Emmerdale star Mark Charnock takes on new role away from ITV soap as he draws on family tragedy

Emmerdale's Mark Charnock stepped back from his role as Marlon Dingle to dedicate time to a personal project with deep family ties.

The actor, who has portrayed the beloved character for nearly three decades, joined Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, December 3, to kick off the show's 1 Million Minutes campaign, which is designed to combat loneliness.

Mark, 56, took the helm as director for the campaign's launch film titled Life Long Fans, and during his chat with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, he shared how his own family inspired him.

The film features an elderly, devoted football fan who has lost the joy of attending games after the passing of his friend, leaving him feeling isolated and reluctant to watch alone or even tune in on TV. However, the story takes a heartwarming turn when his wife organises a family gathering to watch the game together, bringing an end to his solitude.

Following the screening of the film, Susanna responded to the actor with heartfelt words: "Oh Mark, what have you done to us? That is so moving," reports Leeds Live.

Reflecting on his approach to directing the film, Mark revealed: "There was something so close to home I almost missed it. I had two uncles, both of whom have passed away now, John and Michael, and they were quite close in age, they were more like twins really and they did everything together. They'd been watching Man Utd since the late '50s, all through the decades.

"And quite out of the blue the older brother passed away and it broke my other uncle in half really, he lost half of himself. He was ok and the years went by until he passed away but those last 10 or 15 years he had without him he was never the same."

Into its ninth year, GMB's 1 Million Minutes campaign continues