry Albert, despite her feelings for Zak. On Albert and Lisa's wedding day in 1997, her ex-husband Barry, tries to stop the wedding. Although Barry is manhandled and removed from the church, Zak arrives and announces his love for Lisa. While Albert initially fights Zak, he runs away when the police arrive looking for him over an armed robbery. Seeing Albert for the swine that he is, Lisa marries Zak. Albert is arrested a few days later and sent to prison.
Upon his release in December 1997, Albert returns to work at the local garage but continues his criminal activities. He takes money from the garage till, assists Billy Hopwood in an armed robbery and cons Zak and Lisa out of £100. After he builds up debts with a crooked businessman, Albert persuades his nephew, Sam, to assist him in an armed robbery. However, the police arrive and Albert escapes with the money but Sam is caught and arrested. Albert stashes the money and manages to hide the fact that he was the true culprit from his family. However Butch Dingle finds the stolen money and confronts Albert with Zak. They threaten him with violence and force him to confess to the crime. Albert is arrested for the crime and disowned by his family and he and Sam are sent down for armed robbery. They are both released two years later but Albert does not make an appearance upon his return.
In October 2004 Albert is revealed to have been released from prison when he rejoins the Dingle clan to celebrate ten years of the family's residency in Emmerdale. He has not been seen since.
Albert became a grandfather on 31 May 2011 when Marlon's ex-girlfriend, Rhona Goskirk, gave birth to a son Leo. It is later discovered that he also has a granddaughter, April, when Marlon's ex-wife, Donna Windsor, returns to the village in 2014.