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Marlon Dingle is a fictional character from the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
television soap opera ''
Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...
'', played by
Mark Charnock Mark Charnock (born 28 August 1968) is an English actor, known for his role in ITV's ''Emmerdale'' as Marlon Dingle, a role he has played since 1996. Charnock and ''Emmerdale'' co-star Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy Kirk, produce a yearly ''Zomb ...
. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 October 1996.


Storylines

Marlon comes to Emmerdale to stay with his uncle
Zak Dingle Zak Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Steve Halliwell. He first appeared on 20 October 1994. Halliwell initially joined the show as part of the Dingle family and was only initially supposed to a ...
(
Steve Halliwell Stephen Harold Halliwell (born 21 March 1946) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Zak Dingle in the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', which he has played since 1994. Life and career Halliwell was born in Bury, L ...
). He tells his family that he has heard about the new road development and hoped there would be some work going. His cousin
Butch Dingle The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1994, by order of first appearance. Eileen Pollock Eileen Pollock is the first wife of Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell Christopher John Chitt ...
(
Paul Loughran Paul Anthony Martin Loughran (born 7 July 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish actor. He was educated at Methodist College Belfast. He is best known for portraying Butch Dingle in ITV Soap Opera ''Emmerdale'' in which his character died in a bu ...
) offers to put in a good word with the local security firm. Marlon supports Zak when he is diagnosed with
testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an u ...
and he befriends
Paddy Kirk Paddy Kirk (also Dingle) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Dominic Brunt. He has been married four times: to Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) in 1999, to Emily Dingle (Kate McGregor) in 2002, to Rhona Goski ...
(
Dominic Brunt Dominic Adam Brunt (born 15 April 1970) is an English actor, director and producer, best known for portraying the role of Paddy Kirk in the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. For his role as Paddy, Brunt has been nominated in variou ...
). Marlon finds employment as a chef at
Kathy Glover Katherine "Kathy" Brookman (also Bates, Merrick, Tate and Glover) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Malandra Burrows. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 Novem ...
's (
Malandra Burrows Malandra Elizabeth Burrows (born 4 November 1965) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her long-running role as Kathy Glover in ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Burrows' first name, Malandra, is a portmanteau of her pa ...
) tea rooms and wine bar. When co-owner
Eric Pollard Eric Pollard (also Pollock) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Chris Chittell. He made his first appearance in the soap on 30 September 1986. Having appeared continuously since, he is currently the lon ...
's (
Chris Chittell Christopher John Chittell (born 19 May 1948) is an English actor, known for his role as Eric Pollard in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. He has portrayed the role since 1986, making him the longest-serving cast member in the soap's history. ...
) marriage ends, he puts Marlon in charge of his business. Marlon is initially overwhelmed by the responsibility. Kathy later hires Carlos Diaz (Gary Turner) to work at the diner and Marlon goes to work at The Woolpack.
Bernice Blackstock Bernice Blackstock (also Thomas and White) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Samantha Giles. She made her first on screen appearance on 25 November 1998. In September 2012, it was announced Giles ...
(
Samantha Giles Samantha Elizabeth Giles (born 2 July 1971) is an English actress and author. She is known for portraying the role of Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. She had also portrayed Sally Boothe in the ITV drama series '' Where t ...
) is impressed by Marlon's cooking and they share a kiss, but it leads nowhere. New barmaid Tricia Stokes (
Sheree Murphy Sheree Victoria Murphy (born 22 August 1975) is an English actress and television presenter, best known for her roles as Dawn in Only Fools and Horses and Tricia Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Eva Strong in the Channel 4 soap oper ...
) regularly flirts with Marlon and they soon begin dating. Marlon and Tricia's relationship is tested when Tricia agrees to marry
Jason Kirk Jason Kirk is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by James Carlton. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 December 1999. Development Jason was the first openly homo ...
's ( James Carlton) boyfriend, Joe Fisher, so he can stay in the country. They almost break up, but reconcile just before the wedding. Tricia invests the money she is given by Joe in Marlon's business, Chez Marlon. When the business fails, Tricia leaves the village. Marlon has a brief relationship with locum vet
Rhona Goskirk Rhona Goskirk is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Zoë Henry. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 September 2001. The character was introduced by series producer ...
(
Zoe Henry Zoe (also ZOE, Zoë, Zoé, etc.) can refer to: *ζωή (''zōḗ''), the Ancient Greek word for "life" People * Zoe (name), including list of persons and fictional characters with the name Film and television * ''Zoe'' (film) * ZOE Broadcast ...
), until Tricia returns and they decide to get married. Ahead of the wedding, Tricia injures her neck and calls off the wedding, so their friends Paddy and
Emily Kirk Emily Kirk (also Wylie and Dingle) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Kate McGregor. She made her first appearance in the episode broadcast on 5 May 1999. Initially portrayed as nervous and n ...
(
Kate McGregor Kate McGregor (born 1972) is an English actress known for her portrayal of the character Emily Kirk in British soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Born in Yorkshire, England, McGregor attended the now defunct Bretton Hall College of Educatio ...
) marry instead. Marlon and Tricia did eventually marry a few months later. Tricia was offered the chance to star in a
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
film and went to
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
for six months. While she was away, Marlon was dreadfully lonely and had a drunken one night stand with his cousin
Charity Dingle Charity Dingle (also Tate, Sharma and Macey) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Emma Atkins. Suranne Jones originally auditioned for the role of Charity prior to Atkins being cast in the ro ...
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Emma Atkins Emma Jayne Atkins (born 31 March 1975) is an English actress, best known for her role as Charity Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Atkins grew up in the village of Silverdale, Lancashire, and then went to study at the Uni ...
). When Tricia returned, the secret came out and she left Marlon. His desperate attempts to win her back seemed to have failed but she was willing to forgive him after reading a romantic list of her characteristics written by Marlon. On New Year's Eve 2003, Tricia was injured during a storm which resulted in part of the Woolpack's roof collapsing on top of her. Tricia was found alive and rushed to hospital but suffered a heart attack. The hospital staff revived her but tests revealed that she had suffered serious brain damage. She was declared braindead and the medical team requested permission to switch off her life support machine. Marlon took some convincing to agree, as he was still determined that she would recover, but he finally agreed on realising that there was no hope of her recovering. The grief suffered by Marlon was prolonged close to a year until he developed a friendship with
Donna Windsor Donna Windsor (also Windsor-Dingle) is a fictional character from the British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. She was originally played by Sophie Jeffery until 1997. Actress Verity Rushworth took over the role in 1998. She made h ...
(
Verity Rushworth Verity Charlotte Rushworth (born 15 August 1985) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Donna Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1998 to 2009, with a guest appearance in 2014. She has played many theatre rol ...
). It was thanks to Donna's kind heart that Marlon moved on from his loss. Although he rebuffed her attempts to snare him early in the year, Donna proved she was the woman for Marlon when she helped him look after his cousin,
Lilith Dingle The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2004, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Keith Richardson. Val Pollard Carl Kin ...
's (Amanda Hennessy), children when she suddenly left them with him. It didn't take long for Marlon and Donna to fall in love. When he proposed to her en route to a chef's competition in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
, Donna agreed and it looked like there was a happy ending in sight. However, being so young, marriage was a big thing for Donna to consider. She'd also recently become close to
Max King Max King may refer to: * Max King (theologian) (born 1930), founder of the school of thought known as Transmillennialism * Max King (runner) (born 1980), American ultramarathon runner, winner of the 2014 IAU 100km World Championships * Max King (ru ...
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Charlie Kemp Charlie Kemp is a British actor. He played the character of Max King in the ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale''. He only featured in the series for a few months, with his last appearance on 2 October 2005, in an episode in which his character was ki ...
) and his death left her absolutely devastated. 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
Toni Daggert Tonicha "Toni" Daggert is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale.'' She is played by actress Kerry Stacey. Casting Stacey's casting was one of three new signings announced for Emmerdale in November 2005. Toni wa ...
(
Kerry Stacey Kerry Stacey (born in 1977) is an English actress who is best known for playing Toni Daggert in ITV's ''Emmerdale''. Stacey has had a role on BBC1's Doctors, she commented "I play a character whose sister has committed suicide and she is ree ...
). Donna and Marlon were desperate to get on the property ladder but the prices at King & Sons' new development were too steep. So when they won the Kings River Showhome, they were thrilled but shocked to discover that they still had to pay a deposit. Donna's mother,
Viv Hope Viv Hope (also Dawson and Windsor) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Portrayed by Deena Payne, the character first appeared on 10 August 1993, and remained until 13 January 2011, becoming one of the longes ...
(
Deena Payne Diane Margaret "Deena" Payne (born 29 August 1954) is an English actress and former singer. She is best known for playing Viv Hope in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Life and career Payne was born in Orpington, Kent. She used to ...
), offered Donna the money if Donna would be her surrogate. Marlon and Donna were stunned by Viv's suggestion that Donna get pregnant with her half-brother or sister but agreed because they needed the money to keep their new home. However the showhome collapsed following a gas explosion, leaving Marlon and Donna's dream shattered. Donna returned her mother's money as there was no longer a house to buy and Viv didn't need a surrogate, discovering she was pregnant. Following the showhome collapse, Marlon and Donna lived in a caravan outside Wishing Well cottage. They were building an "Eco Home" but realised the land they were building on belonged to Matthew King (
Matt Healy David James "Matt" Healy (born 16 July 1970) is an English actor born in Scotland. He is best known for his roles as Matthew King in ''Emmerdale'' from 2004 to 2008 and in ''The Bill'' as Alan Morton. Background When he was three years old ...
) and the local council. Donna had a major run in with Marlon's family when she reported Shadrach (
Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature fil ...
) to the police for theft. Called up before the Dingle Court, Donna defied Zak and
Lisa Dingle Lisa Dingle (also Clegg) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Jane Cox. Lisa's storylines include being raped by her colleague Derek Benrose ( Stephen Bent), becoming a parent in later life, assaulting a ...
(
Jane Cox Jane Cox (born 13 May 1952) is an English actress, known for her role as Lisa Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', a role she portrayed from 1996 to 2019 and again briefly in 2020. In 2011, she was nominated for the British Soap Award fo ...
), revealing she planned to join the police force. Marlon backed her up and they stood strong together. In October 2006, two men were looking for Marlon's brother
Eli Eli most commonly refers to: * Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname * Eli (biblical figure) Eli or ELI may also refer to: Film * ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film * ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film Music * ''Eli'' (Jan ...
(
Joe Gilgun Joseph William Gilgun (born 9 March 1984) is an English actor known for several roles, including that of Vinnie O'Neill in the Sky One series '' Brassic'', Marcus in Hollyoaks, Eli Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Jamie Armstrong in ...
) 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 Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a So ...
(
Charlie Hardwick Claire Elizabeth Hardwick (born 3 November 1960)
''
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 wouldn't. 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
Jasmine Thomas Jasmine Thomas is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. She made her first screen appearance in the episode broadcast on 30 June 2005 and her last appearance on 26 March 2009. Ca ...
(
Jenna-Louise Coleman Jenna-Louise Coleman (born 27 April 1986), known professionally as Jenna Coleman, is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jasmine Thomas in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Clara Oswald in the science-fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Qu ...
) to tell her when the judge was coming. Marlon, Val and
Diane Sugden Diane Sugden (also Blackstock) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Elizabeth Estensen. Since her first appearance in 1999, she has been involved in several high-profile storylines, including her marria ...
(
Elizabeth Estensen Elizabeth Estensen (born 10 August 1949) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Diane Sugden on the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1999 to 2021, with a guest stint in 2022. She has also made appearances in v ...
) went frantic with Marlon trying to create a gourmet menu. Diane reminded him that they were a traditional pub and not to get worked up about it. Unbelievably, they discovered they made it to the finals.
Antony Worrall Thompson Henry Antony Cardew Worrall Thompson (born 1 May 1951) is an English restaurateur and celebrity chef, television presenter and radio broadcaster. Early life Worrall Thompson was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. His parents, Michae ...
was discovered to be the
celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
judge. This coincided with Val's surprise wedding to Eric. Anthony was impressed with Marlon's cooking and asked Marlon to call him. When Marlon summed up the courage to call, Marlon was invited to a local television audition. A camera crew arrived at The Woolpack to record a programme featuring a special from Marlon. Marlon hired Jake Doland ( James Baxter) to help him in the kitchen and also had a column in The Hotton Courier. Marlon was later approached by the owner of Malt, The Woolpack's rival pub. He offered Marlon a better job with better pay but Marlon declined, wanting to stay in Emmerdale. In 2008, Viv, was arrested for fraud. However, Viv had been framed by Freddie Yorke (Keith Woodason). Donna found it hard, knowing her colleagues knew about her family situation. Wanting to prove her mother's innocence, she started going on unofficial stakeouts with colleague
Ross Kirk Ross Kirk is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Samuel Anderson. He appeared from 2007 to 2009. A cousin of Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), Ross is a police officer and during his 15 months in the vill ...
( Samuel Anderson). After some time searching, they discovered where he lived. Donna tried to apprehend him but Freddie escaped. Donna followed closely at high speed but she lost control of the car and crashed. Ross pulled them from the car before it exploded and Donna spent months in hospital learning how to walk again. She became convinced she was a laughing stock at the station and decided to resign. Marlon was thrilled but when Donna came home, he saw she was miserable. He told her that he'd support her if she wanted to return to work. In September, Donna and Marlon attended a police comedy night. Marlon's cousin
Chas Dingle Chas Dingle (also Spencer) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Lucy Pargeter. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 October 2002. Chas returned on 21 September 2003. Chas was ...
(
Lucy Pargeter Lucy Kate Pargeter (born 1 March 1977) is an English actress, known for her roles as Helen Raven in ''Crossroads'' (2002–2003) and Chas Dingle in ''Emmerdale'' (2002–present). She also finished third in the 13th series of the ITV reality s ...
), Ross's date, got into a fight with the comedian. Marlon defended her and the fight ended with Marlon and Chas being thrown out. Marlon took Chas home, leaving Donna with Ross. Donna and Ross shared a night of passion in Donna's hotel room which Donna regretted afterwards. She and Marlon decided to go on holiday. When they returned, Marlon announced he and Donna were planning to start a family but Ross tried to convince Donna that would be a mistake. He also told her that she had married too young. On 1 January 2009, Donna told Marlon of her affair with Ross. Marlon had suspected it but was still devastated, especially when Donna said she loved Ross and Marlon. Hellbent on revenge, Marlon went to the police and implicated Ross in the murder of
Shane Doyle The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2008, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Keith Richardson. Shane Doyle Shane Do ...
( Paul McEwan). 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
Lizzie Lakely Lizzie Lakely is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Kitty McGeever. Lizzie is ''Emmerdale'' first blind character, and was played by a blind actress. She made her first on-screen appearance on 28 Apri ...
(
Kitty McGeever Catherine Jane Mitchell (15 October 1966 – 16 August 2015), known professionally as Kitty McGeever, was an English actress and comedian. She was the first blind actress to be cast in a British soap opera, playing the fictional character Lizzi ...
), a blind woman who Marlon befriended. Lizzie upset Marlon when she preyed on his gullibility by pretending to be a psychic, causing Marlon to spend a fortune on phone bills pouring his heart out to her. He got his revenge by tricking her into paying back his money. His life was going smoothly until
Moira Barton Moira Dingle (also Barton) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Natalie J. Robb. The actress successfully auditioned for the role after a call came through her agent. Robb's character and her family wer ...
( Natalie J. Robb) began to work in The Woolpack. Marlon had a previous confrontation with Moira when she criticised his cooking. The two argued furiously at work as Marlon felt that she was invading his domain and finding fault with his food on purpose. It reached boiling point and Moira quit, which led to an angry Diane giving Marlon the cold-shoulder until he apologised. Marlon did so and Moira returned to work, as Marlon explained that since Donna left him, his job was the one area in his life where he felt in control and Moira had threatened that. They reached an understanding and became friends. When Marlon received a letter from Donna, saying that she had met someone else and wanted him to file for divorce, a devastated Marlon found himself turning to Moira as a shoulder to cry on. Because of this, he developed romantic feelings for her and convinced himself that she felt the same way. Going against Paddy's advice, Marlon finally confessed to Moira that he thought he was falling in love with her, leaving her shocked. She let him down and Marlon was left feeling humiliated. After a long heart-to-heart, she convinced him that she was flattered and that he would one day meet the right woman. Alongside this, Marlon also took in Charity and her young son,
Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
(Jack Downham) after the family turned against her for trying to steal Cain's money. When Zak and Cain found out, they were angry and Cain punched Marlon in the stomach. 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 Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...
. 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
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
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Tony Audenshaw Antony Audenshaw (born 6 September 1964) is an English actor and singer. Audenshaw appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'' from 1994 to 1996). Then in 2000, he began portraying the role of Bob Hope on the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. ...
) that his and Rhona's baby was going to suffer from Down syndrome. Later in the evening, Marlon comforted Bob after his wife, Viv, and best friend
Terry Woods Terence Woods (born 4 December 1947 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish folk musician, songwriter/singer and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his membership in such folk and folk- rock groups as The Pogues, Steeleye Span, Sweeney's Men, ...
died in an arson attack caused by
Katie Sugden Katie Sugden (also Addyman and Macey) is a fictional character from the British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Sammy Winward. She made her first screen appearance on 18 July 2001 and Winward's casting was announced a w ...
's (
Sammy Winward Samantha Kate Winward (born 12 October 1985) is an English actress, singer and model. She is best known for playing the role of Katie Sugden in the ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2001 to 2015. Early life Winward was born ...
) new boyfriend,
Nick Henshall The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2008, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the soap's executive producer, Keith Richardson. Shane Doyle Shane Do ...
(
Michael McKell Michael McKell (born 10 February 1959, in Bethnal Green, London) is an English actor. He is best known for playing Inspector Trevor Hands in ''Murder Investigation Team'' (2003-2005), Dr. Nick West in ''Doctors'' (2006-2008) and DS Nicholas "N ...
). Soon after this, he told his friend
Laurel Thomas Laurel Thomas (also Potts and Dingle) is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Charlotte Bellamy. She debuted on screen during the ep ...
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Charlotte Bellamy Charlotte Bellamy (born 19 March 1973) is an English actress. She is known for her long-running role as Laurel Thomas in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Her other television roles include Sue Taylor in ''EastEnders'' (1997) and Harriet Potter ...
) about the baby's Down syndrome. On Tuesday 1 February 2011, Marlon, Rhona and Paddy went for a scan of the baby, and learned that its heart rate was healthy. When the boy was born, he was named Leo, and Marlon became a very proud father. 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
Ashley Thomas Ashley Thomas is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by John Middleton. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 December 1996. It was announced on 22 October 2015 that Middlet ...
( John Middleton), who started abusing his father
Sandy Thomas Sandy Thomas is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Freddie Jones. Sandy was introduced as the father of Ashley Thomas ( John Middleton). He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 ...
(
Freddie Jones Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for a ...
) as a result of the stress of trying to make the marriage work. When Laurel discovered this, it signaled the final blow for the couple. With Marlon, Laurel is now maintaining a friendship with Ashley. Marlon let Ashley move in with him after he had nowhere else to go, having moved out of the marital home, where Laurel remained with Sandy and the kids. The children struggled to cope following the recent events, particularly Gabby (Annelise Manojlovic), whose biological mother Bernice returned to the village in November. 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 Cameron Murray (
Dominic Power Dominic Power (born 5 May 1973) is an English actor. Power has portrayed Leon Taylor in the ITV police drama ''The Bill'' and Cameron Murray in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. He is currently appearing in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks ...
) and is knocked out cold in the flooding Woolpack cellar. Cameron later takes people hostage but eventually lets them go except for Chas and
Debbie Dingle Debbie Dingle (also Jones and Barton) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Charley Webb. Webb has taken maternity leave three times, with the first time being in 2010 and the second throughout 2016 ...
(
Charley Webb Charlotte Anne Webb (born 26 February 1988), commonly known as Charley Webb, is an English actress. From 2002 to 2021, she portrayed the role of Debbie Dingle in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. In 2014, she was nominated for Best Female Dra ...
). He later escapes from the cellar and holds Cameron at gunpoint while Chas and Debbie attempt to escape. Marlon then runs to the cellar (now flooding to the top) but Cameron follows. After nearly drowning the three, Cameron is electrocuted. Marlon is put in the paper as a 2nd hero after what happened with Eli and the Bookie years back. He later tells Laurel the truth, she is angry but later forgives him. Donna dies and Marlon is awarded custody of April Windsor, his long lost daughter. He marries Laurel but is devastated when she becomes an alcoholic. After
Jessie Grant ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2017, by order of first appearance. Gerry Roberts (Shaun Thomas) became the first character to be introduced i ...
arranges a surprise wedding, they marry on Christmas Day. The marriage ends when Jessie has an affair with her former husband
Al Chapman ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that appear during 2019, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the soap's executive producer, Jane Hudson. Th ...
. Marlon is arrested for killing Rhona's partner
Graham Foster Graham Foster may refer to: * Graham Foster (American football), American football player and coach * Graham Foster (''EastEnders''), a character from the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Graham Foster (''Emmerdale''), a character from the Br ...
. He is later released when the real culprit,
Pierce Harris ''Emmerdale'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The following is a list of characters that appeared in 2016, by order of first appearance. Pierce Harris ( Jonathan Wrather), the husband of established character Tess Ha ...
, Rhona’s ex-husband, who had raped her 3 years previously is arrested and sent back to prison. Marlon suffers from PTSD for sometime after his release, which results in him suffering a heart attack. 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
Priya Sharma Priya Kotecha (also Sharma) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Fiona Wade. The character was introduced along with her brothers Jai (Chris Bisson) and Nikhil (Rik Makarem) by series produ ...
(
Fiona Wade Fiona Sarah Wade (born 20 March 1979) is an English actress, known for playing Priya Sharma in ''Emmerdale'' from 2011 to 2023. Career In 2008, Wade played Mamta in a play called ''Alaska'' by DC Moore at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstai ...
) weeks before. The business starts to experience financial issues due to the effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Marlon suggests they start running a barbecue to get more business. Marlon buys a grill which is outside the business’s financial budget. This arrangement is short lived when
Matty Barton The following is a list of characters who first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 2009, by order of first appearance. Characters until March were introduced by executive producer Keith Richardson, with Steve Frost taking over a ...
burns his hands while cooking the barbecue food. When it is revealed that April is being bullied by her step grandfather, Bob’s daughter,
Cathy ''Cathy'' is an American gag-a-day comic strip, drawn by Cathy Guisewite from 1976 until 2010. The comic follows Cathy, a woman who struggles through the "four basic guilt groups" of life—food, love, family, and work. The strip gently pokes ...
, Marlon falls out with Bob and bans him from having any contact with April again. April is upset about this and spends time with Bob behind Marlon’s back. This infuriates Marlon even more and it results in an argument between him and Bob, upsetting April even more. Bob and Marlon eventually resolve their differences and April and Cathy make amends. 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 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
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
, Marlon is furious to discover that Rhona has been in contact with his son, Marcus Dean (Darcy Grey). Rhona explains to Marlon that Pierce contacted her before he died and asked her to help him find him. Rhona and Marlon resolve their differences and decide they both want to get married and plan on proposing to each other. They both propose and they both happily accept. However, shortly after, Marlon suffers a severe
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
and is rushed to hospital. Rhona is told that Marlon’s speech and mobility have been severely impaired by the stroke and that he’ll need rehabilitation to regain his ability to walk and talk. Marlon chokes on water, as the stroke has also impaired his ability to swallow. He is later taken back to hospital, when he develops pneumonia. He returns home a few weeks later and begins rehabilitation. Marlon initially struggles with the physiotherapy but quickly makes progress and begins walking using a walking frame. Rhona decides that she wants to marry Marlon and proposes to him again. Marlon initially says no as he feels she’s doing it out of sympathy. He talks to Paddy about this and Paddy makes him see that she’s doing it out of love. Marlon then changes his mind and he and Rhona get engaged. Rhona’s mother,
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
plans the wedding and Marlon decides to set himself a goal that he’ll be walking at the wedding. One day before the wedding, Marlon is taken back to hospital after he collapses and is told he has high blood pressure and needs to be kept in overnight. On the day of the wedding, Marlon still has high blood pressure and is unable to be discharged. However, he is discharged in time for the wedding and successfully walks down the aisle and marries Rhona. 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.


Reception

For his portrayal of Marlon, Charnock won the
British Soap Award The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies given ...
for Best Dramatic Performance in 2004. He was nominated again in 2011 for Best Actor. The episode 'The Betrayed' was also nominated for Best Single Episode at the 2011 British Soap Awards. 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". He also praised Charnock's portrayal of Marlon, calling it "clever" and added that it was this that made him "one of ''Emmerdales most popular funnymen, but also showing off his impressive dramatic range when it is called for." ''
The Northern Echo ''The Northern Echo'' is a regional daily morning newspaper based in the town of Darlington in North East England, serving mainly southern County Durham and northern Yorkshire. The paper covers national as well as regional news. In 2007, its t ...
's'' Steve Pratt pointed out that Marlon does not have the best of luck with women.


References


External links


Marlon Dingle
at
itv.com itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 13 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV brand (or the UTV brand in Northern Ireland). The website offers online streaming, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dingle, Marlon Emmerdale characters Television characters introduced in 1996 Male characters in television Fictional bartenders Fictional chefs Fictional characters involved in incest Fictional prisoners and detainees