Charity Dingle

Charity Dingle (previously Tate, Sharma and Macey) made her first appearance on 30th March 2000 before leaving in 2005 and later returning in 2009. She is played by Emma Atkins. The character has been involved in numerous high-profile storylines during her first stint on the show, such as her marriage to Chris Tate, lesbian affair with Zoe Tate, the arrival of her long-lost daughter Debbie, her affair with Debbie's father Cain, being framed by Chris Tate for his own 'murder', having Chris's child, her relationship with Tom King, and her exit after Sadie King framed Charity so that Tom believed she and Cain were having an affair.

During her second stint in Emmerdale, storylines have focused mainly on her relationship with Cain, from their almost-marriage to their get-rich-quick schemes, to her job working with Jai Sharma and Cain's mistaken believe that they were having an affair, causing the breakdown of Charity and Cain's relationship.

Storylines
2000-2005

Charity came to Emmerdale in March 2000 with Cain and Shadrach Dingle for her cousins Butch's funeral. She steals Eric Pollard's wallet and later blames it on her cousin Sam. When found out she embaresses Eric further by making him wade through mud to retrieve it. It later emerged that she had been a prostitute and fled Leeds as the police had a warrant for her arrest. One of her previous clients found out where she was and demanded £500 but Eric bailied her out. Needing a place to go she asked her uncle Zak if she could stay with him; Zak agreed and she stayed Zak, his wife Lisa and their family.

Wanting money, Charity seduced Chris Tate, a wheelchair-using millionaire. He starts paying her for her company. His sister Zoe takes a dislike to Charity and does her best to keep her away. Cain and Zak blame Chris for Butch's death as the faulty lorry that drove into Butch was owned by Chris. They are disgusted when they find out Charity is seeing Chris. Cain attacks Charity on finding out and Charity flees to Chris for protection. Chris then allows Charity to live with him at Home Farm.

Angry, Zoe offers Charity £5000 to leave Home Farm; Charity agrees and moves into Chris' cottage. She lives there with her flatmate Chloe Atkinson. 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 on 27 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 Tate. 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 breifly 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.

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 1st, 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-
On October 1st 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. Micheal wanted to be with Debbie and claimed he was only with Charity because of her preganancy. Micheal puts the 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 Micheal however she denies. Cain then tries to scare Micheal by telling him of Charity previous marriages; their wealth and their subsequent deaths. Micheal 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 Micheal 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 intially refuses to open the door until she learns it is Charity who is knocking. Debbie tells Charity to leave however Charity wants answers, adament that Debbie and Cain hatched a plan to ruin her wedding. They start to argue and Charity realises they are similiar. 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 26th, 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 mens' 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.

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.

Charity is currently a suspect in the Cain Dingle "Judgement Day" storyline where Cain is brutally attacked and left for dead. She faces a lot of suspicion by Debbie, Jai and the entire village, though she insists she did not do it.

2012
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.

2013
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 she found out the real truth and they later divorced. Charity witnesses Declan having a mental breakdown at Home Farm and he torches the place, unaware that his sister Megan (Gaynor Faye) is still inside. Charity persuades Declan to frame her cousin, Sam, for the arson so that they can split the insurance pay-out.

2014
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 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 and Jai walks in, announcing her pregnancy too, much to Charity and Declan's anger. 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. However, after booking an abortion, she gets home to find that Declan has told Noah about the baby. In May, Charity marries Declan with only Noah, Megan and Declan's nephew, Robbie, present (due to Cain and Moira's wedding being the same day, the Dingles and the villagers 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 catfight broke out. She 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 into Megan telling Declan that she caused the miscarriage. 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. A vengeful Megan then decides to spy on Charity with Nicola at Home Farm. After returning from their honeymoon to Barbados, Charity agrees to try for another baby.

In September, Declan takes a stressed Charity for a break to a remote cottage. Unknown to her, he knows about the abortion and is planning to murder her. He damages the car's engine so Charity cannot escape and later destroys Charity's phone, after telling Debbie that Charity had vanished. Charity then realizes what Declan is doing, and attempts to attack him, only for him to knock her out with a mallet. 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 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, he 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.