Lisa Riley, who is best known for playing Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale, has finally opened up about a job in security in the soap world and has talked about how she wants to exit the show. We are already aware of the budget cuts and recent departures from the show. With the recent car crash episode, will we see Mandy’s exit too?
The Reality of Working in Soaps
Lisa Riley, who is now 48, has been a major part of the soap for two separate stints since 1995. While she has no immediate plans to leave the soap, she acknowledges that no character is ever truly safe in the soap world. Talking to the Mirror, she compared actors to “chess pieces” on the producer’s board and explained that decisions about characters’ fates are made at the top, and actors just have to adapt to whatever is written.
She said, “We are all jobbing actors on the soap, and there is never a day where we come in and go. There will always be a day when a new producer might come in and need a big wipeout. That is what keeps the audience involved too, so we must keep up with the climate of what people expect.” The uncertainty goes beyond the cast. ITV‘s upcoming budget reduction means both soaps will drop to 5 episodes per week. This makes it an estimated 104 fewer episodes each year. The cuts are expected to impact production teams rather than the cast members, but Riley understands that nothing is ever guaranteed.
She adds, “Whenever I am out and about, people tell me: “We love Emmerdale.” The fact that I get to be part of it is wonderful,’ she said. ITV makes some big dramas that can be five episodes long. We do five parts in a week. The hamster wheel never stops.” In the limo crash scene, we saw Mandy swapping seats with Dr Liam Cavanagh so he could propose to Chas Dingle. Could that decision prove fatal for her? Only the upcoming Emmerdale spoilers can reveal the rest. Until then, stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more updates.
