Emmerdale to make history with its first ever all-male episode

The instalment will see the men talking about their feelings during a lock-in at the Woolpack

Julia Hunt

·Contributor

Thu, 16 February 2023 at 2:29 pm GMT

Emmerdale is set to make history with its first ever all-male episode as part of its suicide storyline.

The special instalment of the ITV soap will see the men getting together to talk about their feelings after it emerges that Paddy (Dominic Brunt) was attempting to take his own life.

Paddy’s pal Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) wants to do everything he can to help after finding out about his friend’s mental health difficulties.

So he organises a late night lock-in at the Woolpack to get the men talking.

Charnock said: “Despite Paddy being home and safe back in the heart of the village Marlon is finding it hard to get through to him and is worried Paddy will never find the courage to open up and talk. When Chas and Jimmy both unwittingly give Marlon this idea it’s not long before Marlon is acting on their information and setting up this lock-in.

“He just hopes it will help.”

Emmerdale has worked with Samaritans and Andy’s Man Club on the mental health storyline, which has seen Paddy sinking into a deep depression since the breakdown of his marriage to Chas (Lucy Pargeter) and their grief over losing daughter Grace.

Producer Laura Shaw said: “When we embarked on this heartbreaking storyline about Paddy’s depression and attempted suicide we knew we wanted to shine a light on how important it is to just talk.

“Inspired by listening to real stories from the charity Andy’s Man Club, we decided to have some of the men in our village come together for a very special episode which purely focuses on them and seeing them talking about whatever they are feeling or thinking.”

“If watching some of our most loved characters opening up to each other encourages just one person to reach out and start talking, we will be extremely thankful,” she added.

The special episode will be on 10 March.

For confidential emotional support contact The Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org.