Lisa Riley might return to ‘Emmerdale’ when she’s 60.
The 42-year-old actress – who portrayed Mandy Dingle from 1995 to 2001 – has no immediate plans to return to the Dales but has admitted she may be swayed to make a comeback in 20 years’ time to help fund her pension following retirement.
Speaking to the Express.co.uk, she said: "I always say ‘never say never.’ They always ask me to go back to ‘Emmerdale’. Playing Mandy Dingle, for seven and a half years, don’t get me wrong, it was amazing and now it’s been 20 years ago. It’s great that the public would want me to go back.
"Dominic Brunt [who plays her former husband Paddy Kirk] desperately wants me to go back. He’s like ‘come back, what’s to lost?’ and I’m like I don’t know. Maybe it is my pension fund, maybe there will be one day when I am sixty and it’s my pension."
And, although she’s ruled out a return for the foreseeable future, Lisa has already come up with an explosive storyline that would see her come back with a child.
She said recently: "In my last episodes, Mandy and Paddy spent the night together, so there could be a mini-me knocking about. I’d be so much more interested to see what their child is like – and it’d give Paddy a shock!"
Meanwhile, despite being away from the village for nearly 17 years, Lisa previously admitted she is still recognised for her role as Mandy as far afield as Mexico.
She said: "She’s still talked about wherever I go, though.
"I flew back from Mexico last year and the two guys that were sitting behind me started singing ‘Mandy’ by Barry Manilow. Everybody still talks about her food wagon, Mandy’s Munchbox – it’ll go down in history."