Emmerdale’s Marlon Dingle, played by Mark Charnock, faces a torrent of online abuse in the latest gripping storyline as he frantically searches for his missing daughter April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan), who disappeared on Christmas Day. The Dingle family has been in a state of panic, trying to locate her ever since.
In a bid to find April, Marlon decides to record an appeal video that quickly goes viral. However, Mary Goskirk (Louise Jameson) attempts to shield him from the barrage of hateful comments that come flooding in.
Despite the backlash, Marlon discovers the cruel messages and contemplates taking down the video, regretting not seeking proper advice before launching the appeal. In the end, Marlon stands firm, refusing to remove the video, with Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) by his side, facing the online hostility together.
The team collaborated with the charity Missing People to ensure a truthful portrayal of such a sensitive issue. Producer Laura Shaw said: “Marlon has recently been struggling with his relationship with April but never imagined he would be in such a heartbreaking situation this Christmas.”
She added: “In the coming weeks, as the search for April intensifies, we explore the emotional turmoil a family faces when a young person goes missing. We are so grateful to the charity Missing People for their invaluable help and support with this storyline.”, reports Leeds Live.
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Emmerdale’s Marlon Dingle faces a torrent of online abuse in the latest gripping storyline (Image: ITV)
Kate Graham, Head of Communications at Missing People, expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration with on a crucial storyline: “It has been an amazing experience to work with on this important storyline. The researchers were clear from the start that they wanted to ground the storyline in reality and in no way glamorise it.”
She continued to praise the team’s dedication: “Everyone at , including the actors, have impressed us with their understanding of a very difficult subject matter, meeting with our team of experts, asking very relevant questions and really immersing themselves in the experience of both being missing and homeless, and also being the parents of a missing teenager.”
Kate also highlighted the potential impact of the storyline: “We hope that as viewers watch this story unfold they are able to gain some understanding of what families with a missing loved one go through and why our charity exists to support those families, as well as anyone thinking of being missing, or anyone already away from home.”
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April Windsor went missing on Christmas Day (Image: ITV)
In other village news, Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) is feeling the pressure, while Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) is left feeling excluded and humiliated when she realises his new friends from medical school recognise her as the drunk patient from A&E.
Jacob is ridden with guilt after his friends mock Sarah, but following his apology, the pair seem to reconcile and even spend the night together, leaving fans questioning whether this is a fleeting moment or the start of something more. Elsewhere, Arthur Thomas receives unexpected assistance with his maths homework from Anthony Fox at the cafe.
airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and available to stream from 7am on ITVX