Emmerdale’s Mark Charnock has played Marlon Dingle for 26 years
Mark Charnock, known for his role as Marlon Dingle in Emmerdale, has surprised fans who have recently discovered his appearance in a Coronation Street episode from the ’90s.
Charnock is widely recognised for his portrayal of Marlon Dingle in the ITV soap, having first appeared on the show in 1996. As the son of Albert Dingle (Bobby Knutt), the Woolpack chef has become a beloved character among viewers.
Over the years, Marlon has been involved in numerous major storylines – from an unexpected prison sentence to suffering a stroke, his life in the village has been anything but dull.
Currently, Marlon and the rest of the Dingles are anxiously awaiting justice for Tom King’s (James Chase) crimes, following a year and a half of abuse towards his wife Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper).
Furthermore, Marlon is set to face turbulent times ahead in the Dales, as his daughter April (Amelia Flanagan) struggles to cope after discovering the truth about her mother Donna’s (Verity Rushworth) death in 2014. Long-time soap viewers will remember that Donna committed suicide by jumping with Gary North (Fergus O’Donnell) from a multi-storey car park, reports Leeds Live.
Before joining Emmerdale, Charnock made appearances on various TV shows. However, it’s only now that fans of the long-running ITV soap are realising that Charnock had roles in Coronation Street years prior.
The actor featured in the soap twice, first in 1993 as a pizza delivery boy, and then in 1995 he returned to the cobbles as PC Turner, sharing screen time with Corrie legend Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride).
Mark’s old cameo in Corrie has left fans utterly astounded. One viewer took to Facebook with a snapshot of Mark in the soap, captioning it: “Watching old Coronation Street and up pops Marlon.”
Other followers were quick to voice their amazement in the comments section, with one person exclaiming: “No way! Aw look at him.” Another fan expressed their delight, commenting: “Love this! Totally forgot he was in it.”
In a turn towards more poignant pursuits, Mark recently vacated his Emmerdale spot to champion an emotive cause close to his heart. He graced Good Morning Britain earlier this month to kick off the show’s 1 Million Minutes campaign, which aims to tackle the issue of loneliness.
The 56 year old actor spearheaded the initiative’s inaugural film, Life Long Fans, chronicling the sorrow of an elderly, ardent football fan who experiences a sense of isolation following the loss of a friend. The initially somber tale takes an uplifting twist when the protagonist’s wife organises a family viewing of the football game, providing him with companionship and lifting his spirits.
