Emmerdale s Mark Charnock pays heartbreaking tribute to on-screen son who died aged 3 dailystar.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailystar.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Emmerdale star Mark Charnock has paid tribute to his on-screen son on what would have been his 10th birthday.
Child actor Harry Whittaker, who played Leo Dingle in the ITV show, was three when he died in 2014.
Charnock, who played his father Marlon Dingle on the soap, marked the milestone by sharing a photo of Whittaker wearing a Spider-Man costume on Twitter.
On what would have been his 10th birthday, thinking of this little Spider-Man today. Thinking of the joy he brought to everyone he encountered and of his giddy laughter. Thinking of our prince Harry with love and happy memories. Xxx pic.twitter.com/PYsRQhV237 Mark Charnock (@markcharnock) February 11, 2021
Zoe commented: What it does is give a full picture and balance, because actually Laurel s story is the polar opposite of Rhona s story that we played ten years ago. You need that to complete the picture. It would have been very odd to tell Laurel and Jai s story without including Rhona, Marlon and the difficult choices they came up against ten years ago. We need to show both sides of the coin in any story that we re telling. Rhona and Marlon s story with Leo is essentially a very happy ending, really. They went through the same emotions and worries that Laurel and Jai are going through.
On Thursday viewers saw Laurel and Jai learn their unborn baby had Down s Syndrome
Laurel struggled with the decision to go through with the pregnancy, as it was clear Jai wanted her to keep the baby
After clashing with her friend Rhona, whose son Leo also has Down s Syndrome, Laurel told Jai she d think about keeping the baby
The scenes split viewers, with some praising the soap for tackling a taboo subject while others claimed Laurel was being selfish
The storyline has already sparked controversy and complaints to media watchdog Ofcom
If you have been affected by this story, please contact Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC). Email: info@arc-uk.org or call: 0207 713 7486
The soap has divided viewers over a plot in which long-running character Lauren falls pregnant, only to choose abortion after discovering her unborn child could be born with the disorder.