Marlon Dingle will suddenly suffer a stroke on next week’s Emmerdale in an emotional new storyline for the much-loved character.
Emmerdale aims to raise awareness of the warning signs of a stroke, and the soap has worked closely with the Stroke Association to ensure that Marlon’s experience is portrayed sensitively and accurately.
The life-changing event will be told from Marlon’s perspective, allowing the audience to follow his experience in real-time. The show will follow the character’s family and loved ones as they try to support him, as well as Marlon’s future as he sets out on the road to recovery.
Speaking about the story, Emmerdale Producer Laura Shaw said: “Warm, witty and kind-hearted 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.”
Opening up on the research process, Shaw 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.”
Juliet Bouverie OBE, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association 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.”
Bouverie went on to praise the ITV soap for shining a light on this important subject. She also shared her hopes for Marlon’s journey and the potential it has in helping people understand this illness.
“We are delighted that Emmerdale and Mark Charnock are taking on this challenging story. As a charity, we are very pleased to have been able to offer our advice and support from the beginning of the process. A number of stroke consultants, stroke survivors and teams across the charity have helped the Emmerdale production team to ensure a realistic depiction of a stroke is portrayed on screen.
“We hope that Marlon’s stroke will raise awareness amongst viewers, as a quarter of all strokes happen to people of working age (under 65’s) just like Marlon. 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.”
Actor Mark Charnock has played the role of Marlon for 26 years. He revealed his pride over telling this story, adding how educational the planning process has been.
“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 five 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.”
Viewers will see Marlon’s new journey begin on Emmerdale next week.
You can find more information about stroke symptoms, as well as advice and support by visiting the Stroke Association website.
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