Emmerdale star Natalie J Robb, best known for playing Moira Dingle, once dated a co-star on the show, though the relationship eventually ended after growing “intense.”
Emmerdale viewers have been left stunned after learning that two of the show’s stars once dated in real life.
In recent episodes of the ITV soap, Moira Dingle, played by Natalie J Robb, has been set up by Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) after becoming entangled with local farmer Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths). Unbeknown to Moira, Celia and her son Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) had been running a forced labour operation and a drugs ring from the neighbouring farm.
During Wednesday’s episode (January 15), police discovered identification documents belonging to Celia’s victims hidden on Moira’s bookshelf, leading to her arrest. The documents had been planted there by Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley), who was acting under duress.
Robert was forced to frame Moira by Joe Tate, who has been blackmailing Robert’s sister, Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins), into signing over her share of Butler’s.
Joe warned that if the siblings failed to comply, he would release footage of Victoria killing their brother John (Oliver Farnworth) in woodland — an incident that took place during the Coronation Street crossover.
In Thursday’s episode, Moira attempted to clear her name over allegations of human trafficking and forced labour and was later released on bail. When she returned home, she was met by her anxious husband Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), her brother Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), and family friend Dr Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson).
While Moira’s future remained uncertain, some Emmerdale viewers found themselves distracted by her scenes opposite her former real-life partner.
Natalie J Robb and Jonny McPherson, who plays Liam, previously dated after reportedly growing close on a charity trip to Lapland with the ITV soap in 2019. During the trip, the pair developed feelings for one another and shared a kiss in 2020. Their relationship progressed quickly during the Covid-19 lockdown later that year, when they moved in together.
A source told The Mirror at the time: “Natalie has had her fair share of romances as Moira, but this time she’s found love off-screen. Everyone is absolutely delighted for them.”
The insider added: “Lockdown gave them valuable time together, and they couldn’t be happier. It’s still early days, but Natalie hasn’t stopped smiling.”
Jonny later spoke to The Mirror in November 2020 about how their relationship began, explaining: “Like many couples, we had to make a decision. We chose to move in together, so lockdown definitely fast-tracked our relationship.
“We get on incredibly well. We come from quite different backgrounds, but fundamentally we’re very similar people. We’re both big kids and share exactly the same silly sense of humour,” he continued.
Despite their strong start, the relationship eventually came to an end, with Natalie and Jonny splitting in 2021.
Speaking to The Sun in 2022 about working alongside her former partner, Natalie explained that the pair remain on good terms and had recently shared scenes together. “We were filming a few scenes the other day, and it was really lovely to see him,” she said when asked whether the break-up had made things awkward on set.
Natalie also reflected on their relationship, admitting that the pandemic played a significant role in its breakdown. She added: “Unfortunately, it was during Covid, which brought extra pressure. He moved in with me during the first lockdown, and it all became too intense, too quickly.”
“And if you’re not used to that, which I hadn’t been for a while, we quickly realised we were better off as friends,” Natalie explained.
On Facebook, an eagle-eyed Emmerdale fan spotted Natalie and Jonny sharing a scene in the latest episode, writing: “It’s not every day Moira has a scene with Liam — he’s her ex in real life, just saying.”
Other fans responded in surprise. One wrote: “I didn’t know that,” while another added: “I didn’t know that either.”
A third commented: “I didn’t, but I don’t think it matters,” and another said: “I knew this, but didn’t realise they had broken up.”
- General Hospital spoilers reveal Willow mocks Drew for taking his congressional seat.
- Coronation Street actor returns to filming 12 years after first appearance on the soap.
- EastEnders actor announces engagement to girlfriend 20 years his junior following marriage split.
- Emmerdale farm crisis after barn falls, sparking concerns over potential deaths
- Fugitive resembling Ian Beale wanted for allegedly scamming elderly women out of £400k
