Moira Dingle is a family woman on-screen, but Natalie J Robb’s real life is completely different! The Emmerdale actress just revealed the sad reason she’s never married or had kids, and it’s tied to a “shattered” childhood memory!
Natalie J Robb, the Emmerdale star who portrays the fierce and protective farmer Moira Dingle, has opened up about the deeply personal reasons behind her decision to never marry or have children. Natalie’s off-screen life stands in stark contrast to her character’s, and she admits a childhood experience was enough to convince her to never tie the knot.
“I don’t have any children,” Natalie shares, “apart from furry animals.” The Emmerdale icon recently adopted Buddy, her new pup, after the devastating loss of her beloved dog, Bronson. “Last year in February, I lost Bronson, my best friend. Never felt grief like it, it doesn’t go away,” she expresses. “Now Buddy won’t stop growing. I just love the companionship of an animal.”
She harbors no regrets about not settling down. “I’ve never been one for marriage. My mum got divorced when I was very young. I think my world shattered when that happened,” she reveals. “But I don’t believe people need marriage anymore. A lot of them have children – that’s a marriage in itself.” She adds, “I’m 50 now, I spent a lot of time trying to find love but it wasn’t the right thing for me. I should have just been more single then, rather than find something.”
On-screen, Moira has survived a brain tumor, supported Cain through the heartbreak of Nate’s death, and somehow held her family together. But Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle is about to face even more drama. “It’s all kicking off,” says Natalie. “She’s still in recovery, her tumour was only diagnosed last year.”
Moira has stood strong for her husband Cain, who is still reeling after the discovery of Nate’s body in a lake. “She knows what it’s like to lose a child, so she knows the pain he’s feeling,” Natalie explains, referencing the 2016 drug-related death of Moira’s daughter, Holly. “But there’s just so many different emotions going on.” Guilt is one of them. Before Nate’s death, he was beaten by Cain – fueled by a rumor that Moira tried to kiss him. Believing Nate and Moira’s old affair had reignited, Cain lashed out. “That fight they had,” Natalie says, “Moira believes she caused it.”
Now, the family is about to be dealt another devastating blow. Joe Tate is gunning for Moira’s land, hoping to hand it over to Kim Tate, his step-grandmother. “Moira can be a bit crazy, fierce and protective,” Natalie describes. “But she’s a fair woman when it comes to farming and her business. What they’re trying to do to her is awful, it’s really bad. Her hands are tied.” Butler’s Farm is already struggling, but losing it would leave Moira and Cain homeless. “The outcome is going to be much worse,” Natalie warns. “Ultimately, she thinks they’re going to have to sell. But Joe tells her fibs about her being a tenant farmer. She’s going to try and do everything to save it. But working with Joe? He gets right under Moira’s skin.”
As pressure mounts, Cain also locks horns with his brother Sam – who works for Kim and is friends with her through his wife Lydia. Tensions boil over when two intruders are found hiding in Moira’s barn. Cain blames Joe, and the confrontation escalates. “I go to punch Joe Tate, but as I do that, I punch Lydia in the ear,” Natalie reveals. “It’s very convoluted but it creates a big rift between Sam and Cain.”
Thankfully, the off-screen atmosphere is far calmer. Natalie and Jeff Hordley (Cain) have been filming together for over a decade. “We can work together with our eyes shut,” she says. “We have a nice friendship and a good working relationship.” The storyline hits close to home for Natalie. “I’ve got some farmer friends, they said that is the way it’s going a lot of the time. They’re making a lot of tenant farmers so they work their land,” she explains. “But they don’t have the same responsibility. It’s not theirs anymore, which is really sad.”
Even after 16 years, Emmerdale still holds Natalie’s heart. “I live in the present but you never know what’s going to come up,” she says, “The Emmerdale pace is fast and no day is the same. I absolutely thrive on that. I’m very lucky.”
Will Moira be able to save her farm from Joe Tate’s grasp, or will she lose everything?