One of Emmerdale fans' favourite characters is the loveable and funny Marlon Dingle.
From his bromance with best mate Paddy Kirk and his series of unfortunate marriages to his harrowing battle after having a stroke, actor Mark Charnock has played the role through the good, the bad and the ugly.
Thankfully, his real life isn’t nearly as dramatic.
Read more: Emmerdale star Amelia Flanagan is related to two long-time Coronation Street actors
Read more: Emmerdale star Michael Parr’s new girlfriend has sweet connection to his family
Childhood
Mark was born on 28 August 1968, making him 56 years old. He is originally from Bolton in Lancashire, England.
The Emmerdale star studied at Canon Slade School before going on to complete a degree at Hull University and Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
Acting career
Mark made his television debut in 1992, playing a character called Duane in an episode of 2point4 Children.
During the following year, he portrayed a solicitor in the ITV comedy Watching. Between 1994 and 1997, he played Brother Oswin in the mystery show Cadfael.
Before joining Emmerdale, he appeared in two episodes of Coronation Street.
He first joined Emmerdale in 1996 and has won seven awards for his portrayal of Marlon Dingle, including 2004’s British Soap Awards for Best Dramatic Performance and 2023’s British Soap Awards for Outstanding Achievement.
Marriage
Mark keeps his personal life away from his public life and prefers to remain silent about his family.
However, TV.com has reported that he has been married to his wife for many years and the couple live in Harrogate in North Yorkshire with their son.
The actor spends a lot of time outdoors and enjoys sharing pictures of his adventures in nature on his Instagram. He also loves gardening and growing his own vegetables.
Marlon’s love life
While it seems like Mark is much more lucky in love than his character, Marlon has enjoyed a series of relationships, including five marriages.
His first wife Tricia Dingle, played by Sheree Murphy, met a sad end. The couple tried the knot in 2003 but she was later killed off when a storm hit the village in 2004.
The chef later married Donna Windsor, played by Verity Rushworth, who was the daughter of Viv Hope. They were together for a short period of time before Marlon found out she had an affair. She returned to the village surprising him with a secret daughter, April, and later died leaving custody of their child to him.
Marlon went on to marry Laurel Thomas in 2014, played by Charlotte Bellamy, however, their union was short lived as she turned to alcoholism.
In 2019, he headed down the aisle again and tied the knot to headteacher Jessie Grant, played by Sandra Davis. They split soon after their wedding when Marlon discovered she had an affair with her former husband Al Chapman.
Three years later, he married Rhona Goskirk after suffering a stroke. It was thought that he wouldn’t be able to make the ceremony after being admitted to hospital with high blood pressure, but everything worked out in the end and they became husband and wife.
English (US) ·