Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley has received an outpouring of support from fans following her adorable tribute to her “baby”.
The actress, who became a household name after joining the ITV soap in 1995 as Mandy Dingle, quickly won over viewers with her character’s charm and wit.
Mandy’s journey on the show has been filled with dramatic storylines, including her cherished relationship with Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) and financial woes that led her to become an online financial dominatrix.
Off-screen, Lisa has been in a long-term relationship with her American partner Al for over a decade. The couple first crossed paths at a Strictly Come Dancing tour event in 2014 and got engaged four years later.
Recently, Lisa took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to her “baby” Al on his birthday. The post included several cosy snaps of the pair celebrating, along with a photo of Al’s impressive travel-themed cake, reports the Daily Star.
In her caption, Lisa wrote: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BABY, me and all the family Al are wishing you all the love and laughter in the world on your special day-glad we had the most gorgeous day yesterday celebrating. Today is all about you.”
Fans were quick to flood the comments section with birthday wishes for Al. One fan wrote: “Happy birthday Al, have a great day! Hope Lisa is spoiling you.”
Another chimed in: “Happy birthday to your man hope he has a great day. A third chimed in: ” while a third added: “Happy birthday photo number 1 is beautiful of you both.”
Despite their lengthy engagement, Lisa has previously explained why she and Al have opted against tying the knot.
She revealed: “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it… We’re very happy as we are and while I love wearing the beautiful ring Al gave me, I’ve never been the kind of girl who longs for a big, flouncy day with a horse and carriage.
“That kind of thing gives me the ick, to be honest. I’m never going to change my name, so really, what would be the difference? We call each other husband and wife, and have been together for nine years.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm
