‘I’M SCARED OF BEING A DAD’ — VINNY DINGLE Confesses To MANDY About His Deep-Seated Fears Rooted In Childhood Trauma With PAUL ASHDALE

Vinny Dingle opens up to mum Mandy in today’s episode of Emmerdale. He tells her he’s afraid of being a dad to little Thomas.

And he admits it’s because he’s scared of being like his abusive father, Paul Ashdale.

Mandy is quick to reassure her son that he’s nothing like Paul was. She tells him that a raised voice is nothing like a raised fist.

But Vinny’s still worried. Will his concerns affect his romance with Gabby?

So who was his dad? What did he do? And where is he now?
Paul got a job at the scrapyard (Credit: ITV)

Who was Vinny Dingle’s dad in Emmerdale?

Vinny’s dad Paul wasn’t in Emmerdale very long, but he certainly left his mark! Poor Vinny is still bearing the emotional and physical scars of his dad’s abuse, while Mandy also took time to recover from her relationship with Paul.

Paul and Mandy had a romance when Vinny was tiny but Paul walked out and left them when his son was just five.

So actually Vinny’s childhood was happy because his dad wasn’t there!

Devoted to Vinny, Mandy raised her stepson like her own flesh and blood. Though recently Vinny was revealed to be the son of Tina Dingle – Mandy’s cousin and Cain, Sam and Belle’s sister. She’d dumped her kid on Mandy and legged it.

That complication aside, though, Mandy treated Vinny like her own.

And when she first came back to Emmerdale – in 2019 – she didn’t even reveal he wasn’t her biological son.
Vinny got to know his dad (Credit: ITV)

Paul arrives in the village

By April 2020, Mandy and Vinny had settled into life in Emmerdale, which was when Paul showed up in the village.

Mandy was horrified to see her ex and tried to hide the fact that Vinny was living in the village too, but of course nothing stays secret for long in Emmerdale. Soon Paul realised the truth and decided he was staying put!

He got a job at the scrapyard and worked hard to charm Mandy and Vinny into forgiving him for his past behaviour.

Eventually the three were reunited as a family. Aww. Mandy and Paul started planning a wedding.
Vinny was devastated by his dad’s behaviour (Credit: ITV)

The truth about Vinny Dingle’s dad in Emmerdale

But while Mandy was pleased to have her family back together, things weren’t all as good as they seemed. Paul was hiding a serious gambling addiction and he was taking out his stresses on poor Vinny.

He was so cruel to Vinny, insulting him, belittling him, and – as Mandy alluded to in today’s episode – physically abusing him.

Mandy was in the dark and Vinny desperately wanted his dad to stay, so he stayed quiet.

Meanwhile, Vinny’s girlfriend Liv was wise to what Paul was really like and she was protective of Vinny.

And one of the reasons we all loved Liv so much was her inability to ignore anything that was wrong. So she decided to confront Paul about what he did to Vinny.
Liv confronted Paul before the wedding (Credit: ITV)

Wedding day drama for Paul and Mandy

On Mandy and Paul’s wedding day, she cornered abusive Mr Ashdale in the barn where the festivities were happening later.

She told him she knew the truth about his behaviour – and even revealed that she knew he had arranged for Vinny to be kidnapped to get his hands on more cash.

Needless to say, Paul didn’t react well to being challenged. He brutally attacked poor Liv, beating her violently.
Can Vinny be a dad to Gabby’s son, Thomas? (Credit: ITV)

Barn explosion!

But lucky for Liv, if not for Paul, Jimmy King came along just at the right moment. He was driving one of his lorries past the barn when he was dazzled by sunlight. He swerved off the road and crashed into the barn!

Paul was trapped by a fallen beam, but though Liv tried to save him, she soon realised it was him or her. She left him stuck and made her escape with Jimmy, just as the barn blew up!

Paul’s gone but actor Reece Dinsdale still shows up in the Dales! Alongside his acting career, Reece is a successful director who often takes charge of Emmerdale episodes.

Can Vinny Dingle put everything behind him in Emmerdale?

And meanwhile, Vinny’s still struggling with the aftermath of his dad’s abuse. Will he be able to put it aside and be a dad to little Thomas?