An Emmerdale legend could be on their way back to the Dales to take over the Woolpack

Emmerdale fans are convinced that a former soap legend is heading back to the village to take over The Woolpack.

The iconic ITV landmark is one of the most well-known pubs in soapland, and boasts a wealth of history throughout the programme’s 53-year tenure on screens.

The Woolpack was first built in around 1779 and was owned by Ephraim Monks Brewery until 1973.

The building is attached to The Grange and neighbouring Pear Tree Cottage. Currently, Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) runs her beauty salon from the front of the property, whilst Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) and Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) manage wedding and events business Take a Vow from the back office.

The pub has been hit with many disasters, including the 1993 plane crash and the storm of 2003/2004, which caused the roof to fall through after the building was hit by lightning.

The Woolpack is a staple on the soap(Image: ITV)

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The Woolpack has had several owners over the years, including Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), Al Chapman (Michael Wildman) and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock).

The longest-serving landlord was Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill), who served for 43 years. Meanwhile, the longest-serving landlady is Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen), who was behind the bar for 16 years.

The pub is currently owned by Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) and her son Ryan Stocks (James Moore), however, they might not be in charge for long.

Now, several Emmerdale fans are convinced that Diane will return to the village to reclaim her title as pub landlady.

The character notably bid farewell to the Dales back in 2021 when she moved to Portugal to reinvent herself and avoid being seen past her prime.

Soap fans believe that Diane Sugden could return to take over the pub(Image: ITV)

Diane’s exit coincided with actor Elizabeth’s retirement after a 22-year run on the soap. But could she now come back, especially after her daughter Bernice Blackstock’s (Samantha Giles) recent return?

“Personally, I would like to see Diane return as part owner of the Woolpack along with Chas,” one person wrote on a Facebook fan page.

Another added: “I miss Diane, would love for her to come back,” while a third said: “I’d probably get teary eyed if Diane ever came back. I loved her so much.”

A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “Diane was such an iconic character, it would be great for the soap if she came back even briefly. She’s got to pull another pint again.”

Meanwhile, another fan believes that Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) should be running the pub as she’s a well-liked villager.