Emmerdale favourite Natalie J Robb, who plays Moira Dingle, has embraced a new mindset after hitting 50 last year, with her urging others to live in the present and be kind
07:00, 24 Mar 2026Updated 07:03, 24 Mar 2026
Natalie J Robb has been a favourite on Emmerdale for 17 years(Image: Getty Images)
Natalie J Robb has been a favourite on Emmerdale for 17 years, with her character Moira Dingle being at the centre of some huge and dramatic storylines.
In her latest plot, Moira is in prison for a double murder she did not commit, making her the talk of the village for all the wrong reasons – while a big change on the show has left cast member Natalie “gutted”. Actress Natalie, 51, has learned to ignore the opinion of others though in real life, instead embracing who she is, as she encourages other women to do the same.
Natalie tells us how her attitudes about life have changed with age, with her determined to live each day “as if it’s her last”. She says: “I tend to not look too far into the future. I try to live each day like it’s my last. I always try to find something good in my day.
“Like when I’ve had a really good morning at work, I’ll see if I can get at least five smiles out of people that I don’t know. Things like that, I try to do a good thing every day no matter how little or small it is. It doesn’t matter, it’s just about feeling good and living in the present.
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Emmerdale favourite Natalie J Robb, who plays Moira Dingle, has embraced a new mindset after hitting 50 last year(Image: ITV)
“That’s really important. When I was younger I used to always live in the past or try to look too far into the future. But we should just live in the now. It’s so important, but it’s actually harder to do than people think, to have that mindset.
“Since I’ve had that mindset, maybe because I’m older and wiser, but I do tend to live in the present. That would be my biggest advice to people and to be kind to yourself, because I used to give myself such a hard time about my weight and then I look at myself now and I’m like, oh my God if I looked like that now, what was I thinking?
“It just goes to show you how your mind can make you see something completely different. You’ve got to believe in yourself and just be kind to others. Honestly life’s too short. Just be kind and just live in the present.”
In her latest plot, Moira is in prison for a double murder she did not commit(Image: ITV)
Natalie has had a heavy schedule at Emmerdale, especially in the past couple of years. From Moira’s brain tumour diagnosis, her imprisonment and now her husband Cain Dingle’s prostate cancer diagnosis, it’s meant Natalie and co-star Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain, have been very busy onset with little time to wind down.
Natalie says it can feel like Groundhog Day, while she has found ways to calm her mind and switch off from filming, even on the busier days. Natalie has been learning tai chi, a Chinese martial art, and she says it’s already made a difference to her wellbeing as well as her sleep pattern, while also helping her learn her lines for the next day.
She says: “We learn lines and then when you go home, you’re learning lines for the next day. I like to skeletonise my lines, and then I have to drum them in the night before. It’s the only way my brain will do it. It can be tiring as you’re always on the go, and I can only wind down after a busy filming day when I know I’ve not got work the next day.
Natalie, pictured with co-star Mark Charnock, tells us how her attitudes about life have changed with age(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
“It is a bit like Groundhog Day. I’ve recently started tai chi with an app on my phone, because I practically live at the ITV studios at the moment so I can’t do any classes. I have felt a difference with it. I do it for 15 minutes a day and I have noticed a difference in my sleeping. It’s very calming and I’ve been doing it at night because I’ve not got time in the morning to be honest with you.
“I noticed when I didn’t do it one evening, I didn’t have the best sleep, but it might have been because I had a busy day. It does help me unwind though, and it also tones your whole body up. So you tell the app what you want to tone and if you want to lose weight, if you want better sleep, and it designs lessons for you.”
Natalie says introducing tai chi to her day has also helped her tune into a positive mindset. She explains: “Another thing I would say is be true to yourself. I feel that I have my little modules that I try to follow daily, and I do have gratitude. Since I’ve been doing tai chi, it makes you tune into that sort of thing better too.”
Natalie has had a heavy schedule at Emmerdale, especially in the past couple of years(Image: ITV)
With Emmerdale continually praised for raising awareness for health issues, such as Cain’s cancer diagnosis, the soap’s mental health storylines have also been championed by fans. Natalie says it’s important shows like Emmerdale continue to encourage people to speak out.
She shares: “Everybody goes through it. Even the way that we work, for example, you can get tired and that can cause a strain on your mental health, because you’re trying to keep up with things. There’s so many different levels of it. It was always brushed under the carpet.
“People didn’t know until mental health was kind of brought up to the forefront and started to be talked about, which is important. With anything like cancer as well, the main thing is keeping that mental health right. It’s never going to be a good thing if the mind goes, because then it’s not going to work with the body.
Natalie says it’s important shows like Emmerdale continue to encourage people to speak out(Image: ITV)
“The mind and body work so hand-in-hand together. All these issues need to be raised, it’s very important, because the world’s not an easy place to live in now, unfortunately. It’s not what it was when I was growing up, that’s for sure. It’s important these shows stop people being afraid to speak out.”
With Cain’s own mental health spiralling amid his health diagnosis, Natalie says Moira is able to help her husband in a way that other characters are unable to. She hopes viewers seeing a character like Cain, who doesn’t open up about his feelings, realising it helps to talk will encourage those watching to do the same.
Natalie says: “Moira is always trying to open him up. She knows him inside out. That’s why they’re good for each other because they balance each other out.” With innocent Moira still yet to be released from prison, fans can expect a changed character when she does eventually return home.
Fans can also expect big changes after Moira’s decision to sell Butlers Farm to Kim Tate after 17 years(Image: ITV)
Natalie says: “I think prison makes her a bit harder. I think the way she presents herself is going to change a bit, because she’s had everything taken away from her. So the things that she didn’t really bother with she’s going to actually do now. She will want to feel good about herself.
“She’s gonna have a bit of a rebirth in that sense but it’s made her tougher. When she’s out, she’s gonna be around people all of a sudden again and that can feel weird because you’ve just been on your own for ages and you’ve not had the same chain of chaos as you used to have.”
Fans can also expect big changes after Moira’s decision to sell Butlers Farm to Kim Tate after 17 years. Natalie says she was “gutted” when she found out she’d be leaving the farm set after more than a decade, but she hinted exciting plots are ahead. She says: “I was gutted when I found out, I’m not going to lie.
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“But gutted in a way because I’ve been there from day-to-day. I have always loved working on that set but on the flip side, you embrace the change as well. It’s a bit of a difference, but the show is going back to the old roots with the Tates, the Dingles and the Sugdens.
“There’s a lot of new stories that could come from that. All good things come to an end. It does feel a little bit odd but we are producing some good stuff at the minute, so I’m happy with that.”
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