Emmerdale appears to be hinting at a heartbreaking twist involving the death of a much-loved character from the Dales. Marlon Dingle, portrayed by Mark Charnock, has been a fixture on the soap since 1996.
As the son of Albert Dingle (Bobby Knutt), the Woolpack chef has endeared himself to many fans. Over the years, Marlon has found himself embroiled in numerous significant storylines – from an unexpected stint in prison to suffering a stroke, his life in the village has been far from uneventful.
Currently, tensions are high as Marlon’s daughter April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) vanished on Christmas Day. The last sighting of the teenager was her getting into a car driven by an unidentified person.
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His life in the village has been far from uneventful
(Image: ITV)
April’s disappearance came after a difficult time in the Dales when she learned the truth about her mother Donna’s (Verity Rushworth) death in 2014. This led to April turning to alcohol and drugs and falling out with her father Marlon (Mark Charnock) – before she went missing, according to Leeds Live.
Since then, Marlon has been left devastated, determined to find out where April is, along with the rest of the village. However, this week, a CCTV video showing a potential sighting of April running across a street in Leeds was shown to her family, reports Leicestershire Live.
Marlon then headed to Leeds to distribute leaflets about April. In Wednesday’s episode, Marlon continued his search for April, joined by Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy).
Emmerdale fans have expressed concern for Marlon Dingle’s health after noticing his persistent cough in recent episodes. His on-screen partner Rhona Goskirk, played by Zoe Henry, has also voiced her worries, telling him: “Marlon, you’re no use to anyone if you’re poorly, you have to take care of yourself.” This has sparked speculation among viewers that the soap may be hinting at a serious health issue or even a grim fate for Marlon.
On an Emmerdale Facebook fan group, one viewer commented: “Did anyone else notice Marlon coughing? ” prompting a flurry of responses, including: “Yes it’s worrying! ” and “Foreshadowing his death I think.”
Other fans have suggested that the stress caused by his daughter April could lead to severe health issues, while another theory proposes that Marlon’s shouting may have given him a bad cough, potentially leading to a pneumonia storyline.
Emmerdale airs every weekday at 19.30pm on ITV1, ITV X, STV and STV Player with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. It is also available each morning from 07.00am on ITVX.
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