Marlon Dingle
| Marlon Dingle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Emmerdale character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Mark Charnock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1996–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 2125 17 October 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Keith Richardson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances |
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Marlon Dingle is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale, played by Mark Charnock. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 October 1996. Following the departure of Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell), Marlon currently serves and the second longest-running character featuring in the programme, surpassed only by Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell). For his portrayal of Marlon, Charnock won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement at the 2023 British Soap Awards.
Storylines
 | This section's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (May 2023) |
Marlon comes to Emmerdale to stay with his uncle
Marlon and Tricia's relationship is tested when Tricia agrees to marry
Marlon and Tricia did eventually marry a few months later. Tricia was offered the chance to star in a
The grief suffered by Marlon was prolonged close to a year until he developed a friendship with
Shortly before the wedding, Marlon started having nightmares about Tricia. This was made worse when Marlon caught Donna trying on Tricia's wedding dress, making him think that Tricia had come back. Donna explained she felt like she was always being compared to Tricia. On the morning of the wedding, Donna confided in Marlon that she had feelings for Max while they were together. Heartbroken by this admission, Marlon wondered if they should get married but his love for her overwhelmed his doubts and they married.
On return from honeymoon, Marlon and Donna spent their first few months of married life living at Smithy Cottage with Paddy and
In October 2006, two men were looking for Marlon's brother Eli (Joe Gilgun) and broke into The Woolpack to get Marlon to tell them where Eli was, although Marlon didn't know. The pair wrecked the pub, beat up Marlon and stole thousands from the till. The men were later arrested after Eli framed them for firearm possession. In December, Lilith left her children with Marlon and Donna again while she went to work. Marlon, Donna and the children moved into The Woolpack, following Lilith's arrest for armed robbery. This didn't work out and Marlon decided the children should live with their uncle because his and Donna's living arrangements were inadequate. Donna was very upset and the children returned after running away from their uncle. Marlon saw how miserable they were and they went on the run, rather than return them to their uncle. However, they were soon caught by the police and Social Services took the children away. Marlon and Donna applied for custody of their children via the courts and prepared a room for the children but Val Lambert (Charlie Hardwick) accidentally started a fire in The Woolpack, damaging the building temporarily. Despite a positive report, their social worker, Mrs Jenkins, told them that they would not get the kids until they had more suitable accommodation.
Marlon, attempting to improve his and Donna's financial problems, used their savings to place a bet. He won £18,000 but the bookie refused to pay up so he and Eli came up with a plan to get his winnings. Just before Eli went into the bookie's, Marlon found he had a gun and learned Eli was planning an armed robbery. Marlon was shocked but let him go ahead. Eli threatened the bookie and was almost successful when a customer came in and a fight ensued. Marlon, who had been waiting in the car, got frustrated and went inside to find Eli struggling with the customer. Pretending not to know him, Marlon yelled at Eli to leave but he would not. Marlon went to grab the gun but it went off, hitting Marlon in the chest. Marlon collapsed, telling Eli to go, leaving the customer and the bookie to ring the police. Marlon was rushed to hospital and made a full recovery. Marlon is put in the paper as a hero. Marlon is filled with guilt when the grateful bookie turns up to give him his winnings and when Donna even praised him for stopping the robbery. With the money, Marlon and Donna purchase a house, hoping to raise their family there.
However, Marlon later told Donna the truth and although she was very angry, quickly forgave him. Eli began blackmailing them. He got Donna to use her position in the police force to allow him to break into a warehouse. While at the warehouse, Marlon got cold feet and warned Eli that it was a trap. Eli was angry, but Donna had informed Zak of everything that had happened. Zak confronted Eli and kicked him out of Donna and Marlon's house. However, far from it all being over, Marlon set off to work only for Eli to kidnap him.
Bundled into the back of a van, Eli drove him to the top of a multi-storey carpark, where he pretended he was going to throw him off the edge of the building to punish him for his 'betrayal'. Marlon was terrified, unsure of what his volatile brother was capable of, and asked what he had ever done to Eli. Eli revealed that he had always resented his older brother because everybody loved him and nobody had ever loved Eli. Marlon eventually managed to get free and the brothers had a fight which ended with Eli toppling over the edge of the building and only hanging on by his fingertips. Marlon tried to save him – offering his hand – but Eli refused to be rescued. Eventually Donna arrived and helped Marlon haul him to safety, but Eli ran off, apparently upset at being saved. Marlon broke down in tears and later confessed to Donna that he had considered allowing his younger brother to die and he thought that made him a terrible person. He warned Donna that being with him might only cause her trouble, but Donna reassured him.
In 2008, The Woolpack was entered in a magazine Pub of the Year competition. Val bribed
In 2008, Viv, was arrested for fraud. However, Viv had been framed by
He gradually started to warm to Donna and was considering taking her back, although Zak warned him against it. After a conversation with Eli, who reminded him that Donna had forgiven Marlon for the raid on the bookies, Marlon agreed to give his marriage another go – on the condition that she never saw Ross again. Donna agreed, but she was certain that Ross was innocent and broke her promise to Marlon, visiting her ex-lover in prison. Meanwhile, the other Dingles remained hostile towards her and she got a very cold reception at Zak's birthday party. Surprisingly, Eli came to Donna's defence, for which Marlon was grateful. However, during a conversation with Eli, Donna noticed a vital piece of evidence that could clear Ross's name and she shopped her brother-in-law to the police. When Marlon realised that Donna had betrayed both him and his family in order to free Ross, he dumped her and later asked for a divorce. They might have reconciled had not Donna caught Marlon in a drunken clinch with his cousin Chastity. Following this, Donna departed the village – seemingly for good – leaving behind a devastated Marlon. To make matters worse, Marlon's best friend Paddy (who is in love with Chas) also found out about the kiss and the two of them fell out for quite a while. Following a period of depression, Marlon dedicated himself to helping little brother Eli, who had been disowned by the rest of the Dingle clan after his confession led to the arrest of Debbie. The pair came up with several plots to try and set her free. Faced with Debbie's release, Eli went missing for a time, but Marlon eventually found him sleeping rough and managed to convince his wayward sibling to come home.
The two brothers lived together until Eli's departure in 2010, along with
In 2010, Rhona returned to the village of Emmerdale. She and Marlon re-began a relationship, until Rhona expressed an interest in Marlon's best mate and her work partner Paddy Kirk. She split up with Marlon, and began a relationship with Paddy, much to Marlon's despair. It was later revealed that Rhona was expecting Marlon's baby, while she was still with Paddy. Marlon was very upset and told Rhona he did not want to be the part of the baby's life. He refused to go to Rhona's first scan. On Monday 13 December 2010, it was revealed that there was a possibility that Marlon and Rhona's baby may suffer from Down syndrome. It was later confirmed. On Monday 20 December 2010, Rhona decided she was going to go ahead with the pregnancy, and Marlon and Paddy backed her up happily. The trio are all now good friends again.
In January 2011, Marlon admitted to his housemate and colleague
In the summer of 2012, Marlon and Laurel became a couple after a year of love and attraction between them. This caused major problems for Laurel's marriage to
In late 2012, Marlon became involved in a row and custody battle with Paddy and Rhona, who wanted to move to New Zealand for a couple of years, with Leo. They eventually decided not to move to New Zealand. Paddy and Marlon resumed their friendship but kept it a secret from Laurel and Rhona. Eventually the two couples reconciled completely and have stayed on good terms. In October 2013, he is attacked by serial killer
Donna dies and Marlon is awarded custody of
In 2021, Marlon and Rhona reconcile. He buys into the woolpack when Charity is disowned by the family after she makes a move on Al, who Debbie had discovered was cheating on her with
When it is revealed that April is being bullied by her step grandfather, Bob’s daughter,
Al buys into the Woolpack, much to the discomfort of the entire Dingle family. Marlon notices Chas and Al getting closer and tells Cain about this. Chas later reveals that she's using Al in a bid to try and get him out of the woolpack. It is later revealed that Al also has debts to clear. On Christmas Day, Al burns down the woolpack in a bid to try and claim the insurance. Al tells Chas and Marlon that he can get people to invest so they can keep the woolpack. However, Al’s investor pulls out when Cain tracks him down and threatens him, infuriating Chas and Marlon. The woolpack is then put up for auction and Charity buys the woolpack and gives Chas and Marlon their old jobs back.
After Pierce dies from
By November, Marlon is out of the wheelchair and using a walking stick full time. He helps Victoria out with a catering event and gets his old job back at the Woolpack.
Marlon supports Paddy when he suffers a mental breakdown after he discovers that Chas was having an affair with Al. Paddy goes missing after a one night stand with Mandy. The community start a search for him and Marlon offers to help. April becomes concerned by this and fears that Marlon may have another stroke, particularly when she finds him on the floor after he trips. April convinces Marlon that he has COVID by getting fake tests in a bid to try and keep him away from the search. When Marlon discovers this, he talks to April and assures her that he'll be fine. Paddy returns to the village a few weeks later and seems fine. However, it is later revealed that Paddy has only come home to say goodbye to his loved ones before he takes his life. When Paddy’s loved ones discover this, they go out and search for him. Chas and Marlon find Paddy in the woods with a gun in his hand. Marlon talks Paddy down and successfully saves him from taking his own life. Paddy then returns home and seeks help for his mental health. Marlon hosts a lock in at the woolpack where all the male residents talk to one another and offer Paddy their support.
Reception
For his portrayal of Marlon, Charnock won the
Rick Fulton of the Daily Record branded Marlon "Emmerdale's village jester" and "hapless", but noted that he was "one of the soap's best-loved characters".[6] He also praised Charnock's portrayal of Marlon, calling it "clever" and added that it was this that made him "one of Emmerdale's most popular funnymen, but also showing off his impressive dramatic range when it is called for."[6] The Northern Echo's Steve Pratt pointed out that Marlon does not have the best of luck with women.[7]
References
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel; Rayner, Ben (11 August 2022). "Emmerdale star Mark Charnock discusses long-term future of Marlon story". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Hendry, Steve (9 May 2004). "EastEnders Triumph: Walford Party Night; But Dirty Den is a big loser at awards". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (7 March 2011). "British Soap Awards 2011 voting opens". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
- ^ "British Soap Awards 2022!". ITV. 21 April 2022. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- Leeds Live. (Reach plc). Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ a b Fulton, Rick (14 July 2012). "Cooking up a love storm". Daily Record. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ Pratt, Steve (5 August 2010). "Fraud escort". The Northern Echo. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011.