Actress Lisa Riley, best known as Emmerdale‘s Mandy Dingle, has posted a sweet message about her “angel” mum as she celebrated her niece’s Christening.
The soap star, 43, shared a family snap on Instagram and told fans their “angel in heaven” had been “shining down on them” the whole day.
She wrote in the caption of the photo, which showed Lisa smiling alongside her dad Terry and brother Liam with his daughter, baby Everlyn: “Thank you so so so so much to EVERYONE who shared in my beautiful niece Everlyn’s Christening yesterday.
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“As a family we are smiling from ear to ear. The day was perfect for her, family and friends made it that EXTRA bit special.
“Our angel in heaven was shining down all day on us all, and would have given EVERYTHING to have seen her only granddaughter get Christened. Always our angel.”
Lisa lost her mum Cath in 2012, just weeks before her stint on the 10th series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Speaking about her “devastating” loss for the first time in an interview with The Mirror later that year, the former Loose Women panellist revealed how her mum passed away in her arms following a long battle with cancer.
She told the publication: “It is devastating and still very raw. She had breast cancer for 12 years but then it went into her ovaries, then her pelvis. When it reaches the pelvis… boom, it goes round the body like a firework. I knew then that it wasn’t good.
“Dad was in denial, so was my brother, but deep down I just knew. That is the curse of cancer. It’s the one thing in life you have no control over.
“Sadly, there is not enough money in the world. We can do stuff for charity but we can’t stop it. The medication is getting better and there is hope.”
Lisa Riley is returning to Emmerdale after her brief but triumphant comeback in January.
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The actress will be back in the Dales mid-September to reprise her role as Mandy Dingle alongside on-screen son Vinny, played by Bradley Johnson.
She told her Instagram followers: “YES YES YES!!! I am seriously overjoyed to FINALLY confirm to you all, I will be returning to @itv @emmerdale.
“It’s 100% THE TRUTH!!! Back on your screens mid-September, Mandy’s back with her son Vinny. She is going to make you laugh, and I’m very sure the writers will be adding some ‘Mandy Mischief’ along the way for good measure.”
Lisa initially starred in the ITV soap from 1995 to 2001.
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