Emmerdale fans were left heartbroken during Thursday’s hour-long special as Paddy Kirk secretly said goodbye to his loved ones amid his battle with depression.
The much-loved vet, played by Dominic Brunt, has been struggling with his mental health in the wake of Chas’s affair with his wife, and after going missing last week, he is preparing to take his own life.
During the episode, he is seen sharing special moments with his friends and family, especially his young daughter Eve, leaving suicide notes for all of them.
In harrowing scenes, Paddy’s father Bear finds his suicide note and reads it to Chas and Paddy’s best friend Marlon Dingle, the letter sparking a manhunt among the villagers.
On Twitter, viewers were quick to share their despair over the story, with one commenting, “This is pretty devastating.”
Upset: Emmerdale fans were left heartbroken during Thursday’s hour-long special as Paddy Kirk secretly said goodbye to loved ones amid his battle with depression
“The fact that no one can see that Paddy is far from well is heartbreaking,” shared one viewer.
While a second viewer exclaimed: ‘I don’t want Paddy to die’.
‘Paddy saying goodbye to Eve. It’s really heartbreaking to see this. I know it’s not real but 1 guy right now is going through what Paddy is going through in real life. Never say soaps don’t do real life stuff! Men’s depression is real,” said a third.
‘This is pretty devastating with Paddy. Not the easiest of watches,” shared a fourth fan.
A fifth person wrote: “NOOO, Padster basically walks around saying goodbye and no one notices (yet) sadly.”
With another addition: ‘This story is so sad, read the lines that people are not well.’
Paddy began to have suicidal thoughts after an accumulation of isolation, pain and confusion, and it led him to say goodbye to his friends as his deep depression deepened.
Actor Dominic said of the story: “It is a great honor and a great responsibility to play this story.
Tough: The much-loved vet, played by Dominic Brunt, has been struggling with his mental health in the wake of his wife’s Chas affair and, after going missing last week, is preparing to take his own life.
Goodbye: During the episode, he is seen sharing special moments with his friends and family, especially his little daughter Eve, and leaves suicide notes for everyone.
‘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.”
Last month, viewers watched Paddy suddenly leave town without telling his friends or family.
Gutted: On Twitter, viewers were quick to share their despair over the story, with one commenting, “This is pretty devastating.”
While he was soon found staying at a local guest house, it was clear he was struggling with his mental health and didn’t plan on reconnecting with loved ones for some time.
In March, Paddy will return to the village and say goodbye to his friends, before leaving again with the goal of ending his own life.
Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: “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.”
Hard: Viewers struggled to watch as Paddy began to secretly say goodbye to his loved ones without their knowledge.
“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.
“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, chief executive of Samaritans Media Advisory Service, said: “Paddy’s story creates an opportunity to show others, particularly middle-aged men, as difficult as times can be, it’s always possible to get help and get ahead, and eventually recover. .
Heartbreaking: Last month, viewers watched Paddy suddenly leave town without telling his friends or family.
“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.”
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30pm on ITV1.
For help call Samaritans toll free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org