Diane Sugden (also Blackstock) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Elizabeth Estensen. Since her first appearance in 1999, she has been involved in several high-profile storylines, including her marriage to Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) and his subsequent death, a battle with colon cancer, the revelation that her ex-husband Rodney Blackstock (Patrick Mower) fathered her sister Val Lambert's (Charlie Hardwick) son, being held hostage in a siege at the Woolpack, sleeping with Val's husband Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell), being involved in a helicopter crash which kills Val, being stabbed by Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), and a feud with Chrissie White (Louise Marwood). In September 2021, it was announced that Estensen had made the decision to take a break from acting and her final appearance as Diane aired on 29 October 2021.