Emmerdale's all male episode tomorrow will feature some "jaw dropping" revelations.
Mark Charnock - who plays Marlon Dingle in the ITV soap - organises a late night lock in at The Woolpack to try and bring the topic of mental health to the forefront of the men in the Dales. Marlon, a friend of Paddy's for years, has been trying to support Paddy after he admitted he has been struggling with his own mental health and suicidal thoughts.
Now Mark has revealed the episode will reveal some big secrets about some of the character's pasts, and teased some of them would be quite "jaw dropping" and not something viewers are yet to be aware of.
"I won't name anybody, but there's a couple of revelations about people's past that are genuinely a bit jaw-dropping," he revealed of the episode to Digital Spy, "What's brilliant is that one person recalls something that happened to him in his distant past and it sort of explains some of the ways he is now. It's very smart writing, with call backs to characters' history that we haven't seen."
Marlon will be joined by Cain, Jimmy, Liam, Bob, Charles, Sam, Nate and Bear in the Woolpack, as they try and convince Paddy to join them too to discuss male mental health, their feelings and experiences.
Explaining how it all plays out, Marlon added: "I don't think men talk about their feelings generally, so it would be a mistake to say that they just jump straight in and start talking. It takes a while, but once they get there, it just starts to open up like ripples.
"In the bits where they're not talking, I think everybody is just trying to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable. Cain suggests playing darts. Actually, with Cain being Cain, he just says: 'We're playing darts now.'"
He quipped: "Everyone just decides that they'd better do it if Cain says they are!"
Mark confirmed the storyline would run for a while, with Paddy experiencing ups and downs throughout the next few months as he tries to cope with his own feelings. He explained that their relationship is more like brothers.
"They've always supported each other and they've always been like brothers. Paddy's been there for Marlon with his problems over the past few years, so it's nice that Marlon can now take the reins for him. I think it's a terrific story and it's very moving," he said.
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.
Emmerdale airs on weekdays on ITV at 7pm.
