Emmerdale SPOILER: Depressed Paddy disappears from town

Paddy Dingle will spark a huge police manhunt when he falls to a dangerous level and disappears from the village during Emmerdale next week.

The vet has battled depression and loneliness after separating from his wife Chas earlier this year, and in the next few scenes he terrorizes his family by disappearing.

As the police arrive in town and try to find Paddy, his loved ones are dismayed when it becomes clear that he doesn’t want to be found.

It ushers in a dark time for Paddy before the emotional scenes of the next month, when he begins to have suicidal thoughts.

As Paddy (Dominic Brunt) deals with the accumulation of isolation, pain and confusion, viewers will see the true extent of his deep depression.

In the next few episodes, Paddy disappears from town after spending the night with his ex Mandy (Lisa Riley), simply telling his loved ones that he’s going on an errand.

When he doesn’t return, the Dingles come together to plan a search party for him.

Everyone is on edge when PC Swirling arrives, revealing news of a Paddy sighting, and his loved ones gather to watch CCTV footage of him.

They are horrified when the police decide to narrow down their search as Paddy has been located, and his furious father Bear storms out.

It soon becomes clear that Paddy does not want to go home and the next day they find his hideout in a nearby guest house.

A nervous Mandy and Chas (Lucy Pargeter) go looking for him, unaware that Paddy has spied on them from a distance and is far from ready to come home.

Recent episodes have seen Paddy sink into depression after splitting up with his cheating wife Chas, and in the coming weeks things will get even darker for him.

With Paddy and Chas trying to raise their young daughter Eve, he has been living unhappily with Chas above the busy Woolpack pub.

Concerns: The vet has struggled with depression after splitting from his wife Chas earlier this year, and his disappearance comes before scenes in which he plans to take his own life.

However, with the constant reminders of his infidelity, their shared grief over the loss of their daughter Grace, and the daily bickering between this irreconcilable couple, it has all taken a toll on Paddy’s mental health.

In addition to his troubles at home, his job as a veterinarian has taken a hit, and he’s made some unusually careless mistakes.

Feeling isolated and alone, Paddy has found himself unable to seek support from anyone, despite a close network of friends that includes his longtime best friends Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry).

Consequently, during the episode which airs on ITV1 on Thursday 9 February, viewers will see Paddy suddenly leave the village without telling his friends or family.

Although Paddy will soon be found staying locally at a guest house, it will be clear that he is struggling with his mental health and doesn’t plan on reconnecting with loved ones for some time.

Where has it gone? In the next few episodes, Paddy disappears from town after spending the night with his ex Mandy (Lisa Riley), simply telling his loved ones that he’s going on an errand.

In March, Paddy will return to his village, when, unknown to his relatives, he will say a veiled goodbye before leaving again with the aim of ending his own life.

In bringing this story to the screen, the Emmerdale show’s researchers and writers have taken advice and have worked closely with Samaritans and Andy’s Man Club to tell Paddy’s story as authentically as possible.

Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw explained: “As soon as we started discussing this story, we knew it was vital for us to get it right and we needed to open up the conversation about male depression and suicide.

“Paddy is usually very happy-go-lucky in life, always joking and laughing, but what we see is that recent events have really taken their toll.

“Even though he is popular and has many friends and family around him, Paddy begins to feel more and more alone, isolated and overwhelmed by his feelings and this leads him to have very dark thoughts.

Infidelity: The soap opera character, played by Dominic Brunt, has really been struggling since the breakup of his marriage when he found out his wife Chas had been unfaithful with Al Chapman (pictured together)

“We have worked very closely with Samaritans and Andy’s Man Club every step of the way throughout this story and their incredible support and knowledge has helped us make Paddy’s journey a true reflection of what thousands of men sadly go through. every year”.

Lorna Fraser, Executive Director of Samaritans Media Advisory Service, commented: “Paddy’s story creates an opportunity to show others, particularly middle-aged men, as difficult as times can be, they always it’s possible to get help and get ahead, and eventually recover.”

“Depression and suicide are extremely serious subjects, so we are pleased to have seen the producers work so hard to make sure this story is told well.

“We encourage anyone touched by this story to reach out to Samaritans, our amazing volunteers are always here to listen, day and night.”

Actor Dominic Brunt, 52, has appeared as Paddy the vet on the long-running ITV show since 1997.

He said of the story: “It is a great honor and a great responsibility to represent this story.

‘It’s an inherent problem in today’s society that most men don’t talk enough about their problems. We suppress them, we don’t want to upset anyone, we are ashamed, we feel that we must be strong and not show weakness.

‘If this story can shed light on the subject or make even a small change in someone’s perspective or point of view, then it will have been worth it.

“It’s also a privilege to work alongside The Samaritans and Andy’s Man Club to highlight this issue.”

Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

Back Soon: Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX