Samson Dingle

Samson John Dingle is the son of Sam and Alice Dingle. In October 2022, Samson became a father at the age of sixteen after Amelia Spencer gave birth to his daughter Esther following a one-night stand earlier in the year. 
==Biography==
===2005-2006: Alice's cancer and birth===
Alice Wilson discovered she was pregnant in July 2005 whilst she and boyfriend Sam Dingle were living in Norfolk. Sam was scared about becoming a father and went home to Wishing Well Cottage and didn't tell his family about the pregnancy. Alice followed Sam back to Emmerdale and told Sam's family about the pregnancy and realised Sam only ran away due to being scared. Sam didn't want to return to Norfolk so Sam and Alice moved back to the village, to have family around them and help with the baby when it came. Alice had blood taken but the results came back with an abnormally high white blood cell count and she feared he had cancer. Alice didn't tell Sam about the tests, not wanting to scare him but she eventually opened up to him and he realised he could lose both Alice and their baby. Sam and Alice told the Dingles about Alice's possible cancer and they supported them.
In October 2005 Alice was diagnosed with cancer but pretended that she had been given the all-clear. The following month, local doctor Adam Forsythe read Alice's notes and discovered that she had cancer. Adam told Alice that she should have a termination, and start chemotherapy but Alice refused to get rid of her baby and tells Sam of her actual diagnosis. Sam visited Adam and asked him to make Alice better, but Adam told him that Alice will need chemotherapy as soon as possible which would mean terminating the pregnancy.
In January 2006 Sam and Alice went for an ultrasound scan and discovered that their son was a little small. A nurse tried to persuade Alice that in the third trimester the risk to the baby from chemotherapy is small, but she refused to undergo it until the baby is born. A follow-up scan revealed that the baby was in distress and Alice was told she would need a cesarean section immediately.
On 12th January 2006 Alice delivered a little boy with Sam by her side, but their son was rushed into intensive care baby unit due to him being premature. Sam named their son Samson and Alice loved the double meaning of the name and asked that he have John as a middle name after her father. Alice started chemotherapy soon after. Samson was allowed to come home in February 2006. Alice decided to stop chemotherapy and Alice decided to write a journal of advice she would give Sam and Samson as he is growing up. Due to the cancer, Alice became weaker and soon struggled to hold Samson. On 31st July 2006, Sam helped Alice to die by administrating a fatal dose of morphine. The Dingles were surprised when Sam's brother Cain Dingle took the blame for administering the fatal dose so that Samson did not lose both of his parents.
===2007-2021: Early life and social services===
In March 2007 Sam became worried about Samson and rushed him to the hospital. The Dingles were told Samson was suffering from meningitis. Sam kept a vigil at Samson's hospital bedside and even threatened to kill himself if his son dies. Sam and the family were relieved when Samson was given the all-clear. In October that year Sam decided he wanted to move out for a bit of independence but he is turned down for a council house. Zak and Lisa didn't want Sam and Samson to move out but Sam rents Dale View off of Home Farm Estates. After a day Sam asked to move back home but Lisa refused, realising they need to let go. The following month Samson accidentally drank out of a glass with vodka after Daz Eden left it out. Sam called an ambulance although Samson was fine. Sam received a visit from the hospital social worker so he ordered Daz to leave. Sam struggled financially and Zak offered to let him move back to Wishing Well Cottage but Sam declines. Sam has to allow Daz to move back in due to his financial situation.
In January 2008 Samson managed to get out of the house unnoticed and is accidentally knocked over by Val Lambert's car and is knocked out. Samson is rushed to hospital and Sam is told that Samson has broken his arm. Social services gives Sam a warning over Samson's care. A few days later Sam does a dodgy job for Eli Dingle as Carl King was demanding the overdue rent. Police officer Ross Kirk discovers that Sam had a large quantity of cocaine and arrests him for possession with intent to supply. Sam is released with a fine after he turns Eli into the police. After the arrest Terry Woods reports Sam to social services and he receives another visit from social services. The social worker warns Sam that Samson could be put into care and she advises Zak and Lisa to apply for custody of Samson to prevent him from entering the care system. Zak and Lisa worry about Sam's behaviour so they reluctantly apply for temporary custody of Samson. Sam ran away with Samson to a deserted house as he didn't want to lose his son. Zak and Lisa make a television appeal for Sam to return home safely with Samson. Sam is forced to come out of hiding when Samson develops a high fever. Sam moves back in with the Dingles at Wishing Well Cottage when the social worker says he could lose Samson if she continues to have fears over Samson's welfare and Sam's ability to be a parent. In February 2010, Sam and Samson temporarily move into Farrers Barn after Shadrach Dingle floods Wishing Well Cottage. In December, Sam receives a letter from Samson's school saying that Samson may suffer from dyslexia although a few months later he reads lines in the school play.
Sam and Lisa become concerned about Samson after he refuses to participate in PE lessons. Rachel Breckle accuses Samson of bullying her niece Amelia Spencer and insists that she is going straight to the headteacher. Samson admits that he pushed Amelia but insists that Amelia has been bullying him, not the other way around. Over summer 2011 Samson helps Sam out with gamekeeping at Home Farm. Sam's niece Debbie Dingle becomes concerned that Samson may have hit her daughter Sarah when she develops a bruise after playing with Samson. Samson denied hitting Sarah and it is later revealed that Sarah was suffering from a rare blood disease which caused the bruising. Samson and Amelia soon become friends. In March 2012, Zak becomes disorientated whilst collecting Samson from school and they end up in Home Farm woods. Sam is furious with Zak and bars him from picking Samson up from school. A few months later Zak is sectioned into a mental institution. After Zak is released Sam is wary about Zak looking after Samson and asks reluctant Cain to babysit for him.
Samson and Amelia notice that Rachel and Sam are good friends and together they leave a valentines card to Rachel from 'Sam' in Rachel's son Archie's pram. Sam and Rachel begin a relationship soon after and Samson looks to Rachel as a mum. Sam and Samson move in with Rachel and Archie at Tenant's Cottage. Rachel's sister Ali, her son Sean and Ali's girlfriend Ruby moved in with them after they are evicted. The living arrangements frustrate Samson so Lisa suggested that they all move back into Wishing Well Cottage. Sam was arrested in January 2014 after Home Farm was set on fire and Samson was distraught. Samson is released after Rachel confesses after being threatened by Sam's cousin Charity Sharma as Charity's estrange husband Jai was the father of baby Archie. Sam was not happy with the family blaming Rachel for the fire and turned up at Marlon Dingle's house with Samson and asked to stay although they soon moved back home. 
In the Summer of 2014, Sam begins a relationship with Tracy Shankley but he ends it after he finds out that Samson has given away his tablet computer to get a girl to like him the way Sam was buying Tracy things. After Rachel returns to give evidence at Charity's trial in January 2015, she begins trying to win back Sam. They eventually get back together. They move back to Tenant's Cottage but Rachel tells Sam that they need to leave the village with Samson and Archie to escape Jai after he locks her in a fridge. Rachel takes her frustrations out on Sam when Jai begins custody proceedings for Archie. Sam often asked Lisa and Zak to take Samson as he didn't want him to be around Rachel whilst she was in her moods. Rachel leaves the village in August, Sam and Samson stay on at Tenant's Cottage and Sam invites Jai's pregnant estranged wife Megan Macey to stay with them when she was homeless.
===2022 to 2023: Birth of his daughter ===
In March 2022 Samson attends a party in the Cafe with his cousin Noah Dingle. Noah tries to make Chloe Harris jealous by flirting with Amelia Spencer, who had a crush on him. Eventually Chloe leaves after Noah insults her. Noah also shouts at Amelia, making her run away in tears but Samson follows her. It is later revealed that Amelia and Samson had sex that night, resulting in Amelia falling pregnant.
In July 2022 Samson begins teasing Noah Dingle about his close friendship with Amelia Spencer but Noah says to leave Amelia alone because she has a lot of things going on. Not knowing what Noah means, Samson continues to tease the pair and Noah thinks that it is because Samson is jealous. After an argument, Samson tells Noah he is not jealous of him and Amelia because he has already had sex with her. A furious Noah then blurts out that Amelia is pregnant - understanding that Samson must be the father. Samson then goes looking for Amelia who is furious with Noah for telling Samson she was pregnant. Samson tells Amelia she has to have an abortion as he has plans for his future, with Noah telling Samson that Amelia had plans for her future as well. Samson is shocked to learn Amelia has already had a scan and Amelia tells him that she has had two and felt the baby kick. This causes a huge scene between the three of them, causing Amelia to confess the fact she is pregnant to Dan, Sam and Lydia. Initially Dan believes Noah is the baby's father and is furious, however Noah states that the baby is not his and with Amelia looking at Samson; they all soon come to the realisation that he is the father, much to the disappointment of Sam and Lydia. While at home, Sam tells Samson that he needs to face up to his responsibilities and be a father once the baby is born.
Amelia goes into labour on the 17th October 2022. Noah helps the villagers search for Samson after a storm hits Emmerdale, and he no where to be found. Later that Day, Noah and Mackenzie Boyd find Samson under a bridge and he is taken to hospital. While in hospital, Sam and Lydia encourage Samson to meet his daughter and Amelia asks him if he likes the name she has chosen - which is Esther; Samson agrees he also likes the name. While in the room with his daughter, everyone thinks Samson has fallen in love with her but Samson tells Esther that he is only there because he was forced to and he doesn't want to be her dad so he won't let her ruin his life.
When Amelia asks Samson to put his name on Esther’s birth certificate and he agrees. It is later revealed that Samson only did this so he could put Esther up for adoption. He then reports Amelia to Social Services for abusing Esther and they do a check. Amelia is distraught at the idea she could lose Esther but Dr Manpreet Sharma decides there are no signs of abuse. Eventually everyone finds out what Samson did and they turn on him. Noah threatens Samson outside Wishing Well Cottage but Charity gets him to back off before he does anything. Later Samson goes to hit the punching bag in the Dingle’s barn and Sam follows him. Sam is initially furious with Samson and tells him he has to step up for Esther. Samson says that he just wants to live his life and not be tied down to the village. Sam understands and tells Samson he will stop pressuring him to be a father, but he and Lydia will still see their granddaughter.
A few months later Samson begins to bond with Esther and Amelia. Noah is mistrustful of this and Samson says he will stay away from them if Noah pays him. Noah agrees and gives Samson £2,000 from his trust fund. A week later Samson demands more money as he has already spent the money on trainers and a new phone. Noah pays Samson again but he continues to ask for more. Soon everyone finds out about Noah paying Samson off. Sam and Lydia are angry with him and Sam decides to kick Samson out of the family.
==Career==
=== Employment history ===
Role 	Institution 	Duration
Shop assistant	David's Shop	4th January 2022
Intern 	Piccologica 	12th September 2023 to 22nd September 2023
Pot washer 	The Woolpack	13th December 2023 to 6th August 2024
==See also==
*Full list of appearances
Category:Emmerdale characters
Category:2006 births
Category:2006 debuts
Category:Dingle family
Category:Characters played by different actors
Category:Residents of Wishing Well Cottage
Category:Residents of Dale View
Category:Residents of Tenant House
Category:Connelton Primary School students
Category:The Dingles: For Richer, For Poorer characters
Category:Woolpack employees
Category:2024 departures