“I think it’s a really important story to tell.”

Emmerdale star Jay Kontzle has backed his character Billy Fletcher and wife Dawn to overcome their current marriage strains.

Billy and Dawn have taken centre stage in recent months following the news that their baby son Evan has leukaemia.

The ITV soap has explored how Billy, Dawn and their wider family have all been affected by Evan’s diagnosis.

Dawn has been pushing Billy away over the past few months and was recently furious when he admitted to endangering Evan by going out drinking. The family had been maintaining a strict social bubble to protect Evan from germs.

There was further trouble when Dawn and Billy both chose different sides during Rose Jackson and Kim Tate’s feud at Home Farm.

Jay spoke to Digital Spy about Billy and Dawn’s future while taking part in Emmerdale’s official nominees photoshoot for the Inside Soap Awards 2024.

We filmed the cast in Leeds for a behind-the-scenes video as they posed for their celebratory pictures, which can be seen in the latest issue of Inside Soap. Our full footage can be viewed at the top of this page.

Addressing the couple’s troubled times, Jay told Digital Spy: “I think that they are a stable unit and they will always stick together and pull through.

“They’ve always been given difficult hurdles to get over, but I think that their love is stronger than that.

“I think everyone can understand Dawn’s frustration with Billy. As men do, he’s made a silly mistake that he probably shouldn’t have made at the wrong time.

“In a lot of cases, guys will make wrong mistakes due to stuff that they’re going through because it’s harder to talk. You can see the point on both sides really, but it’s more frustration for Dawn definitely.”

Discussing the importance of telling Evan’s story over a long period, Jay continued: “I think it’s really essential because it’s there to spread awareness. There’s a lot of people who are going through it, or who have connections with people who are suffering with leukaemia.

“Having that longevity there is really, really useful to spread awareness. It’s difficult for the characters themselves, due to the fact they’re going through this difficult time, but it’s there to serve a purpose.

“There are kids out there who have leukaemia, parents that are suffering. We want to see what it’s like as a parent, what it’s like for a family, how there is support there and how do we push ourselves through it and make sure that we’re still able to enjoy the happy times even though we’re going through such dark times?

“It allows people who are watching it to feel some sort of connection with what’s going on. I think it’s a really important story to tell.”

The Tate-Taylors of Home Farm have been nominated for the Best Family prize at the Inside Soap Awards in recognition of their recent big storylines.

Responding to the nod, Jay quipped: “We’re going against the Dingles – we’ve got no chance, have we? The Dingles are really loved. [But] I’m honoured, it’s a nice little accolade to have.”

On Emmerdale’s fight to win Best Soap, he added: “I think it hits all the markers and for me it is the best soap in the UK, 100%. With the stories that are told, I just think it’s done really well.

“Everyone ticks all the boxes and we do well every year. I do think we deserve it. Everyone’s got an opinion and I feel we’re the best soap in the UK!”