Chas Dingle

Chastity "Chas" Dingle^[1] (previously Livesy and Spencer) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Lucy Pargeter. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 October 2002. In 2013, Pargeter announced that she would be taking a short break from the show in order to appear in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!.

Development

Prison life and affair

Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy confirmed that Chas Dingle would begin a steamy affair with Cameron Murray (Dominic Power), the boyfriend of her niece Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb). The pair's attraction ignites after Cameron is employed at the Woolpack and later succumb as their love strengthens. However, back in the summer, Gennie Walker (Sian Reese-Williams) discovered that half-sister Chas was having an affair with Cameron, but she ultimately decided to conceal her discovery upon the illicit couple agreeing to end the fling. The latest twist begins as Chas plays with fire by suggesting that Cameron should meet her at Gennie's place as nobody will be in. However, as the pair passionately kiss in the house, the front door suddenly opens and Gennie catches them red-handed! Sian Reese-Williams hinted that Gennie may be later involved with protecting her secret, commenting: "Nothing ever goes unpunished in soapland, does it? I'm sure that this won't, either. Gennie's role in keeping the secret will be brought up again, I'm sure. It's lurking in the background!" As Emmerdale's 40th anniversary episodes aired, Debbie, along with parents Cain Dingle and Charity Sharma, finally uncovered Chas' affair with Cameron, marking the climax of one of the biggest stories in Emmerdale's history.

Storylines

Chas is the mother of Aaron Livesy. Chas first appears when she arrives in Emmerdale dressed as a nun for her cousin Marlon's (Mark Charnock) stag night. She is hired by her father, Shadrach Dingle (Andy Devine), and ends the evening locked in the back of a van with Ashley Thomas (John Middleton). She moves in with the Dingles and gets a job as barmaid at the Woolpack. Chas has a son, Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) with her ex-husband Gordon, whom she allowed custody. Aaron hated his mother, feeling that she had abandoned him. Aaron rejected Chas's attempts to make amends for this and after he deliberately told her about Carl and Delilah's fling, she ceased contact in order for Gordon, Aaron and his new wife, Sandra, to become a proper family.

Chas makes friends with Carl King (Tom Lister) shortly after he and his family move into Holdgate Farm. They share a bond due to the fact that they are both parental failures and begin dating. The attraction strengthens into love but Carl's family disapprove and send him away after Paul Marsden (Matthew Booth) dies but he later returns and they get together. Chas' relationship with Carl was never stable, and the couple go through numerous break-ups and reconciliations. Despite Chloe Atkinson's (Amy Nuttall) poison pen letter scheme, Tom and Rosemary's blackmail, Carl's guilt over murdering his father and marriage to Chas's former friend, Lexi Nicholls (Sally Oliver), the relationship survives but finally deteriorates upon Chas discovering Carl was sleeping with Eve Jenson (Suzanne Shaw). Heartbroken, she follows her second cousin Charity's (Emma Atkins) advice to persuade him to marry her and falsely claims to be pregnant. However, she steals the money meant for the wedding and jilts him at the altar, telling him that he should be grateful that she lied about expecting his child.

Chas also develops a relationship with her half-sister, Genesis "Gennie" Walker (Sian Reese-Williams). Laurel tells her that Shadrach put Gennie up for adoption after her mother died in childbirth, believing he couldn't bring her home to his wife, Faith. After coming to terms with this, she helps her father write to Gennie and feels neglected when Shadrach seems obsessed with his new daughter. Chas and Gennie become friends and Chas advises Gennie on how to care for her mother. Chas also manages to rebuild her relationship with her son, Aaron. She discovers his whereabouts, with help from her cousin Marlon's wife, Donna (Verity Rushworth), who has arrested Aaron for drug offences. Initially he is not pleased to see her but after the Dingles rescue him from the McFarlanes, he moves in with them. Aaron is pleased when Chas stands up for him when Lisa (Jane Cox) throws him out for encouraging Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) to steal, so they move in with Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt). Initially, Chas enrolls him at the local school but he refuses to go and starts work at the garage with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb).

Eventually, Chas' friendship with Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) develops into a serious relationship. Chas is unsure of the relationship's future but Katie Sugden (Sammy Winward) encourages her. Unfortunately Carl, newly separated from Lexi, decides he still loves Chas. Chas later succumbs to Carl's advances, but Chas decides that she wants to improve her relationship with Paddy and keeps her night with Carl a secret. Infuriated with this, Carl tells Paddy of their one-night stand, leading Paddy to kick her and Aaron out. No one is pleased with Chas but only Katie and Debbie support her. Aaron insists she choose between him or Carl. Chas chooses Carl, moves back in with the Dingles but then soon moves back in with Paddy. Angry with Carl, Aaron disconnects the brakes on Carl's car, nearly killing Jimmy (Nick Miles), Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) and their newborn daughter, Angelica King, when they borrow the car. Horrified, Aaron runs Jimmy off the road to warn him and Chas loses her temper with Aaron, telling him that she wants nothing more to do with him. This incident has more of an effect on Aaron than Chas realises and makes him seriously rethink his behaviour. He and Chas reconcile and Chas is devastated when Aaron almost commits suicide. Aaron finally tells his mother that he is homosexual and she supports him in his new lifestyle. She is thrilled for him when he meets Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock) and they build a relationship, albeit a bit rocky.

Chas convinces Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen), landlady of The Woolpack, that they would benefit if Chas bought into The Woolpack. After weeks of pestering, which include Chas helping out behind bar for free, Diane relents and in desperate need of the money, sells half the Woolpack to Chas. Chas becomes colleagues with Debbie's boyfriend Cameron Murray (Dominic Power), needing the money, and an attraction grows. They finally give in to temptation and have a steamy session in the cellar. Chas tells Cameron that it was a mistake but they later begin an affair. After a fight between Cain and Cameron led to an impregnated Debbie being accidentally injured, endangering her and the baby she's expecting, they realise they cannot be together and part ways. Chas is told by Bob in the cafe that Dan Spencer (Liam Fox) fancies her. She invites him to dinner and they become a couple. Chas proposes to Dan after several dates, but he declines. However, he changes his mind and as he proposes to her, Chas accepts. Carl takes Chas' phone and finds photos of her with Cameron, discovering her relationship with Cameron. He threatens to tell Debbie about the affair, unless he is given his money back.

However, when Chas and Cameron refund the money, Carl reveals he still loves her and thinks she shouldn't marry Dan and Chas almost misses her hen night, arguing with him. Not long after marrying Dan, Chas tries to leave the village. Carl finds her and he tries to force himself on her. Chas picks up a brick and hits him over the head with it, before running back to the pub. Carl is later found dead and Chas believes she killed him. However, Cameron visited Carl soon after and as the pair had a heated confrontation, Cameron delivered the final attack, murdering him. Chas is then arrested for Carl's murder, facing trial. Debbie, wanting revenge for her affair with Cameron, takes to the stand against Chas, wanting her sent down in a bid to split up Chas and Cameron. Chas is found not guilty and returns to the village, much to the dislike of Debbie and Charity, with Debbie swearing to make Chas' and Cameron's life a living hell.

Chas returns to running The Woolpack, however customers avoid the pub, due to atmosphere. Chas tries her best to regain the regulars. She takes out a loan against the pub to try and keep the business afloat, stating she is very close to bankruptcy, with mounting legal fees to pay also. Chas and Cameron continue their relationship and remain in the village. In July, Gennie suspects that Cameron and Debbie are having an affair, and warns Chas about it. However, Chas thinks Gennie is trying to tear them apart and dismisses her claims. Soon, Gennie's suspicions are confirmed when she records a conversation in which Cameron confesses to killing Carl to Debbie, and the pair rekindling their romance. Gennie intends to tell Chas, but later dies after being suffocated by Cameron in order to keep his secret following a car chase between her, Cameron and Debbie. At Gennie's funeral, Chas learns that Cameron has been having an affair with Debbie. Chas delivers an emotional eulogy and then marches out of the church. Later, Chas packs Cameron's bags and brings them to Debbie's home, where she tells them they are selfish and deserve each other. Debbie and Charity both soften towards Chas and Charity apologises to her for treating her coldly for her affair with Cameron.

In September 2013, when Cameron's murderous crimes are exposed by Debbie and Chas, after gaining evidence from Gennie's phone, he is arrested and charged with the murders of Carl, Alex and Gennie. In October 2013, he manages to escape jail, gaining his passport and clothes. He then buys a ticket for a ferry, so people would assume he's left Yorkshire for good. However he doesn't attend the ferry. When Debbie, Chas and the other villagers are aware of his escape, they panic, with Debbie fearing the worst. Later on, Sarah is taken by Cameron, and is locked in a barn, assuring her that he will get Debbie and Jack, and go away as a family somewhere. She believes him, but when Zak and Moira are alerted of her disappearance, they look for her.

Debbie and other villagers, including Chas, Diane and Zak, are in The Woolpack, panicking. They learn that Sarah has been found by Andy and Moira, but also know that Cameron is back and he breaks into The Woolpack, taking everyone hostage, knocking Marlon unconscious and leaving him in the cellar, where the flood water rises. Cameron accidentally shoots Alicia Harding (Natalie Anderson) in the stomach, and David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) begs Cameron to let her out, in need of medical assistance, as she is dying. He lets David and Alicia out, along with the rest of the villagers, except for Debbie and Chas. After Marlon gains consciousness, Debbie and Chas rush to the cellar, as they are engulfed by the water rising to the top. Cameron manages to get to the cellar and insists on him and Debbie drowning together. They float to below the water. As Debbie struggles, she manages to get out of Cameron's reach with Chas intact. As Cameron gasps for breath, trying to pull Debbie back in, he fails, as she is outside, safe. He grabs a bulb and because of the encounter with the water, he is electrocuted, and is finally killed, ending his wrath and getting his comeuppance. Debbie rushes to Zak, soaking wet and crying as he reassures her Cameron is where he belongs - in hell, ending The Woolpack siege and Cameron's life. Chas then decides to go and stay in Southern France with aaron for a few months.

In February 2014 she returned and quickly got romantically involved with James Barton who turned out to be Adam Barton dad when she found out Moira Barton went to great lengths to make sure chas didn't tell her brother Cain Dingle even locking her in the woolpack celler to make sure she didn't tell Cain. The truth came out in April when at Finn Barton birthday party the truth came out by an old tape recorder of the younger Bartons.

In August 2014, Aaron returned to help his friend Adam out who was involved with a dodgy dealing with Ross Barton she realised she missed aaron so much and was going to hand him and Adam into the police when Aaron stopped her.Instead Adam and Aaron both handed themselves in Adam got bail but Aaron didn't because he had already missed his court case.In the end he got a suspended sentence and aaron has lived with her ever since in the woolpack.

In February 2015 Chas lost her best friend Katie Sugden in a accident up a Wylie's farm when Robert Sugden pushed her and she fell through the floor. In an emotional scene between Chas and Aaron Aaron burst into tears and Chas comforted him telling him everything was going to be alright and that she needed him strong for her. The next day she found out Robert and Aaron were having an affair so she slapped Aaron which lead to Aaron ending the affair.

Reception

On Digital Spy's 2012 end of year reader poll, Chas and Cameron's affair was voted fourth in the "Best Storyline" category, receiving 8.9% of the vote.^[2] Pargeter was nominated for the "Best Actress" award at The British Soap Awards 2013, and was also nominated for the same award in 2014, although she did not win.

References

External links

• Character profile at itv.com
• Character profile at What's on TV
• Character profile at STV
• Character profile at Holy Soap