Emmerdale star in ‘better place’ as she marks major sobriety milestone
Lisa has hit a huge milestone
Lisa Riley, an undisputed Emmerdale icon as animal-print adorned Mandy Dingle, has notched another achievement in a year utterly full of them.
While it’s been a tough year for Mandy – losing her beloved salon and standing by her husband Paddy Kirk’s (Dominic Brunt) side as he navigated the aftermath of the horrors his dad Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) experienced as part of a modern slavery ring and the murder that followed – it’s been a much better year for Lisa!
So far in 2026, she has been awarded an MBE and turned 50 years old, but she hasn’t stopped there when it comes to accolades.
Taking to Instagram this week, Lisa revealed that she’d officially completed 11 years sober, and was absolutely flooded with supportive and loving comments from co-workers, friends and fans alike.
She’d previously spoken out about her relationship with alcohol and how she initially decided to put it in the past: ‘I was self-medicating with alcohol, I wasn’t sleeping because I’d lost my mum and I wasn’t coping very well,’ she explained.
‘You know getting up early for work, you have to go to bed because you’re going knackered.
‘A bottle and a half, two bottles helped me completely in those times and it was just a game I played with myself.
”I’m going to try and get through a christening, I’m going to try and get through Christmas without it’ and all of a sudden you become obsessed with the fact I can say ‘nine years ago’.’
‘Back then it was ‘I’ve done three months, I’ve done four months’ and that becomes the obsession or the addiction the drink had on me.
‘I never thought that I’d be here now but I love it. The fake of me has completely gone and I don’t ever want to have that back and it’s a better place to be.’
Sharing an image of a mug emblazoned with the words ’11 years sober today’, Lisa wrote a thoughtful and inspiring caption to go with the post.
‘A day to be incredibly proud – 11 years sober today. To feel so free.
‘Honestly, truly, now I’ve escaped from anything that destroyed being the truest me!
‘Each and every day I live life to the fullest – never wasting one minute – and certainly not wasting a second in a fog of fake!
‘My life is mine – which frankly is full of love and fun – I’ve created a life that does not require numbness for survival’
Angry Ginge, who shared the jungle with Lisa during their series of I’m a Celebrity said: ‘GO ON LISA’.
Fellow jungle alumni Gemma Collins added a string of clapping emojis.
The Sober Girl Society said: ‘We love this so much! Congratulations lovely Lisa!’.
Scarlett Moffatt posted: ‘So proud of you’, while former Loose Women co-stars, Ruth Langsford and Denise Welsh added: ‘You’re amazing’ and ‘So proud of you’, respectively.
After her public announcement, Lisa shared an image created by a friend, with her face placed atop the sunshine spread across a UK weather map.
‘This is so kind what one of my most loyal friends ever sent me this tonight…’ she began the caption.
‘After sharing with you all my anniversary of being 11 years sober – she made me this saying…’My best mate Lisa spreads sunshine all over the country’
‘That is the cutest I’m so touched. Love it!’
