Lisa Riley and her fiancé Al have been engaged for over a decade, but there’s a heartbreaking reason they’ll never make it down the aisle.

Speaking to The Mirror earlier this year, the actress, who is currently on I’m A Celeb but best known for her role as Mandy Dingle on Emmerdale, sweetly shared that she already feels like a married woman.

While there was a point in time that she and Al would’ve loved to tie the knot, he unfortunately ‘has no parents’ and it wouldn’t feel right for them to have that special occasion without them.

‘We’re already married, but not married and honestly, I truly couldn’t cope with the big day without my mum by my side- why would I want to put myself through that?,’ Lisa shared.

She continued: ‘Al lost his mum not long ago, and he’s got no parents. Thank God I’ve got Dad. But you know, we’re not kids – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We’re 11 years together in June.’

And it’s not just Al’s parents that wouldn’t be in attendance; Lisa sadly lost her mum Cath to cancer in 2012.

She previously told the publication: ‘We’ve lost both our mums. And when it comes to things like weddings, you do it for the other people.

‘I’m never going to change my name, so really, what would be different?’

Lisa also shared that she went back to work ‘too quickly’ after her mother-in-law’s death.

She spoke of how losing Al’s mum, whom she affectionately calls Nana, resurfaced difficult memories of her own mum Cathy’s passing in 2012.

Lisa described Al’s mother as like a ‘second mother’ to her and said they were incredibly close.

Lisa also spoke about not being married to her long-term partner in February, sharing a selfie on Instagram and writing: ‘Today is “World Marriage Day” and don’t get me wrong at all, getting married is lovely, if you want that.

‘But I want to shout so loudly….. you CAN be like Me and Al, here we are, couldn’t love each other more if we tried, we have been engaged for years now, together eleven years this coming June. I don’t see how being married is any different to what we have. You can make a full commitment to one another without having the conventional wedding day.

‘As for some of us-it’s just not a priority, and also because we have lost (to heaven) so many of our family members now, the day would be exceptionally hard, so for this main reason alone, it makes sense. But for all of you who enjoy marriage I am here for you. Celebrate your love together.’