The actress, who recently celebrated her milestone 50th birthday and an MBE for her contributions to drama and charity, describes this current chapter as her golden time. Her lifestyle changes have been profound; since embracing sobriety ten years ago and finding joy in exercise, she has lost 12 stone. This shift has even impacted her work on the set of Emmerdale, where the production team has had to replace Mandy Dingle’s costumes because her original wardrobe no longer fits.
Beyond her professional success, Riley remains firm about her personal life. Despite being in a committed 13-year relationship with her partner, Al, she has no intention of marrying, calling the persistent public speculation regarding a wedding tedious. She prefers her current arrangement, noting that a marriage certificate would change nothing about their happiness.
Riley is also expanding her reach beyond the Dales. A fifth-place finish on I’m A Celebrity! introduced her to a younger demographic, leading to an unlikely but popular friendship with 24-year-old streamer Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angry Ginge. The duo has garnered millions of views on social media, a development that surprises even the actress. Looking ahead, she remains committed to her soap role but harbors a specific, albeit self-deprecating, ambition: to appear on The Great British Bake Off, primarily to meet her idol, Nigella Lawson, despite admitting she lacks any real baking skills.
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