Emmerdale Christmas spoilers as one family suffers ‘unimaginable horror’

An Emmerdale family will suffer ‘unimaginable horror’ this Christmas.

Marlon Dingle star Mark Charnock, 56, appeared at an Emmerdale press event to preview the upcoming festive season storylines. To set the scene, Emmerdale spoilers show Marlon scrolls through April’s texts and realises she’s been trying to buy cannabis.

When confronted, April storms out. Later, Marlon’s astounded to discover Ross leaving Tall Trees. He pins Ross against the wall and blames him for April’s recent rebellions. At the end of his tether, Marlon asks a pensive Ross to break off his friendship with April.

Spotting Ross a while later, desperate April tries to open up to him but, with Marlon’s words ringing in his ears, Ross cruelly shuts her down. When April realises that her dad was behind Ross’ outburst, April spirals at the betrayal, leaving Marlon guilty to have made things worse. April steals a bottle of wine from the pub but feels rejected when Cathy refuses to drink the wine with her. Soon, drunk April makes a spectacle of herself in front of Bob, Brenda and Wendy and Marlon’s furious at his daughter’s behaviour when she accidentally spills wine over Donna’s memory card. Irate, Marlon snaps at April leaving her more troubled and alone than ever.

On Christmas Day, Marlon’s emotional when he opens a sentimental gift from his daughter. Having let her sleep all morning, Marlon panics when he goes to April’s room and finds that she’s missing. The search for April is on as Marlon struggles with her disappearance.

Mark explained: “For quite a while she’s been acting out of character. For him, this means she’s growing up and has got all sorts of issues. She’s discovered how (mum) Donna had died which is huge for her.

“She never knew that Donna had taken her own life. Ross told her that information much to Marlon’s twitchy annoyance.”

Understandably this has led to a spiral in the behaviour of the teenager – played by Amelia Flanagan. Mark added: “He’s checking her texts because she’s behaved outrageously to family members. Really uncharacteristically rude and a little mean-spirited. Not her.

“So, he’s going through these texts to discover information that he had no idea about. She’s trying to get weed and stuff which has shocked Marlon.”

This all creates the tension which sees April disappear on Christmas morning.

“They’ve had this disastrous Christmas Eve where she’s got absolutely annihilated,” Mark said. “We have this terrible Christmas where she causes all sorts of issues and stuff like that.”

Discovering, despite their recent issues, April had sorted a deeply sentimental Christmas gift for father Marlon, he is seen to thaw. She repaired a mug which Marlon broken around the time of the character’s stroke. Adding an inscription of ‘things that are broken can always be mended’.

Mark explained: “That’s the moment that he (Marlon) goes up and she’s gone. I think there’s that moment, where I can only imagine, the blank space that she’s supposed to be, on that day of all days, it’s not like a building horror, it is full 10.

“There’s nothing right about that picture, that empty room on that day. No matter what they’ve been through, there’s no way that room could or should be empty.”

This leads to a frantic search where the villagers come together to try to find April. Mark concluded: “It is unimaginable horror…that’s instant and full.”