Emmerdale’s Marlon Dingle to suffer devastating stroke in heartbreaking storyline

EMMERDALE’S Marlon Dingle is to suffer a devastating stroke next week in a hard-hitting storyline.

The chef – who is played by actor Mark Charnock in the ITV soap – will collapse next week in the storyline that the soap has worked closely on with the Stroke Association.

Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: “Warm, witty and kindhearted – Marlon is undoubtedly one of Emmerdale’s most loved characters and with Mark Charnock’s sheer skill, craft and incredible range, it felt totally right to play such an incredibly important story as this, with Marlon highlighting that a stroke can happen at any time and showing the catastrophic consequences it can have on the person affected and their whole family.”

She added: “When we first started researching this storyline I was shocked by the stark statistics that the UK alone has 1.3 million stroke survivors, so we knew we wanted to do those people and their families justice by showing the raw reality of a stroke as truthfully and honestly as we could.  

“Extensive research was done for the actual stroke episode so we could step outside of our usual storytelling style and show the stroke from Marlon’s POV in a really impactful way because we wanted viewers to see what a stroke feels like in the moment.  

“As the story unfolds, we follow the tragic and heartbreaking long lasting repercussions it has on Marlon and his friends and family and how their love for each other shines through as they all pull together at this most difficult time.”

Mark Charnock added: “Working with Emmerdale‘s research team and the Stroke Association on this storyline has been a total eye-opener for me.  

“We hear the word ‘stroke’ bandied around a great deal, but being confronted with the sheer weight of numbers in this country alone has been a shock.  

“A stroke occurs every 5 minutes in the UK. Over 100,000 a year.  

“More can and should be done to raise awareness and hopefully, this story can help with that.  It’s an enormous responsibility to try and get it right for the survivors and their families and for those who’ve lost loved ones to this awful event.  

“No two strokes are the same, but the after-effects are devastating.  

“I’m very proud of the show for telling it and for letting me be a part of it.”

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Chief Executive at the Stroke Association Juliet Bouverie  OBE, said: “Many viewers will be able to identify with Marlon’s storyline, including the 1.3 million stroke survivors living in the UK.  

“A stroke can leave people facing the rest of their lives with a disability, and the emotional strain caused by the condition can be devastating on the stroke survivor and their family.

“We are delighted that Emmerdale and Mark Charnock are taking on this challenging story. 

“Stroke changes lives in an instant, but the brain can adapt.  If you think you or someone you know is having a stroke you should Act FAST and call 999 as a stroke is a medical emergency. 

“Anyone who’d like to find out more about stroke can visit www.stroke.org.uk.”