Emmerdale has released a trailer that reveals the horrifying moment Marlon Dingle suffers a stroke.
Last week the soap revealed the devastating storyline that comes as the popular character prepares to marry partner Rhona Goskirk.
In the moving teaser, Marlon looks in the mirror terrified as he appears to notice the left side of his face has dropped.
He then falls to the floor.
Daughter April finds him, tearfully begging: “Dad, just speak to me, please.”
Rhona then rushes to the hospital as Marlon’s best friend Paddy pleads by his bedside: “Will you just cope back to me, please.
“I can’t cope.”
Then Rhona tells her husband-to-be as she clutches his hand: “It doesn’t matter how long this takes or how hard it is, we’re going to do this together.”
Read more: Emmerdale Spring Spoilers: Fearsome family feud and a shock from Rhona Goskirk
Marlon’s stroke storyline
The harrowing plot will play out over months, mirroring the experiences of real-life stroke victims as they come to terms with their stoke.
Mark Charnock who plays Marlon, said: “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.”
‘Catastrophic consequences’
Emmerdale Producer Laura Shaw added: “Warm, witty and kindhearted Marlon is undoubtedly one of Emmerdale’s most loved characters.
“With Mark Charnock’s skill, craft and incredible range, it felt right to play such an incredibly important story as this.
“Marlon highlights that a stroke can happen at any time. It shows the catastrophic consequences it can have on the person affected and their whole family.
“When we first started researching this storyline I was shocked by the stark statistics. 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.”
“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.”
Viewers will see the stroke from Marlon’s perspective, with Emmerdale using special filming techniques.
Laura said they wanted them to see what a stroke feels like in the moment.
Want more spoilers from Emmerdale? Entertainment Daily has a dedicated Emmerdale spoilers section for you to get your fix before the latest episodes air.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour episode on Thursdays.
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