In Friday's (August 21) episode of Emmerdale, Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) opened up to Kev Barton (Chris Coghill) about his late wife, Liv Flaherty, while on a walk. Vinny explained that he sometimes visits the spot where he spread her ashes to talk to her about things. It has been almost four years since Liv was killed off during the ITV soap's 50th anniversary episodes.
Liv's introduction and early storylines
Liv Flaherty was played by Isobel Steele and first appeared in 2016 as Aaron Dingle's (Danny Miller) troublemaking teenage half-sister. At the time, their dad Gordon Livesy was set to face trial for sexually abusing Aaron as a child. Liv initially struggled to accept the accusations against her father but ultimately took Aaron's side while testifying in court. She later moved in with Aaron and Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and became a regular character in the village.
During her time on the show, Liv had major storylines, including coming out as asexual and dealing with alcoholism. In 2022, she married Vinny, but their happiness was short-lived as Liv tragically died just months later.
How did Liv die?
In October 2022, a major storm hit the Emmerdale village, causing carnage and putting lives at risk. A gust of wind sent a caravan hurtling down Main Street, where it hit Liv and pinned her against the shop. When paramedics arrived, they revealed that there was nothing they could do to save Liv, as freeing her legs would result in her death. In heartbreaking scenes, she said a final goodbye to Aaron and Vinny before dying.
What happened to Liv's ashes?
In Friday's episode, Vinny mentioned that most of Liv's ashes ended up on his face. When Vinny, Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), and some of their friends and family gathered to spread Liv's ashes in November 2022, he found himself too emotional to deliver his speech. Vinny got frustrated as he pointed out that Liv wouldn't want it to be like this, but the situation quickly took a turn when his dog, Chip, jumped up at the table. Though Mandy tried to rescue the urn, she ended up tipping the ashes all over Vinny as they fell backwards. There was a moment of silence as everyone watched in horror, until Vinny began to laugh, announcing that this was the perfect send-off for Liv.
What is Isobel Steele doing now?
Since leaving the soap, actress Isobel has turned her attention to music, writing and performing under the artist name Little Dog Star. She recently released an EP called Something Infinite and is heading out on tour next month to perform sold-out shows in Manchester and London.
