Emmerdale's Marlon Dingle is currently at the centre of a huge storyline for the Yorkshire soap. In heartbreaking scenes that aired on March 22, the popular long-running character suffered a stroke and was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
Marlon's symptoms came completely out of the blue when he returned home - after scenes of a heartwarming double proposal with girlfriend Rhona Goskirk - to search for the engagement ring he'd bought her. After his vision blurred, he collapsed and was later found by his young daughter April who rang for an ambulance.
In emotional scenes that will air across this week, soap fans will see the devastating impact the shock diagnosis has for Marlon, the Dingles, and his friends. The storyline is said to unfold over the coming months and viewers will see the long-lasting repercussions it has on Marlon and his loved ones.
Mark Charnock has played the much-loved Woolpack chef for more than 25 years now - first appearing in the village in 1996 in a red sports car. His character is father to two children April Windsor and Leo Goskirk.
During his time in the Dales, Marlon has married four fellow villagers, Tricia Dingle (played by Sheree Murphy), Donna Windsor (Verity Rushworth), Laurel Thomas (who is played by Charlotte Bellamy) and Jessie Grant (Sandra Davies) - sadly all of his marriages ended in heartbreak. He has always had an on/off relationship with Rhona Goskirk played by Zoe Henry since 2009 - welcoming son Leo in 2011 - and the pair finally rekindled their flame earlier in the year.
But away from the screen, who is Mark Charnock married to, how old is the actor and will he be leaving the soap? Here's all the details:
How old is Mark Charnock?
The actor was born on 28 August 1968 which means he is currently 53-years-old. He is originally from Bolton in Lancashire, but it has been reported he now lives in Yorkshire. He first joined Emmerdale when he was 26-years-old and has been in the soap for more than 25 years his debut soap role was actually in Coronation Street.
Mark appeared in two episodes of the Weatherfield soap in 1993 and again in 1995. He also had a very brief role in EastEnders in 1994 before landing his long-running role in the Dales.
Who is Mark Charnock married to?
The actor keeps his personal life private but he is believed to be married and have a child. He has an Instagram and Twitter account @markcharnock where he posts pictures of his garden, landscape pictures of the countryside and pictures with his Emmerdale colleagues when they're not on set.
He is also known for being Emmerdale's team captain on The Big Soap Quiz, which takes place each year around Christmas. Stars from Emmerdale compete with fellow ITV soap stars from Coronation Street to see which team knows the most about their own show.
Is Mark Charnock leaving Emmerdale?
Many Emmerdale fans have been worried that the recent storyline for Marlon will mean that his character will be leaving the soap but nothing has been confirmed by Emmerdale that this will be the case. It has however been revealed that Marlon's stroke and the shockwaves that sends through the Dingle family and the village will have long-lasting effects.
The storyline is said to continue over the upcoming months so it looks like there is a long journey ahead for Mark's character. Mark has explained how the operation for Marlon to have the clot removed from his brain is just the start of his journey, reports The Mirror.
"I don't think he’s going to get to where he wants to be for a long time," Mark said: "and we're just at the beginning of his journey. He can't work anymore, and he feels, wrongly, that he can't be the dad he wants to be anymore, which is everything to him, because of his incapacitation.
"He has a thrombectomy and they drag the clot out and it's only the beginning of the story really," he continued: "It helps with his facial drooping in the first instance, but he's still got a very long journey about learning how to speak and all that stuff again.
"It's all down his right side and so his arm, his leg and his mouth are all quite badly affected, so he has trouble. He goes through phases. He's got a phase where it affects his speech and being able to express himself properly."
Emmerdale continues weeknights on ITV and ITV Hub from 7.30pm.
