Lisa Riley shared that she wouldn’t mind ditching Emmerdale for a stint on I’m A Celeb before she turns 50
Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has set her sights on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! as she’s ready to take on her next career move away from the Dales.
Lisa joined the ITV soap in 1995 as Mandy Dingle before finally landing the role as a full-time job in 2019. Mandy has had her fair share of drama while in the village, mostly at the hands off her on-again-off-again relationship with Paddy Kirk.
She first fell in love with Paddy Kirk in 1997 but the pair broke up time and time again before finally agreeing to stay together in 2023.
The actress is now ready to tick I’m A Celeb off her “bucket list” as the 48-year-old has been asked to go Down Under and spend weeks living in the jungle for the iconic ITV reality show in the past. She’s now set herself the goal of doing it before turning 50 in 2026.
Speaking to Woman’s Weekly magazine, Lisa shared: “”‘I’m A Celebrity…[Get Me Out Of Here!]’ is something I would do before I turned 50 as a test for myself. They ask me most years, and I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Like any soap star who appears in the jungle, Lisa would have to take time out from her beloved role in order to take on the challenge. With her 30 year anniversary coming up this June, there could be the potential that fans of the ITV soap bid farewell to Mandy Dingle sooner than they’d like.
Emmerdale have confirmed that this week tragedy strikes as at least 16 villagers are involved in two separate limo crashes, with one limo crash causing fatal consequences.
Teasing what’s in store – including residents being left for dead and someone trapped underneath a frozen lake desperate to get out – Lisa said: “It’s party night. All the girls are glammed up but things go wrong.
“A huge row breaks out in the boys’ limo, and there’s utter chaos in the girls’ limo, and both cars separately swerve off the road. They’re both packed with people, and one of them crashes onto a frozen lake … The crash means that dear, dear friends of mine will be leaving the show, which is always sad.”
It’s been confirmed that Cain, Caleb, Bear, Paddy, Mackenzie, Matty, Sam, Liam, Chas, Kerry, Tracy, Leyla, Suzy, Amy, Vanessa, Charity and Mandy are all potentially at risk.
Outside of Emmerdale, Lisa also shared that August 2025 will mark 10 years since she decided to give up alcohol. She admitted: “Both of them I’m insanely proud of; it’s a massive year… Drink numbs everything.
“The old me would go to a party that I didn’t want to go to and get really drunk because I didn’t want to be there, and I was bored. I’d rather be at home with my partner Al.”
The actress continued: “I don’t want to sound like an old nana, but that’s the gospel truth. I was probably having a bottle too many. Now, it’s not a part of my life. I don’t need it, and I don’t want it.”
