Mandy Dingle finally reveals her biggest secret in Emmerdale lockdown special

Mandy left Emmerdale back in 2001 and it seemed like she was gone for good until she made a surprise comeback last year.

She returned with son Vinny (Bradley Johnson), who she actually took in as a baby, and given this is Mandy, we know there are many stories from her time away that could be told.

We learn one of them next week when lockdown forces Mandy and Vinny to spend a lot of time together and it is not long before the conversation turns to Vinny's father, Paul Ashdale (Reece Dinsdale).

Vinny recently learned the truth about Paul masquerading as his friend and colleague and was devastated by the deception, venting his frustrations at Mandy in the process.

Realising that now is as good a time as any to start being honest, she reveals a secret about her past to Vinny that causes him to understand why she has made some of the choices she has. But what will this mean for Vinny's relationship with Paul?

Teasing the episode to RadioTimes.com and other press, Emmerdale producers gave us hints that the big surprise will reveal a lot about her and shed light on key events that viewers were not able to see.

"Mandy was off the show for 17 years, that's a big gap and big life events would have happened to her during that time," said producer Laura Shaw of the choice to look into her past. Shaw went onto add that they were keen to "un-peel that and unpick what has made her the Mandy Dingle she is today".

Emmerdale's lockdown specials will run for three weeks and will showcase various characters from the Dales who are experiencing the trials and tribulations of lockdown life.

The six episodes will focus on different pairings each time, and will see the following take centre stage:

• Cain and Aaron (Jeff Hordley and Danny Miller)
• Chas and Paddy (Lucy Pargeter and Dominic Brunt)
• Sam and Lydia (James Hooton and Karen Blick)
• Marlon, Al and Ellis (Mark Charnock, Michael Wildman, Aaron Anthony)
• Mandy and Vinny (Lisa Riley and Bradley Johnson)
• Jimmy and Nicola (Nick Miles and Nicola Wheeler)

The show will pick up on stories currently paused due to the outbreak when new episodes resume. Over at the BBC, an EastEnders transmission break has been confirmed, something that Emmerdale should now, hopefully, be able to avoid.

Visit our dedicated Emmerdale page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.