A former Emmerdale actor has revealed they will be returning to the soap after five years, following their character's shocking death.

As viewers of the ITV programme will recall, Paul Ashdale (Reece Dinsdale) was Vinny Dingle's (Bradley Johnson) father, but deserted his son during his toddler years. From the age of four, Vinny was brought up by Paul's ex-partner, Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley).

Paul initially emerged in 2020 and was swiftly unmasked as a gambling addict and violent antagonist, though his stint in the village proved short-lived. In a devastating turn of events, he perished on his wedding day to Mandy after the couple had rekindled their relationship.

In April 2021, Jimmy King (Nick Miles) ploughed his van into the barn wall, propelling them both through the air before an explosion occurred. As Mandy looked on helplessly, Paul succumbed to his injuries, leaving her weeping in her wedding gown.

She pleaded, "Please, fight. Don't leave me on my own. I need you, Vinny needs you. Please don't stop, you've got to keep trying", reports the Daily Star.

Reece Dinsdale portrayed Paul, with the actor also recognised for his turn as Joe McIntyre in Corrie.

Throughout his two-year spell in Weatherfield, the character was notable for his marriage to Gail Platt (Helen Worth). Paul held the position until 2010, when his character met his demise after inadvertently killing himself while staging his own death.

Beyond performing, Reece possesses considerable skill behind the lens and has established himself as a director, having contributed to both Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

Taking to social media, Reece hinted at a return to Emmerdale, but this time behind the scenes. The actor posted on X: "Just showed my Producer the four episodes of Emmerdale that I recently shot... and, it appears, I'm still on the payroll!"

The revelation sparked excitement among soap enthusiasts, with one individual commenting: "Fantastic Reece. I'm looking forward to your episodes. Have a good day", whilst another declared: "Well Done."

A third joined in, stating, "That's great news, Reece, and well deserved. You put 100% and more into everything you do."

"I should hope so. They'd never find someone as dedicated and talented!", added one fan, whilst another wrote: "This is excellent, so pleased to hear this xxxx."

Reece kept details about his forthcoming Emmerdale episodes under wraps, but the announcement follows the Sugdens' return to farming, Cain Dingle's (Jeff Hordley) cancer struggle, and Bear Wolf's (Joshua Richards) fight for freedom after he murdered Ray Walters (Joe Absolom).

Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX