Nellie Dingle (née Lynch) is the first wife of Zak Dingle and mother of Nathan, Ben, Butch, Sam and Tina. She originally featured throughout 1995 and left the village to go and care for her sick father in Ireland. Zak later divorced her. Nellie returned in February 2000 and attempting to win Zak back from his second wife Lisa. Nellie was devastated when Butch died of injuries sustained in a bus crash in March 2000. Nellie stayed for Butch's funeral and returned to Ireland.