Emmerdale star Amelia Flanagan hits centre stage this month as her alter ego April Windsor is finally found after going missing.
As April processes the trauma she’s been through, in real life things are pretty good for actress Amelia. She has recently celebrated turning 16, finished her GCSEs and has a very close family – who are also soap stars.
Here’s a look at Amelia’s life off-screen.
Amelia Flanagan joins Emmerdale as April
April Windsor burst on to screens in 2014 and was an immediate hit with viewers. So much so she won several best young performer awards, including three years in a row at the Inside Soap Awards.
April is the daughter of Donna Windsor and Marlon Dingle. Marlon didn’t even know his former wife had been pregnant when she left the village in 2009. But in 2014 she returned with their daughter on Marlon’s 40th birthday. He was stunned to discover he had a daughter and initially said he wanted nothing to do with her.
But Donna was back for a tragic reason: she had terminal cancer and needed to leave April with her dad when she died. Donna took her own life by jumping off a building in 2014 when handcuffed to a pervert who had threatened to abuse April.
April went to live with Marlon full-time and also grew very close to Donna’s boyfriend Ross Barton.
In 2021, April was the victim of bullying online. Amelia received praise for her role in the storyline. It turned out her aunt, Cathy Hope, was behind the trolling. The two have since made up, however.
In March 2022, April was the one who found Marlon when he suffered a stroke. She has stepped up to help care for him during his recovery.
She currently lives with Marlon, stepmum Rhona Goskirk, brother Leo Goskirk and step-gran Mary Goskirk. Although April has run away from home and is surviving on the streets, Marlon is soon to get his daughter back – but at what cost to their relationship?
How old is Emmerdale star Amelia Flanagan?
With April – and Amelia – having grown-up on screen, it’s hard to believe the actress is now 16 years old. We still remember when she was a tiny tot!
She was born on June 6, 2008. Amelia joined Emmerdale when she was just five years old.
April, however, is slightly younger than Amelia. She was four when she arrived in the Dales and is currently 15 on screen.
Amelia celebrated her sweet 16 last summer with a big party. Looking stunning in a floor-length sequinned gown, fans were quick to comment on how grown-up Amelia looked.
Among the many wishes of “Happy Birthday” one fan wrote: “OMG! Stop it! I’m feeling old by seeing you growing! My Goodness, for how long did I sleep?”
Amelia completed her GCSEs last summer and although she hasn’t revealed how she did in the exams, she certainly has a bright future ahead of her whatever the outcome.
Amelia’s mum, dad and famous siblings
Amelia Flanagan’s parents are Rachel and Chris Flanagan. Rachel has long kept fans updated on Amelia’s life on social media. Chris has also celebrated his daughter on social media.
Back in 2020, he wrote on X: “Six years ago today we found out this one was going to join Emmerdale with no idea of what was to come!
“Couldn’t be more proud of everything she has done and the young lady she has become!”
Of course, soap fans know Amelia is not the only actor in her family. Her brother and sister – twins William and Isabella Flanagan – both star in Coronation Street.
Isabella has played troublemaker Hope Dobbs since August 2017. William, meanwhile, has played Joseph Brown since October 2017.
They are both 14 years old in real life. On-screen, Hope is also 14 and Joseph is actually a year younger, at 13.
As well as playing Joseph in Corrie, whose biggest storyline saw him struck down with Lyme disease, William recently also starred in a short film called Lia IRL. He won an award last year for Best Actor Under 17 at an Italian Film Festival.
Is Amelia Flanagan leaving Emmerdale?
Amelia is currently part of a huge storyline where April has gone missing. She disappeared on Christmas Day after a huge row with Marlon and was last seen getting into a mysterious car.
It then turned out April had been living a secret life. She was drinking and posting herself on social media on a secret account.
A special standalone episode to air on Tuesday February 4 will show viewers what April has been through – and it’s set to be pretty traumatic.
Although April is confirmed alive by the police who have told Marlon they have found her, she is seen in a pretty bad way. So does April die in Emmerdale?
There have been no announcements that April will die, nor that Amelia is leaving Emmerdale. In fact, given she’s just been found, there seems to be more of a story to tell going forward if she is alive.
