Charity Dingle

Charity Dingle (previously Tate, Sharma and Macey) is the daughter of Obadiah and Kathleen Dingle and is the mother of Debbie, Noah and Moses Dingle. She also has a long lost son, Ryan Stocks.

Charity arrived in the village for the funeral of her cousin Butch, alongside the village bad boy Cain and her uncle Shadrach. She would later begin a relationship with Chris Tate. During her marriage to Chris, she discovered that the foster child of Paddy and Emily Kirk, Debbie, is her daughter, Debbie's father being Cain. This was when Cain and Charity had a one-night stand when Charity was only 13-years-old. With the help of his family, Cain got custody of Debbie. Charity began an affair with Cain, but Chris, who had just being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, found out and began frittering away all his money to ensure Charity would be left with nothing, subsequently poisoning himself in order to frame Charity for his murder. After being acquitted of Chris' murder, Charity gave birth to Chris' son, Noah and began a relationship with the much older Tom King, but their relationship ended on a sour note when Tom's daughter-in-law Sadie framed Charity so that Tom believed she and Cain were having an affair. Charity exposed Sadie's deception and left the village, taking Noah with her and leaving Debbie with Cain.

Prior to her return to the village four years later, Charity began a relationship with Michael Conway, but unbeknownst to her, Michael was having an affair with Charity's daughter Debbie (Michael was also unaware that Debbie was Charity's daughter). Once she returns to the village, she learns that Cain stole money from the Kings and conspires with Tom's son Carl to get it back. Charity gets a job working with Jai Sharma and Cain's mistaken belief that they were having an affair, causing the breakdown of Charity and Cain's relationship. Charity and Jai marry, but their marriage fails after she discovered that Jai had fathered a son with Rachel Breckle. This led to her next relationship with Declan Macey that not only concluded with him finding out about her having an abortion and trying to kill her, but she would later end up in prison for over a year. During her sentence, she gave birth to her third child who's father was assumed to be one of her three previous relationships, but was eventually revealed that the father was Ross Barton following their one-night stand. Upon her release, Charity's confines herself to her scheming purposes as well as her desperate attempts to restart her relationship with Cain by sabotaging his current marriage with Moira Barton. She also becomes co-owner of The Woolpack with her cousin, Chas Dingle, after Diane Sugden retires.

Charity begins a relationship with Vanessa Woodfield, after the pair share a kiss while accidentally being locked in the pub cellar. Charity confesses to Vanessa that she was repeatedly abused and raped by police officer Mark Bails when she was fourteen. With Vanessa's support, Charity decides to officially accuse him of abusing and raping her. Charity reveals she got pregnant with Bail's baby, but that he died after giving birth. She is later shocked to learn he had survived and got adopted by one of the midwives. She reaches out to and repairs her relationship with her son, Ryan Stocks. He stands by her as the trial for Bails comes and he is sentenced to 30 years in prison. Following a stabbing outside the Woolpack, Charity decides to ask her girlfriend, Vanessa to marry her. After one catastrophically first attempt, Vanessa later happily agrees after Charity asks a second time.

1976-2000: Early life, pregnancies and prostitution


Charity Dingle was born on 9th January 1976 to Obadiah and Kathleen Dingle. Kathleen committed suicide when Charity was a little girl and as a result, Obadiah became a bitter man, blaming her for their problems. Charity was the subject of violence as Obadiah turned to alcohol. Aged twelve, Charity began a relationship with her second-cousin Cain Dingle. The pair often skipped school together to hang out at Almscliffe Crag. It was at Almscliffe where Charity fell pregnant just after her thirteenth birthday. After Obadiah discovered Charity was pregnant, she was kept apart from Cain and her pregnancy was hidden from him, although Cain's step-father Shadrach Dingle was aware of the situation. On 26th October 1989, Charity gave birth to a little girl. The girl was handed over to Obadiah's alcoholic friend Pat Jones, who named the baby Debbie and registered the baby as her own child. Charity struggled to deal with giving her baby away, and soon after, Obadiah threw her out of the house. After bouncing between relatives' houses, Charity found herself spending her fourteenth birthday in a hostel in Bradford. Soon her money ran out so she ended up on the streets. Living on the streets, a desperate Charity began working as a prostitute for money. Charity was often arrested for soliciting by twenty-five-year-old police officer Mark Bails. She was relieved when Bails arrested her as he would let her away with a caution if she played her cards right. One night, an off-duty Bails found Charity and paid her just to talk to him then offered her a flat. A naive and desperate Charity accepted without asking any questions. On her first night in the flat, Bails raped her. However, Charity thought she was lucky as she had a roof over her head and there was heating and food in the fridge, she tried convincing herself the she and Bails where in a real "relationship". The abuse went on for months. A possessive Bails pimped Charity out to his mates, stopped her from leaving the flat and also got violent when she didn't do as he said. Charity discovered she was pregnant again but wasn't sure if Bails or one of the men he pimped her out to was her child's father. She attempted to end the pregnancy by drinking copious amounts of alcohol but stopped when she felt her unborn child kick for the first time. Charity realised things couldn't continue like they were, so one day she pretended to pass out, and whilst he was in the toilet, she stole his keys and drove to the police station in his police car to report the abuse although she didn't mention that he'd raped her. The police investigated Charity's complaints but nothing stuck and Bails kept his job. After reporting the abuse, Charity stayed with a friend and soon afterwards she went into premature labour. On New Year's Eve 1990, aged just fourteen, Charity give birth to her second child - a baby boy. The baby wasn't breathing when he was born so midwife Irene Stocks advised Charity to prepare for the worst. Charity couldn't bear to witness her son die so she fled the hospital, unaware her son had survived. After fleeing the hospital, Charity returned to a squat she had found, and within a month, she was working the streets again. Charity worked under pimps named Barry, and Eugene Lacey and At some point, she used drugs although later quit.

2000-2002: Arrival in Emmerdale and relationships with Chris and Zoe Tate
In March 2000, Charity, Cain and Shadrach arrived in Emmerdale to attended Butch Dingle's funeral. Charity returned to Emmerdale a few months later and arranged to stay with the Dingles at Wishing Well Cottage as she needed to lie low for a while after fleeing Leeds as there was a warrant out for her arrest. Eric Pollard soon enlisted Charity's help so he could take some photographs of Councillor Ecclestone in a compromising position to use as leverage against him. Charity did as Eric asked but Eric refused to pay Charity for her services as she owed him for stealing his wallet at Butch's funeral. Eugene came looking for Charity, demanding £500, but she couldn't pay so Eric paid him off but insisted Charity would now need to work for him.

After paying off her debt by helping Eric with his election campaign, Charity soon turned her attentions to wheelchair bound millionaire, Christopher Tate, and they came to an arrangement for Charity's 'services'. Charity and Chris' relationship grew over the next few months leading Cain and other villagers to wonder who Charity was seeing. Only Marlon Dingle and Terry Woods were aware of the relationship until December when Chris' sister Zoe found Charity in Home Farm kitchen and assumed she was there on the rob. Zoe wasn't pleased with Charity and Chris' relationship and tried to persuade Chris to dump Charity. Cain soon learned about Charity and Chris' relationship and after seeing how angry Cain was, Chris allowed Charity to stay at Home Farm for a few days although Zoe was less than happy with the arrangement. The Dingles were furious at Charity for what they saw as betrayal as they blamed the Tates for Butch's death. Zoe couldn't stand Charity being around and offered her £5,000 to leave. Instead of taking the money, Charity told Chris about Zoe's offer and Chris installed Charity up in his cottage and she was at his beck and call twenty-four hours a day. Chloe Atkinson soon began lodging with Charity.

Missing Charity, Chris makes her his PA.Charity realises she likes Chris when she becomes involved with his businesses. They then begin to date. Zoe claims to dislike Charity because of her past and offers Charity money to leave Chris and Charity responded by kissing her. The two then begin an affair behind Chris' back. When Zoe starts exhibiting obsessive behaviour towards Charity, Charity becomes alarmed and ends the relationship. Chris however is suspicious of Charity and organises a party inviting all the men he believes Charity could be seeing. Zoe secretly records Charity confessing to the affair on tape and blackmails her into signing a prenuptial agreement, so she would always have a hold over her. Charity then confesses all to a shocked Chris. Chris then susprises Charity by forgiving her and ripping up the prenup. He ruins his sister's plans by proposing to Charity, who agrees and then disowning his sister Zoe.

Chris and Charity marry in November 2001. Zoe leaves Home Farm and becomes depressed. Chris and Charity begin to notice Zoe's monthes of bizarre behaviour. When Charity sees the state of Zoe's house she realises she is ill. Chris refuseds to believe it but Zoe is sectioned after setting fire to the church and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Once on the road to recovery, she was shocked to discover that she was 5 months pregnant. She thought the baby's movements were a symptom of her illness. As she is a lesbian, she assumed she had been raped and planned a termination. Charity supported Zoe and when Zoe couldn't do it, Charity confesses to her that she had given a baby up for adoption as a teenager. Zoe planned to do the same with her daughter, Jean, but changed her mind.

When Debbie Jones, current foster-child of Paddy and Emily Kirk, shows Cain Dingle a photo of her biological mother, he recognises her as Charity. Cain confronts Charity who is shocked to realise Debbie is her daughter. Debbie's adoptive mother, Pat Jones, was terminally ill and gave Debbie a picture of her birth mother.

Shocked, Charity refused all contact with Debbie. Charity admits to Zoe that Debbie is her daughter but tries to hide it from her husband Chris. When Chris figures out the truth,Charity lies and insits Debbie is not her daughter, confusing Zoe. Eventually Charity is forced to admitting to Chris that Debbie is her daughter.

Charity and Debbie meet but Charity is a reluctant mother and tries to further herself from her daughter. However, when Debbie's adopted mother Pat dies, Charity comforts her, making her maternal instincts kick in.She fights to Kirks for custody of Debbie and wins, allowing Debbie to move into Home Farm with her and Chris. They eventually bond and Charity becomes delighted when Chris and Debbie bond too and he suggested he adopt her. Debbie, however, wanted to know who her birth father was and Charity is forced to reveal that her cousin Cain is Debbie's father. They had a brief relationship as teenagers. Charity's parents were disgusted to discover her pregnancy and threw her out so she turned to prostitution. Cain, Charity and Debbie bonded as a family, shutting Chris out. Chris then ditches plans to adopt Debbie and Debbie moves out to live with Cain as Chris starts to become angry. Cain and Charity then rekindled their relationship and begin an affair behind Chris' back.

Chris, meanwhile, was suffering from terrible headaches. Concerned, he went to the doctor and tests revealed that he had an inoperable brain tumour. He also discovered Charity's affair with Cain. Devastated, Chris wanted revenge. Knowing he didn't have long to live, he emptied their joint account and threw her out. Charity and Cain briefly live together however Charity wanted Chris back and a month later, went to Home Farm to discuss their marriage. She hoped for a reconciliation but Chris committed suicide on 17 September 2003.

She realised that Chris had framed her for murder when the police found her fingerprints on Chris's glass and her signature on an order for poison. The police didn't believe that Chris had committed suicide so she blamed Cain. Cain, however, said Charity had killed Chris and she was charged with murder but released on bail. She moved in with her cousin Marlon Dingle and slept with him one night, after they'd had a few drinks, leaving him guilt-ridden as he was married. Charity blackmailed Marlon but his wife Tricia found out and left him. She was killed in the storm of 2003/2004, having planned to return.

Meanwhile, Charity was working on Zoe. Zoe knew Chris had killed himself but claimed Charity had killed him as revenge for her brother. Not wanting to go to prison, Charity tried to persuade Zoe to tell the truth and reminded her of their past and kissed her. However, the day Charity stood trial, Zoe testified that she had killed Chris. Charity was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. In October 2003, Charity collapsed at a hearing and was rushed to hospital, where she was told that she was eight weeks pregnant. Unfortunately she didn't know who the father was. On 1 March 2004, she gave birth by emergency caesarean section after suffering from pre-eclampsia. She had a son and named him Noah.

Due to her uncertainty, Cain and Marlon did DNA tests and discovered that Chris was Noah's father. Charity did a deal with Zoe - giving her custody for £20,000 and evidence that Chris had committed suicide. Now released, Charity returned to the Dingles but Debbie was furious on discovering her younger brother had been sold. Charity tries to buy her affections however Debbie wants nothing to do with her and slaps her. Debbie then burns the money, making Charity furious. Unfortunately for Zoe, she was refused permission to adopt Noah and Social Services insisted he be returned to his mother at Holdgate Farm.

2004-2005: Relationship with Tom King
With Chris dead, Charity set her sights on the new local millionaire; Tom King. She got a job as his secretary and his attention. However, the arrival of Tom's daughter-in-law, Sadie, put a spanner in the works as Sadie knew Charity was a gold-digger. Charity and Sadie spent months sparing however Charity gained the upper hand when Tom proposed. Charity finds out that her young daughter Debbie is dating the local farmer Andy Sugden. She helps Debbie keep it from Cain, however Cain finds out and explodes, punching Andy. Charity wants Debbie to come with her however Debbie refuses and leaves with the Dingles. Sadie was determined to make sure the wedding didn't go ahead, hiring Cain to set Charity up. Cain kissed her whilst a photographer captured the moment. Sadie showed Tom the pictures on his wedding day and he called it off. Charity was devastated, losing her home and her job. She and Sadie had a fight and Charity returned to the Dingles, vowing revenge.

In February 2005, Charity began an affair with Jimmy, Sadie's husband and Tom's son. However, Charity taped him telling her about Sadie's plan to set her up and how she had lied for years about wanting children. After blackmailing Jimmy, Charity decides to leave Emmerdale with Debbie and Noah (despite Cain pleading with her to stay) and bursts into the King's during Jimmy's 40th birthday party on March 1, playing the tape of her and Jimmy. Horrified, Tom threw Jimmy and Sadie out, devastated by their lies. Tom begged Charity to get back with him, despite her relationship with Jimmy, however Charity refuses. Debbie then tells Charity that she doesn't want to go, and after an emotional farewell, Charity drives out of the village with Noah.

2009-2011: Return
In October 2009, Charity's daughter Debbie, who has been dating a man named Michael Conway and hoping that he will leave his fiancé for her, gatecrashes Michael's wedding, only to find that his bride is none other than Charity herself, whom Debbie has not seen since she left the Dales four years previously. It transpires that Charity and Michael have been engaged for over a year. However, she hadn't told Michael about her nineteen-year-old daughter, and neither did Charity have any idea about Michael's affair with Debbie. Michael wanted to be with Debbie and claimed he was only with Charity because of her pregnancy. Michael puts the wedding on hold as Charity speaks to Debbie. Charity offers Debbie money to leave offending Debbie who knows Charity only wants Micheal for his money. She also finds out that she is a grandmother and Debbie owns her own business. Debbie later figures out Charity knew Michael was about to leave her and told him that she was pregnant as a means of keeping hold of him. Debbie reveals Charity's pregnancy lie to Michael however she denies. Cain then tries to scare Michael by telling him of Charity previous marriages; their wealth and their subsequent deaths. Michael asks Charity if she really is pregnant however she cannot answer and he calls the wedding off. Cain tells Michael about Charity's past as a prostitute. Charity begs Michael to reconsider however he will not. The guests leave and Charity is left by the church with only her young son Noah by her side.

Charity drives into Emmerdale in a flash car and demands Paddy to tell her where Debbie lives. Debbie, still upset by recent events initially refuses to open the door until she learns it is Charity who is knocking. Debbie tells Charity to leave however Charity wants answers, adamant that Debbie and Cain hatched a plan to ruin her wedding. They start to argue and Charity realises they are similar. Charity realises Debbie is telling the truth begins to ask about Sarah but Debbie is vacant with her answers. Charity, annoyed at Debbie's constant snide remarks about Micheal's money, tells her that she also used Micheal's money. Debbie demands Charity to leave and she does so until Cain walks in. They argue and Charity walks out with Cain making snide remarks as she leaves.

Debbie reluctantly invites Charity and her young son Noah to live with her in Tug Ghyll, much to the distaste of Cain, although he eventually comes around to the idea, still in love with Charity. On October 26, Debbie's birthday, Charity decides to leave again, and attempts to flee during Debbie's birthday meal. When Debbie finds out, she verbally attacks Charity, and tells Noah that his father was a bad man. She then gives Charity the keys to her new car, a birthday gift from Cain. Charity then briefly leaves with Noah. Charity returns several days later and learns of Cain's fortune, stolen from the Kings. Thinking only of the money, she teams up with Carl King to steal the money back from Cain and split it 50/50. In order to win Cain's trust, Charity enters into a relationship with him. She discovers the storage building where Cain has been keeping the money, but changes her mind and returns the cash - just as Cain and Debbie walk in and mistakenly believe that Charity is in the process of stealing the money. Cain, feeling like a fool for falling for Charity again, kicks her out of Tug Ghyll, gives her the money in the hope that she'll leave Emmerdale for good, and then leaves himself for a short time.

Determined to win Cain back but with nowhere else to stay, Charity and Noah move in with Marlon. Charity attempts to give all of the money back to Debbie, who refuses to take it. Wanting to get rid of the money once and for all, Charity donates it to the church after Edna canvasses for gifts and donations. However Debbie finds out and furiously retrieves the money.

Cain then returns and is displeased to find Charity still in the village. The pair decide to be civil for Debbie and Sarahs' sake, but an argument transpires on Christmas Day which results in Debbie storming out of the Dingles' home and setting fire to the money. Realising they have nothing to argue about anymore, Charity proposes to a surprised Cain and he says yes.

Charity and Cain set a date for the wedding, but an eager Cain brings it forward. Chas, who is in on the plan, takes Charity into Leeds, tricking her into thinking they're going shopping. Charity realises what's actually happening as they reach the registry office and see the entire Dingle clan stood outside. She reacts badly and although she agrees to change into her wedding dress, she finds herself unable to go through with the ceremony. Later, in the Woolpack, she explains to Cain that she does love him but isn't ready to settle down and get married. They remain together, but Debbie leaves for Jersey, stressed by her parents' argumental antics.

Bored and looking for a thrill, Charity and Cain decided to make fast money by stealing wealthy men's cars. The first time they attempt their scheme it is a resounding success, after Charity successfully steals a businessman's keys after flirting with him in the bar of a local hotel. The second time, however, they are not so lucky, after their target - Declan Macey - turns up in the village that same night to visit the Sharma brothers, whom he knows from previous business ventures, and spots Charity (minus her short black bob wig) in the Woolpack. Declan takes an instant liking to Charity and decides not to take matters to the police, on the grounds that she and Cain return the car and she goes for a drink with him.

In the months leading up to Christmas of 2010, Chas becomes aware of boyfriend Carl's affair with Edna's niece Eve, and Charity convinces her to bleed him dry of his money by organising an elaborate hoax wedding in revenge. Initially the plan goes well, but after some time Chas begins to get cold feet and convinces herself Carl is in love with her, much to Charity's annoyance. The wedding day arrives, and Charity remains in the dark about what Chas is going to do, but at the altar Chas tells Carl that she's been aware of his infidelity all along, and calls off the wedding, although she tells Charity that she might have pocketed tens of thousands of pounds but she's still depressed.

2011-2013: Marriage to Jai Sharma
In 2011, Charity begins working for Jai Sharma as a property developer helping with the restoration of the barn next to the Zak and Lisa Dingles farm. Initially Jai pays Charity to persuade Lisa to sell the farm and move to new accommodation in Hotten, but Lisa proves impossible to win over, and instead Jai uses Charity to project manage the conversion as well as to persuade businessmen to invest in the venture using her womanly charms. Cain soon becomes jealous of Charity and Jai's working relationship, and despite warnings from Debbie he cannot help but threaten Jai, warning him to keep his hands off Charity.

Cain's warnings do not scare Jai, who buys Charity a brand new company car in the hope of winning her affections. One evening in February, Jai takes Charity to a hotel for the evening, hoping to seduce her, but Charity makes it clear that she won't cheat on Cain, despite her attraction towards Jai. They book separate rooms for the night in another hotel. Later, Cain arrives at the first hotel with flowers for Charity, but on finding out that she and Jai have already checked out and only had one room, he assumes the worst and returns to the village, where he flirts with (and later sleeps with) Faye Lamb, both parties aware that the relationship is nothing more than a rebound.

Upon Charity's return to the village the following day, she sees Cain leaving Faye's house and witnesses the pair kiss. Furious, she slaps Faye, packs her bags and leaves Tug Ghyll. Initially Cain is nonchalant and tells Debbie that Charity will be back, but soon it becomes clear that she has moved on from Cain when she moves into Holdgate Farm with Jai. Charity tells Cain that it's his fault their relationship is over, but Cain remains convinced that Charity slept with Jai despite her protestations. Later, Charity makes a show of kissing Jai in the pub before leading him back to Holdgate Farm, where they do finally sleep together. Cain tries a number of methods to win back Charity, including putting the frighteners on the Sharmas by tying and bounding Nikhil and forcing him into an industrial-sized bin, where he is not discovered until the next day. He also threatens both Jai and Charity, but they continue their relationship, not scared by Cain.

Charity receives an anonymous invite to the plush Orange Grove Hotel as well as a new dress which is delivered to Holdgate Farm whilst Jai is at work. She assumes the dress and invite are from Jai, and heads to the hotel wearing the dress, only to find Cain waiting for her. They have an emotional heart-to-heart, but Cain blows his chances by repeatedly referring to Charity as a tart and a whore, before attempting to smother her with a pillow and then breaking down in tears. Charity explains to Cain that he'll never be able to let her forget about her past as a prostitute and tells him that deep down he hates her for it, and despite his claims to the contrary he cannot help but refer to her as a tart once more when she tells him she chooses Jai, on account of the fact that he is more romantic and easier to talk to than Cain. Debbie later curses Cain for ruining things, and he tells her that he's letting go of Charity - for now.

In August 2011, Jai finds out about Charity sabotaging the order, and Charity finds out that Jai is Mia's dad. Because of this, they break up. Charity and Noah have to move in to Victoria Cottage with Chas, Gennie and Katie Sugden. Cain finds this fact very funny and is very happy that they have broken up. Charity, however, is later thrilled when Jai takes her back and she proposes, which Jai accepts. In December 2012, Cains constant antics and threats towards Jai's family mean that he splits up with Charity again, and calls off the wedding, despite the fact that both parties still love each other. Charity is determined to win Jai back.

On 8th December 2011, Jai finds Cain brutally attacked and left for dead, leading to Charity being a suspect. Charity insists she would never do something like that but Debbie does not believe her. However, when Cain wakes up from his coma he reveals to Charity, Chas, and Aaron that Jai was the one who attacked him. Jai insists he did not do it and Charity believes him. They vow to stay together through this and decides that the wedding is back on. The Dingle family refuses to believe them though, subsequently excluding Charity from the family believing she knew of the attack and was protecting Jai. Charity and Jai's names were cleared when finally Cain's father, Zak revieled he was the one who did it to teach Cain a lesson for how he had been treating Charity and Jai, and after have gotten 15 year old Amy Wyatt pregnant.

On 26th January 2012 (6144/6145) Charity and Jai finally get married after a lot of turmoil. Charity is late to the wedding due to helping Debbie after her boyfriend Cameron leaves her. At the end of the day, she repairs her relationship with Debbie, after Debbie forgives her for leaving Cain to die after finding him when he got attacked, and she and Jai get happily married.

Charity is there for Debbie through her daughter Sarah's illness and her hard relationship with Cameron. In May 2012, Jai tells Charity he wants to have a baby of their own. She tells him she doesn't want to have another baby. After Jai tells Noah he wants to adopt him, Charity is furious he didn't talk to her first. She agrees to change Noah's last name to Sharma as well as giving more thoughts to having an anouther baby. After talking to Debbie, Charity is sure she does not want a baby but puts of telling Jai as she knows he will be devastated. Jai was mad Charity gave him false hope.

After learning that Nikhil and Gennie were expecting a baby, Jai had another row with Charity and went to the factory drank too much and ended up having a one night stand with the cleaner, Rachel Breckle. Later, they find out rachel is pregnant and despite first wanting a termination Jai begs her to keep it, promising he will provide for them. All this behind Charity's back.

After Carl King sends a photo of Cameron and Chas together, she and Debbie discover that Cameron has been having an affair. A furious Charity and Cain vow to get revenge on Cameron.

When Dom Andrews moves to the village with his daughter Gemma, Debbie chats him up and ends up having a one-night stand with him. In the morning, Dom thinks Debbie has feelings for him, but is surprised when Debbie acts coldly towards him. Charity comes over shortly after - and accidentally lets slip that she and Debbie were trying to con Dom out of his money. After a furious Dom leaves, Charity and Cain are left disappointed that Debbie did not manage to succeed.

​​​​In November 2013 Charity finds out that her husband Jai has cheated on her with her cousin Sam's girlfriend Rachel. This resulted in Rachel becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jai's son Archie. Jai claimed that Archie's father was his Dad Rishi when Charity nearly found out but finally she found out the real truth. After begging her to come back she gave it another try but eventually came to the realization that she could not look at Archie without remembering what Jai had done. She gave Jai an ultimatum, saying he had to choose between her and Archie, leading to him choosing Archie and deciding they should get divorced.

At Christmas, Charity witnesses Declan having a mental breakdown at Home Farm and he torches the place, unaware that his sister Megan, Declan's sister, is still inside. Charity persuades Declan to frame her cousin, Sam, for the arson so that they can split the insurance pay-out.

2013-2014: Marriage to Declan Macey
Charity thinks that Sam, Rachel and their children would go on the run and Charity would then get revenge on Jai by sending his son away but Rachel refused, insisting that they stay and clear their names. Before Sam's court date, Charity tells Rachel that she and Declan framed Sam and that she will clear his name on one condition, that Rachel goes to the police and makes a statement admitting that she started the fire or Sam faces going to prison for years. Unwilling to see Sam go down, Rachel does as Charity and Declan ask and tells the police that she was the arsonist. When she gets bail, Charity and Declan give her a wad of cash and all the contacts she will need to start a new life with Archie, thus depriving Jai of his son. Only Rachel's sister, Ali, is aware that Rachel was set up as part of Charity's revenge.

Charity and Declan then begin a relationship. Charity and Declan's relationship begins to progress but almost everybody in the village believes it will not last. Charity realises she is pregnant in April and keeps it secret, planning to have an abortion, believing that she and Declan couldn't cope with a child. However, Declan finds out after Megan finds the positive pregnancy test in the bin at Debbie's house, he is happy and proposes to her, making her walk out. Later, Charity accepts Declan's proposal and Declan announces their engagement in the Woolpack. However, Jai walks in, announcing her pregnancy too, much to Charity and Declan's anger. Debbie is convinced Charity should have an aborting due to her not loving Declan and not being fit to take care of another baby, but Charity refuses to listen, insisting this time will be different and that the baby will come first. After talking to Noah, Charity later decides once again that she wants an abortion and goes to the clinic. She offloads to her consultant, bursting into tears and telling her how she gave Debbie up for adoption when she was a teenager and almost sold Noah. After booking an abortion, she gets home to find that Declan has told Noah about the baby. However, she is still set on having the abortion, telling Chas she's booked in for a termination after the wedding.

On 15th May (episode 6870/6871), Charity marries Declan with only Noah, Megan and Declan's nephew, Robbie, present (due to Cain and Moira's wedding being the same day, and the Dingles and the villagers choosing to go to theirs). Megan tries to sabotage the wedding by hiding the rings - which left Charity to borrow one of Megan's - and setting off the fire alarm. Charity realizes what Megan was up to and a fight broke out. Despite all turmoil, they end up completing the wedding. Charity panics when Declan reveals he has booked a month's holiday to Barbados for them and Noah as she worries over how to have her abortion. However, a confrontation with Megan a few days later gives Charity an opportunity to feign miscarriage when she is accidentally knocked to the floor, but Megan doesn't know Charity has taken pills to make her miscarry. A scan at the hospital confirms she has lost the baby, leaving Declan devastated. Wracked with guilt, Megan tells Declan that she is resigning and won't move into Home Farm, but boyfriend Jai advises her to test Charity's true intentions. Charity is shaken when Megan says she may stay after all and is later horrified when she walks in on Megan telling Declan that she caused the miscarriage. She was scared of what Declan would do if he knew the "truth". Enraged, Declan throws Megan out. Charity, relieved, agrees to rearrange a late honeymoon for them and Noah, but reveals she is not ready to try for another baby, much to Declan's chagrin.

After returning from their honeymoon to Barbados in July, Charity agrees to try for another baby and throws her birth control pills away. However, when Declan leaves the room she immediately picks them up again. Declan finds out and Charity tells him she's not ready to try again and will not be for a long time. When an attractive man first with Charity she realizes she is not interested and that she loves Declan and goes to tell him. A vengeful Megan then sets out to prove to Declan how horrible Charity is, to break them up. Megan tries to convince Declan that Charity had an abortion and Declan starts to get suspicious. Charity tries to get Chas's help to cover her tracks by pretending she was the one who had an abortion and Charity was going with her, but she refuses.

On 18th September 2014, when Noah steals a bottle Charity’s of wine, he collapses and is taken to hospital, where it is revealed that the drink was laced with pesticide. Charity is convinced it is Megan’s doing when Noah revealed Megan had the wine before the poisoning, while Charity and Jai were having a row. Megan gets taken in by the police for questioning. Worried about her health, Declan persuades Charity to go away to a friend’s cottage for a break and leaves Noah with Debbie. Before they leave, Declan puts the pesticide container into the boot of his car, revealing that he was involved in the poisoning.

Unknown to her, Declan knows about the abortion and is planning to murder her. While there, he damages the car's engine so Charity cannot escape and later steals and destroys Charity's phone. Megan calls Declan and he tells her that he believes her about Charity's abortion. When Megan begs him to not do anything stupid and return home, he tells he tells her "a life for a life, seems fair to me", insinuating that he is planning to kill Charity. Charity overhears the conversation is terrified and runs back to the cottage. She is horrified when the car does not start, and begins to panic. Declan returns while Charity plays it cool and he coerces her into coming onto a boat trip. Panicked, she attempts to attack him with an ax, only for him to knock her out with a mallet. When Nicola calls, he tells her Charity has vanished and that he's worried something bad has happened to her. Nicola tells Debbie about, who has gotten suspicious of what Declan's doing. Believing that Charity is dead, Declan places her in the boot of his car and attempts to bury her in a nearby wood, but when he opens the boot Charity fights back, attacking him and running away but he catches up to her and attempts to kill her again. She manages to escape again, fleeing onto a boat. The boat gets stuck in the middle of the lake, allowing Declan to swim to it. He attempts to shoot Charity with a flare gun, but accidentally fatally shoots his nephew Robbie, who was attempting to save Charity. Declan then tries to pull Charity into the water, but she hits him over the head with a metal pole. Declan then sinks into the water, seemingly dead.

However, in October, Declan returns to Home Farm, spiking Charity's drink, causing her to collapse. He then tells the Dingle's, Jai and Megan that he and Charity were responsible for framing Sam and how Charity forced Rachel to leave. The Dingle's (and later Jai) then confront a now conscious Charity, who eventually confesses. When they turn on her, Charity retaliates that they are all hypocrites and that she no longer wishes to be a part of the family. Zak promptly accepts her wishes by disowning her from the Dingle family before leaving with Chas and Sam, who expresses his hatred towards Charity. Jai then leaves also, but not before vowing to make Charity suffer for what she did against him. Charity then pleads with Cain and Debbie not to leave her, but they refuse and Charity is left alone. Charity receives a DVD from Declan that contains all the details of the crimes she has committed. Her lawyer then tells her that the police also have a copy of the DVD. Charity empties the Home Farm safe and proceeds to leave the village. She is kidnapped after she stops to investigate an abandoned vehicle that is blocking a back road. A masked figure jumps over the wall behind Charity and hits her unconscious with a log. Charity awakens in a shipping container, she is chained to the wall and unable to move. Her abductor is later revealed to be Jai Sharma. He tries to get her to tell him where Archie is but when she says she does not know he leaves her for dead. She is rescued by Cain Dingle and Sam Dingle and is brought back to Wishing Well Cottage. She insists she wants to go to the police about Jai but Cain tells her not to as her cousin Sam was involved. However, the next day Sam is the one to call the police but Charity decides to leave him out of it and not tell them what Jai did. To her dismay the officer that shows up is, DI Mark Bails, with whom it quickly becomes apparent she has history with. Bails sees this as an opportunity to get Charity sent down but she doubted he would be able to prove anything as the insurance fraud was all Declan's idea and she could lie on the stand that violent Declan made her provide him an alibi as he was threatening Noah. Charity decides to head home. When she arrives at Home Farm she discovers it is being repossessed to cover the fraudulently claimed money that she and Declan acquired. Charity then moves into Butler's Farm with Moira and Cain, much to Moira's dismay.

In November, Charity creates an illegal chop shop in one of the barns at Butler's Farm. She employes Ross Barton and Aaron Livesy to help her dismantle the cars. At some point, Charity and Ross have a one-night stand off-screen which later leads to the birth of Moses Dingle in June 2015. Charity ends the chop shop after the police investigate Butler's for stolen cars.

When Bails is unable to make anything stick to Charity, he changes strategy and turns his attention to Debbie's boyfriend, Pete Barton. DI Bails produced a photograph of Pete dealing ecstasy then accused Pete of supplying a student with the pills which led to her death. Pete was subsequently arrested and charged with manslaughter. Bails made it clear to Pete he had stitched him up, and to make this go away, he wanted evidence that would send Charity down. Debbie who was upset after finding out about the chop-shop decided to help him and set Charity up to keep Pete out of prison. Knowing they could never get Charity to go to the police and confess they decided they should try to get a recording of Charity confessing. Debbie tried to get Charity to admit her involvement in the insurance fraud but it got heated and Pete blurted out they were recording her. Pete decided to call off the deal with DI Bails as he didn't want to further damage Debbie and Charity's already strained relationship. Desperate to heal her relationship with Debbie, Charity tells her and Pete about her history with Bail and how he repeatedly raped and abused her as a teenager. In order to make things right with Debbie, Charity went to the police station and confessed to her involvement in the insurance fraud. She gets charged for insurance fraud and perverting the course of justice and is set to appear in court early 2015.

2015-2016: Prison
Charity discovers Cain's got a brain aneurysm and needs to get an operation but he refuses to do it. She begs him to tell Moira but when he says he won't she tells her and she then persuades Cain to have the operation. On 20th January, Charity appears in court and pleads not guilty. Rachel Breckle returns to testify against Charity in court which helps towards the sentencing. Charity is sentenced to two years imprisonment. While waiting to be escorted to prison, she tells Cain that she still loves him and wants to pursue a relationship with him once she is released.

Cain visits Charity in prison. She tells him she has a get out of jail early trick.

In June, Charity gives birth to Moses Dingle unexpectedly in prison. Charity makes Debbie his legal guardian. She returns to prison as her get out of jail early trick failed. Charity later visits Moses in hospital after she is told he may not have long to live. Charity contacts Moses father, Ross Barton. Ross visits his son in hospital and has an argument with Charity. Ross then visits Charity in prison the next month, where she reveals she has a job for him. She tells him that it's nothing illegal, so he agrees.

2016-: Owner of The Woolpack
Unknown to everyone, Charity is released from prison. She unexpectedly returns to Emmerdale with a stolen Ferrari. The police tell Cain and Moira Dingle that the car has been stolen and it is around the village. On the way home, there is some sheep on the road. Moira notices that the fence is broken and spots the car. The car reverses but a tyre gets stuck in the mud. Someone gets out of it and it is Charity asking where the nearest parking meter is. Cain and Charity push the car out of the mud while Moira gets the sheep back to the farm. Moira gets in the car and takes it back to the dealership, moments before the police arrive.

Charity blackmails Ross into paying her. The following day, Ross goes into a jewellery shop in York with Moses. He steals a ring and a Rolex watch for her. Charity then buys Diane Sugden's half of The Woolpack and becomes a landlady. Both Charity and Ross became partners in crime. Ross steals a dozen action dolls from a toy shop and Charity sells them. Ross' brother Finn is arrested because the police believe that he stole them.

A couple of months later, Charity was informed that Belle Dingle was having an affair with Dr Jermaine Bailey. When he got out a taxi in the village, Charity and Zak run over to him and are ready to attack him. Belle reveals that she may be pregnant with his baby. Cain drags him round the back off the pub and dumps him on a bin liner filled with empty glass bottles. Lisa went to talk to Jermaine and they are at the point where they are not going to give each other up without a fight. Lisa's decision is that the can move into Sam Dingle's old flat. Charity started to get pains in her back and asked Jermaine if he could help out. After Jermaine has a look, Charity strips herself naked in front of him and tries to seduce him. Jermaine refuses. Belle confesses to Charity that she is not pregnant. She only told him that so he would not move to Romania where he has a new job.

In July 2016, Moira confronts Holly's drug dealer but falls onto a used needle causing her to believe she has contracted HIV. With Moira's help, Holly becomes clean, however Cain is disgusted when he finds out Holly caused Moira to become contracted with HIV after he finds Moira's tablets. Cain then walks out on Moira and the next day, tries to run James Barton off the road, but stops after he realised Moira was inside. Later, he and Charity kiss at the Woolpack, and Moira finally decides she wants a divorce. Cain later saves Charity after she runs into Holly's ex-boyfriend, Dean, whilst searching for Belle. Charity manages to make it out with broken ribs. Afterwards, Cain and Charity have sex in the garage, and he stands up for her in front of Zak and Lisa. They continue dating, and plan to leave the village to stay with Debbie in France. However, Cain changes his mind, as he still loves Moira, so Charity fakes her suicide by crashing his car in a quarry. In January 2017, Charity is forced into helping Frank Clayton with a diamond scam which took place inside Home Farm, without the Whites knowing. After the scam, Charity and Frank sleep together, and a few months later, Frank's daughter Tracy overhears Charity and Frank discussing their one night stand. She reveals her findings to Frank's fiancée Megan, and Charity and Megan have a catfight in the middle of the Woolpack. Wanting revenge, Megan plans to frame Frank for fraud, whilst fleeing the village with her daughter Eliza. However, Charity catches wind and forces her way in on the plan. A few weeks later, the girls decide to go ahead with their plan, and the wheels are set in motion, but Megan gets cold feet, and prevents Charity from calling the police. Charity decides that this is what Frank deserves, and locks Megan in the cellar and calls the police. Frank is arrested later that day and knows that Megan has set him up.

Charity and Debbie go into business together, buying cars to rent to people. Charity remortgages The Woolpack to buy a Bentley. During a meeting with Graham Foster, the Bentley is stolen and they are about to cancel the contact, but Graham's boss Tom Waterhouse develops a soft spot for Debbie, and buys a new Bentley. A few months later in October, Charity winds up Frank, and when she goes into the cellar to change a barrel, Frank's daughter Vanessa follows her, unintentionally locking themselves in when she closes the door. Knowing that nobody will come to get them, the pair begin talking, which turns into a romantic moment, and the pair share a kiss. The following day, Vanessa confronts Charity about the kiss, saying it was a mistake and will not happen again. The enconter ends with Vanessa following Charity to the bedroom. Vanessa later denies having feelings for Charity, but admits to friend Rhona Goskirk that she doesn't know if she's straight or not. A few weeks later, Charity sends Vanessa a text message asking her to come over, leading to them starting to sleep together.

Charity begins to find herself in debt at the Woolpack, and with Chas due to return, Charity knew she had to do something. With Debbie refusing to ask Tom for money, Charity decided she would go herself. Tom, knowing from Debbie and Graham what Charity is like, convinces Graham to pose as himself. When "Tom" refuses to give in to Charity, Charity meets "businessman" Hugo, who turns out to be a conman after she catches him robbing the till at The Woolpack. Threatening to stab Charity with his screwdriver, Charity tells him to go and never come back.

Charity meets Tom in person but fails to recognise him. Tom then reveals himself to be Charity's former stepson Joseph Tate and publicly humiliates Debbie as revenge on Charity for his father's death. Joe also tells Charity that he paid Hugo to steal the pub's takings. Charity and Joe become sworn enemies, however, Joe wants to get to know his half-brother Noah.

In February 2018, Charity and Vanessa make their relationship official after months of teasing and denying their feelings for each other. Charity admits she felt ‘sick and panicky’ after Vanessa goes to a gay bar with Robert Sugden and some of the village girls. Vanessa then calls Charity her girlfriend and Charity doesn’t run but kisses her new girlfriend. The pair move in together in December 2018.

In January 2019, Charity proposed girlfriend Vanessa Woodfield, following her stabbing at The Woolpack. Vanessa is embarrassed when Charity hijacks someone else's proposal to do so, but later says yes when Charity proposes for a second time with just the two of them present.

Background Information

 * Suranne Jones auditioned for the role of Charity but lost out to Emma Atkins.
 * Charity was portrayed by Mica Proctor in flashback scenes in Episode 8162 (29th May 2018)

Quotes
"I uh, don't suppose you sell flowers?" (first line, to Viv in the shop)

"I want you to take it." (to Debbie Dingle, last line from her departure in 2005)

"Leave this to me." (to Michael Conway, first line from her return in 2009)

"You were never a match for me." (after 'killing' Declan Macey in 2014)

"Don't suppose you know where the nearest parking meter is." (to Cain and Moira Dingle, after returning March 2016 with a stolen car)

“Champion The Wonder Horse” (to Cain Dingle, after accidentally shooting herself with a horse tranquilliser in the middle of an attempted fraud)

"I'm Scottish me! You can take my man but you'll never take my freedom!" (to Moira before Moira headbutts her)

"Oh yes! Our little tongue twister. Quite the little seductress you." (to Vanessa Woodfield)

"Why's everyone so happy? Did Joe Tate die?"

"I don't have it! I had it. Him" (revealing to Harriet Finch that her abuse at the hands of DI Bails led to her giving birth to a child)

'The people you give your love to, it's their job to make your burden a little bit lighter'