| Moira Barton | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Emmerdale character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Natalie J. Robb | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2009–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 5350 17 July 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Steve Frost | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Paddy and Marlon's Big Night In (2011) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Moira Dingle (previously Barton and Boyd) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Natalie J. Robb. The actress successfully auditioned for the role after a call came through her agent. Robb's character and her family were created and introduced to Emmerdale as part of an overhaul of the show by the series producer Gavin Blyth. The Barton family took over the running of Butler's Farm and they were described as being "sexy, modern and contemporary". Robb first appeared as Moira during the episode broadcast on 17 July 2009.
Moira is portrayed as being strong, feisty, vivacious and independent. She is a farmer's wife and very protective of her family, who she always puts first. Robb said being part of a modern-day farming family is what drew her to the role of Moira. Moira's early storylines often revolved around her marriage and her three children. She and her husband John (James Thornton) were childhood sweethearts. Moira managed to balance work and family because she had John's support. Moira's later storylines focused on an affair with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), whom she later married after John's death and a casual relationship with farmhand Alex Moss (Kurtis Stacey); the revelation that she had had an affair with John's brother, James (Bill Ward), who was the biological father of her son Adam (Adam Thomas); murdering Emma Barton (Gillian Kearney); an affair with her farmhand Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter), who turned out to be Cain's secret son; and being diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumour. For her portrayal of Moira, Robb was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards.