Eli Dingle
Eli Dingle is a fictional character from the British ITV soap Emmerdale, played by Joe Gilgun. He appeared on screen from July 2006 to April 2010 and is the younger brother of Marlon Dingle.
A rough, impulsive drifter who had just left prison, Eli arrives uninvited at his uncle Zak Dingle’s doorstep and immediately stirs trouble. He helps during the King's River showhome collapse and later defends his cousin Sam and Sam’s wife Alice. Eli then gets involved in a plan with Marlon to obtain morphine used in Sam’s assisted suicide, which causes Zak to disown him. After living rough, he returns and schemes to frame two men for an armed robbery, and Zak reluctantly welcomes him back into the family.
Eli’s life is a rollercoaster of bad choices and tricky situations. He is wrongly arrested for a murder, flirts with Kelly Windsor, and pursues a relationship with Debbie Dingle, helping her with various schemes. He becomes involved in the cover-up of Shane Doyle’s murder, helping to dispose of the body in a lake. Eventually, Eli confesses to the police, which leads to Debbie’s arrest. Zak disowns him again, but Marlon stands by him. He later leaves the village for a time, returning to try rebuilding his life with Marlon’s help.
Back in Emmerdale, Eli develops feelings for Priya Sharma and then falls for Olena Petrovich, a Ukrainian immigrant. Olena’s deportation devastates him and he spirals back into trouble, stealing from a B&B. After confessing to the police, he returns the stolen money and eventually leaves the village for good, seen walking away.
Joe Gilgun left Emmerdale in 2009 to pursue other projects. He was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards in 2007 for his portrayal of Eli.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:41 (CET).