EMMERDALE star Mark Charnock has issued a warning after shocked fans saw his character Marlon Dingle collapse.
The chef suffered a devastating stroke just minutes after getting engaged to Rhona Goskirk.
Collapsing on the floor, Marlon was unable to shout for help – or even make any kind of sound.
In a video released by Emmerdale after the episode, Mark warned that strokes can affect anyone.
He told viewers: “In tonight’s episode we saw Marlon have a stroke. Now strokes can happen to anyone, at any age at any time. They happen every five minutes in the UK.
“Fifty per cent of stroke survivors are dependent on others for their everyday needs. Sadly one in seven strokes is fatal.”
He reminded fans of the ‘FAST’ response to people when you suspect they might be having a stroke.
Mark said: “F is for facial weakness. Can the person smile? Is their smile lopsided? Have their eye or their mouth drooped?
“A is for arm weakness. Can the person raise both their arms? Have they got a weakness down one side?
“S is for speech problems. Can the person make themselves understood? Are they slurring their words? Are they able to understand you?”
“And most important of all, T – time to call 999. If you see any or all of those symptoms in a person or yourself.”
Emmerdale has worked with doctors, The Stroke Association and people who have survived strokes to make the storyline as real as possible.
As the episode ended on Monday night Rhona was given an update by the doctor, who told her: “Marlon has suffered a serious stroke.
“His speech and mobility have been badly affected. He needs surgery to remove the clot that’s blocking the artery to his brain.
“We won’t know how bad things are until after the surgery. He’s in and out of consciousness – what’s he’s able to understand is difficult to say.”
