Emmerdale fans have been left baffled after Charity Dingle’s (Emma Atkins) first ever scene unveiled a very different side to her character.
The now legendary villager first appeared on the ITV soap in March 2000, arriving for the funeral of beloved Butch Dingle (Paul Loughran).
She continued in the role for five years before returning to the serial full time in 2009.
In the resurfaced clips, she is seen arriving into Emmerdale and speaking with Viv Windsor (Deena Payne) in the post office and village shop, before heading up to Wishing Well Cottage to greet her family.
Already sharing some flirty banter with second cousin Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), with whom she’d soon end up having a turbulent relationship with over the years, she then swings her arm around Sam Dingle (James Hooton) and he comments that she looks like a film star.
However, it’s not her blonde pixie cut that has got fans’ tongues wagging, but her surprisingly strong Yorkshire twang.
Commenting on Reddit, the original poster said: ‘I was watching Charity’s first appearance on Emmerdale in 2000 recently and the difference in her accent and just the way she speaks is completely different and i didn’t recognise her at first.
‘Obviously when a character is on Emmerdale for a long time they start to lose their accent but I find it so weird.’
Another user commented: ‘Charity was way different back then. Short hair, very young, sassy, compared to today’s current episodes. Although she still looks fabulous as ever.
‘And Cain, wow! He does look like a rock star, and it’s funny how Sam had more hair back then.’
One added that her accent was quickly toned down during her first year on the show.
Those wanting to watch more of her classic era will have some waiting to do – episodes airing on ITV3 are now beyond her original stint, so it’ll be some years before we catch up to 2009.
In the present day, she’s caught between two families as her nephew-in-law Matty Barton (Ash Palmisciano) has been locked up for accidentally stabbing her second cousin, once removed Samson Dingle (Sam Hall).
Last week, Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) flirted with Samson’s mate Josh (Osian Morgan), who was responsible for the altercation, to get some intel on the situation.
Charity was mortified to see a member of her Woolpack team mixing with enemy no. 1, and Kerry forced her to choose between the sides.
Obviously, she will always side with the Dingle clan and Kerry lost her job at the pub.
