‘Can’t face it’: Emmerdale confirms reason TV legend isn’t at Zak’s funeral

Cain Dingle prima Jeff Hordley reflects connected filming the ceremonial episode:

'There's truly poignant moments successful it. And whilst we were filming, we were each focused and giving the publication everything it needed. But disconnected camera arsenic good – and Steve would person enjoyed this, due to the fact that Steve ever liked to person a giggle down the camera – whilst we weren't rolling, we made definite we had immoderate laughs arsenic well.

'Because erstwhile we bash get unneurotic arsenic a group, we bash marque definite that it's amusive to film. What I’m trying to accidental is that the temper wasn't conscionable downbeat, we were making definite that we were having a laugh, and Steve wouldn't person wanted it immoderate different way.'

Mandy Dingle histrion Lisa Riley said:

'The champion portion for us, arsenic the Dingle family, was the mode that this went done production. From Laura (Shaw), our producer, who's known america for years, grown up with us, and past Peter Kerry who has written the script, who was portion of the improvement squad of the Dingles  each those years ago. Finally, Jeff Naylor, our director, directed Steve Halliwell and Zak's archetypal ever episode! So you've got each that thrown successful the mix, it's truthful nostalgic! So for us, arsenic a family, it was evidently the biggest blessing and we're truthful blessed that it each happened successful this way.'

'Also, erstwhile you deliberation of Steve Halliwell and the quality of Zak, you ever deliberation of his emotion of music. So the squad has brilliantly incorporated his euphony into this episode. Zak's emotion of euphony and the nostalgia are each determination for the viewers to see.'

Lucy Pargeter aka Chas Dingle:

'Working with Steve was similar the amusive of being successful nursery each azygous day. I can't retrieve immoderate time that was superior oregon immoderate time that helium ever flew disconnected the grip oregon was aggravated astir anything. It ne'er felt similar a enactment time with Steve, it was conscionable similar having your caput teacher successful your schoolroom and they conscionable accidental ‘let's each person fun!”'

Sam Dingle prima James Hooton:

'I person truthful galore superb memories of Zak. I utilized to similar the truly silly, unbelievable worldly that we did backmost successful the 90s. One representation is of a crying Elvis doll that the Dingles tried to person radical was similar a crying Mary Magdalene benignant of thing. It was a doll that they'd stolen from a second-hand apparel store and they were utilizing it to marque money.

'Another hilarious communicative that springs to caput is erstwhile they tried to nonstop Butch into orbit, the astir unbelievable storyline astatine that clip but we ever tried to bash it with pathos and believability. It utilized to marque america laughter truthful overmuch that sometimes it became hard to get done a scene.'

Belle Dingle prima Eden Taylor-Draper reflects:

'Steve, to me, was the funniest antheral ever! He was a truly weird operation of a begetter figure, champion friend, a standup comedian and a counsellor. He was everything. It truly feels similar helium lives connected due to the fact that each of america person traits of his; our consciousness of humour oregon things we enslaved over, truthful mundane erstwhile we are together, it feels similar Steve is inactive portion of the speech oregon moment.'

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