Emmerdale legend Lisa Riley has praised a former ‘powerful’ role which has been rediscovered by her fans.

The Mandy Dingle actress, 48, originally appeared in the ITV soap between 1995 and 2000.

She briefly reprised the part the following year, but wasn’t seen again in the Dales village until 2019. Appearing as part of a brief stint, she was then reintroduced as a regular character.

It’s now hard to imagine a time without the Dingle family’s madcap cousin, though Lisa has a number of strings to her bow.

From presenting You’ve Been Framed to waxing lyrical on the Loose Women panel, she’s been a constant on our screens for the last three decades.

For three years she starred in comedy drama Fat Friends as Rebecca Patterson, and played the recurring role of Tina Allen in Waterloo Road.

In 2017, she took on the part of Lorna Bowen in the three-part drama Three Girls.

The groundbreaking show, which garnered around 8 million viewers per episode, followed a dramatised version of the harrowing Rochdale child sex abuse ring.

In May 2012, nine men of Asian heritage were revealed to be guilty of the grooming, rape and sex trafficking of teenage girls in the Rochdale area between 2008 and 2009.

47 girls were identified as victims of child sexual exploitation, though allegations weren’t initially investigated in 2008, due to both the police and child protection services fearful of being accused of racism.

The case was the first of its kind to gain national attention, as it was the first successful prosecution for sex trafficking in the UK.

As of last year, a total of 42 men had been convicted resulting in jail sentences totalling 432 years.

The show was told from the viewpoint of three victims, with Lisa’s character being the mother of Amber Bowen (Ria Zmitrowicz) and her younger sister Ruby (Liv Hill).

As the real life case has made the news again recently – with the trial continuing at Manchester’s Minshull Street Court – the BBC has decided to repeat their series.

Lisa took to Instagram to recall her time filming the show, writing: ‘THANK YOU….so so so much for all your beautiful messages this week regarding “THREE GIRLS”

‘I love my job, feel so grateful to have been given the opportunity to play such a powerful role, it seems it’s been played each night this week on @bbc it’s available also on @bbciplayer on @appletv and also @primevideouk.

‘This is one of the most incredible pieces of television you could ever wish to be a part of, desperately proud of this one.

‘What a cast of beautiful, strong, independent women.’

One fan wrote: ‘I will never forget this!!! I always talk about this still! Heartbreaking but such an important drama – always be up there with one of the very best!!!’

Another added: ‘You were absolutely fantastic in this! I still remember the scene when they came to your door, and you told em! Absolute knockout!’

‘I watched this once and I was the same age as the girls at the time. Really shook me. I haven’t been able to watch it twice but refer to it often. Brilliant watch!’ said a third.