Emmerdale's Mark Charnock: 'It's awful when Marlon sees what Laurel's become' (VIDEO)

Laurel's drinking problem has been getting worse and worse in Emmerdale over the past few months, but her husband, Marlon, still refuses to believe she's an alcoholic.

"I think Marlon's totally missed the warning signs," says Mark Charnock ,who plays Marlon. "Even with Laurel's dad Doug's accusations of alcoholism, he just doesn't buy it. It's not the Laurel he knows and just can't associate the two things."

However, Marlon gets a shock awakening to Laurel's alcohol addiction, when she hits the bottle and collapses unconscious on the sofa in front of their children, April and Arthur. When April is unable to wake Laurel, she panics and calls an ambulance while little Arthur runs to raise the alarm...

"It's like a painting of his worst nightmare," Mark says of the upcoming episodes. "Laurel's got breathing apparatus on. She's surrounded by paramedics and Marlon can't quite take it in. But all his disbelief is washed away and he sees what she's become in this single moment. It's awful."

Check out our video chat with Mark as he tells us why he thinks this has been a clever storyline, and whether life will ever be the same again for the village chef in the aftermath of this shock event?

Watch the interview with Emmerdale star Mark Charnock, above.

Simon Timblick
Writer

Simon has long been a fan of soap operas, and especially loves OVER-THE-TOP plots involving evil twins, hair-pulling catfights and natural disasters. Anyone remember the Sunset Beach earthquake/tidal wave? Or when Krystle Carrington got locked in the attic and replaced by look-a-like Rita in Dynasty?!

Simon has written for a variety of TV and childrens’ magazines/websites including Inside Soap, Nickelodeon, What’s On TV, Radio Times, Metro, Girl Talk, Disney Girl, Toxic! and Digital Spy. He has reported LIVE from the red carpet at The British Soap Awards interviewing glammed-up stars from soapland, and hosted a Facebook LIVE session for Metro with Home and Away legend Ray Meagher (Alf "Stone the flamin' crows!" Stewart) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Aussie soap.

Simon is also co-author of The Treasures Of Coronation Street (Carlton Books)

And the writer and director of (very!) low budget fright flick, Midsummer Night's EVIL and the sequel webisodes series, The Hatchet Woods HORROR.