BBC/Composite: EastEnders Insider Share By Joel Harley Aug 13 2025 By Joel Harley Aug 13 2025 As April turns 16, 10 huge things that have happened to her during her time in the Dales The teen's been through a lot Amelia Flanagan April Windsor Features Share By Joel Harley Aug 13 2025 By Joel Harley Aug 13 2025 April Windsor celebrates her birthday in Emmerdale tonight (Wednesday, August 13), turning sixteen years old. This comes at the tail-end of a difficult year for April, who followed up being kidnapped last year with a stint of homelessness on the streets of Hotten. Not that April’s ever had it easy. Arriving in the village in 2014 as the secret daughter of Marlon Dingle, her life has been beset with pain and tragedy from the off. From the death of her mother to her recent stillbirth, she’s suffered more than most… no mean feat, given her young age. Here are ten of the biggest things which befell young April over the last sixteen years. Marlon learned he had a daughter in 2014 (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock) 1. Arrival in Emmerdale and meeting Marlon April arrived in the village in 2014, along with mother Donna. She was introduced to her father when he saved her from being hit by Adam Barton’s motorbike, after she’d run into the road. Learning that his ex was back in town, Marlon was shocked to discover that he had a young daughter. Although he initially wanted nothing to do with Donna or April, Marlon eventually relented, becoming a part of his daughter’s life. article continues below Read all the latest spoilers Donna died protecting April (Credit: ITV/YouTube) 2. The death of Donna Donna died later that year, jumping from the roof of a multi-storey cark park with a criminal who had threatened to abuse April. Before she died, she told Ross Barton to pass on the message that she loved her very much. Marlon was forced to break the news to a heartbroken April that her mother had died – although, crucially, he and Ross didn’t tell her how Donna had killed herself to save April. Laurel’s drinking endangered April (Credit: ITV/YouTube) 3. Laurel’s alcoholism In 2015, Marlon’s wife-at-the-time Laurel developed an addiction to alcohol. Although she managed to hide it for a while, young April was caught in the crossfire when she took a sip from her glass. After becoming sick, she was hospitalised. Laurel tried to bribe April into secrecy, although the truth came out a few weeks later when she and Arthur found Laurel passed out on the sofa, drowning in her own vomit. Marlon was wrongly accused of murder (Credit: ITV/YouTube) 4. Marlon’s in prison In 2020, Marlon was imprisoned for the murder of Graham Foster. During this time, Marlon lied to his daughter, telling her that children aren’t allowed to visit prison. Marlon was released when the real killer was revealed to be Pierce Harris, and the pair were reunited. Bully Cathy targeted April (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock) 5. Bullied by Cathy April was trolled by an account posing as her dead mother, who harassed her via social media and text message. April later found out that the culprit was Cathy Windsor, who lashed out, telling her that she wasn’t ‘special’ just because she had a dead mum. After all, her own mum, Viv Windsor, was also dead. April helped care for Marlon after his stroke (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock) 6. Marlon’s stroke In 2022, Marlon suffered a stroke after proposing to Rhona. It was April who found her father collapsed on the floor, and called an ambulance. April helped to care for her father when he returned home, and watched as he managed to walk down the aisle with Rhona later that year. However, as she later revealed, caring for her dad had taken its toll on thirteen-year-old April. April held herself responsible when Heath died (ITV/YouTube) 7. The death of Heath April held herself responsible when Heath was killed in a car crash. Having learned that Cathy, Heath and Angelica had planned to steal a car to go to a party in Hotten, April tried to talk the youths out of it. However, she failed to tell anyone else what they had planned – and felt awful when the car crashed. In the wake of Heath’s death, April was inconsolable, and blamed herself. Gangsters kidnapped April to get at Ross (Credit: ITV) 8. Kidnapped by gangsters April was caught in the middle when Jade Garrick targeted Ross. Knowing that Ross was fond of young April, Jade kidnapped the teenager as leverage to force him to return money stolen by Mack. Bundling her into the back of a car, Jade then had her thugs dangle April over the same roof where her mother had died. Thankfully Mack saw sense just in time, and he and Aaron arrived on the scene in the nick of time. The damage, however, had been done… Ross was one of the only people April trusted (Credit: ITV) 9. Learning the truth about her mum In the wake of her kidnapping ordeal, April grew close to Ross. It was then that she learned the truth about her mother’s death; discovering that Donna had killed herself to protect April. Realising that Marlon had lied to her for most of her life, April was sent into a spiral. April found herself alone on the streets of Leeds (Credit: ITV) 10. Homelessness and stillbirth April disappeared on Christmas 2024, walking out of the family home to spend time with friends in the big city. Unfortunately, her plans came to nothing, and she soon found herself alone on the cold streets of Leeds. Becoming homeless, she met friends Dylan and Bex, with whom she lived for a while. After becoming separated, April suffered a stillbirth in a local gym, and passed out on a park bench nearby. When she awoke, she had been hospitalised, with Rhona and her father at her side. As she filled her dad in on what had happened and what she’d been through, Marlon learned that she’d fallen pregnant after a one-night-stand, and run away out of a sense of shame. April is only just getting herself on an even keel now, but her experiences on the streets of Leeds still weigh heavy on her young mind. Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale in 2025? A complete guide to departures, returns and new arrivals in the Dales Share Good to Know Share By Joel Harley Aug 13 2025 By Joel Harley Aug 13 2025
