Emmerdale fans have slammed the "get a grip" mentality amongst viewers following Paddy Kirk's heartbreaking storyline.
Paddy is currently struggling with his mental health following the breakdown of his marriage to Chas Dingle. He spiraled into depression after finding out she had been cheating on him with Al Chapman, who was later fatally shot.
During her affair, Paddy chalked her often insensitive and rude behaviour up to her dealing with her mum's terminal cancer diagnosis. However, Chas was battling her own guilt and pushing him away at the same time as she prepared to run off with her lover.
Read more: Emmerdale confirm when missing Paddy Dingle will return to the soap
In episodes earlier this week, Paddy went missing with the entire village out in force trying to look for him. Tonight, he finally got in touch with his dad to tell him to stop looking for him.
When asked by a salesman why he was hiding before getting on a bus, Paddy said: "I'm not hiding, I'm escaping."
As Paddy leaves the village, many were wondering if Dominic Brunt's time on the show had come to an end. Others were left unhappy with the amount of negative feedback Paddy's storyline has received, arguing it was an important topic and that many men struggle to talk about their mental health.
@Nikkdthomas wrote on Twitter: "Lot's of negative feedback over Paddy's storyline. But it is true, when you get that low you think about just going you are selfish but you just can't cope. You need to escape for a while."
@Samanth22356123 replied: "I agree. I really hope all the people with the 'get a grip Paddy' mentality don’t have friends/loved ones with depression etc as they’d clearly be a s*** friend to them!!"
And @CarolMoore60 said: "I can’t begin to imagine what anyone goes through when a family member goes missing. At least they have hope knowing Paddy is alive."
As ever, we'll continue to bring you the big Emmerdale news about what is happening in the village and away from it. You can visit our Emmerdale homepage to find the latest gossip about the soap and its stars.
Emmerdale airs weekdays from 7.30pm on ITV1.
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- Emmerdale fans spot problem as ‘hypocrite’ Chas Dingle searches for Paddy
- Emmerdale icon Dominic Brunt's cryptic hint he might leaving the soap for good
- Emmerdale viewers predict Cain revenge plot and link to dead character
