Emmerdale fans were left in shock last week when they recognised a nurse in a classic episode of the ITV soap as none other than Lydia Dingle star Karen Blick. Karen, as viewers know, has played mainstay and Dingle matriarch Lydia for nine years, having made her debut as the character in 2016. But it turns out that Lydia isn’t actually Karen’s first role, with the soap star having previously appeared in the long-running serial drama back in 2006 in the role of a nurse who offered support to Viv Hope.
![[Emmerdale icon Karen Blick - first soap role unearthed and she's unrecognisable]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SEI_239331203-b8f7.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The episode in question hit screens last week as part of the daily Classic Emmerdale double-bill on ITV3 in the afternoons and it didn’t take fans long to spot her. ‘I am watching this right now, was going to post it but you have beat me to it!,’ said one Reddit user. ‘Knew straight away that was the Lydia actress.’. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.
Up Next. Another added: ‘Identified her immediately! It’s one of my favourite things about watching Classic Emmerdale, spotting future permanent cast members.’. One user didn’t realise it was Karen in the role due to her different hairstyle. ‘I know it was nearly 19 years ago but she really does look different with that hair colour!’. Karen has proven herself a powerhouse actress time and again in Emmerdale, with Lydia taking centre stage in a number of stories over the years, such as her romance with Sam (James Hooton), with whom she helmed a lockdown two-hander episode.
Two years ago, Lydia was raped by boss Craig, who was subsequently killed as part of a whodunit storyline and she also offered support to Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) during her abusive marriage to Tom King (James Chase). Classic Emmerdale airs weekday afternoons on ITV3 or catch up on ITVX. If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
