07 November 2023 , 20:42
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Emmerdale aired sad scenes in the latest episode of the ITV soap, with one character ending their romance with another villager.
Eric Pollard called time on his romance with long-term partner Brenda Walker in cruel scenes, following a devastating health diagnosis. Eric had worried Brenda as he continued to act out of character, secretly worrying he may have Parkinson's disease.
He had been to see a doctor to discuss his symptoms, and last week viewers saw him confide in Mandy Dingle that he likely had the health condition. On Tuesday night fans saw the moment doctors confirmed Eric did indeed have Parkinson's disease, leaving him devastated.
But instead of opening up to Brenda, he confided in Mandy once more before lashing out at his partner. As Brenda begged him to tell her what was wrong, he cruelly told her he did not want to be with her and insulted her.
Brenda burst into tears as she asked what she had done wrong, but Eric continued to make nasty comments before telling her they were over for good. While it was clear to viewers that he was just pushing her away out of fear of being a "burden", Brenda was left believing he no longer loved her.
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Eric, played by actor Chris Chittell, left viewers devastated with his comments to Brenda as they urged him to reveal the truth. Taking to Twitter, one viewer said: "Oh Eric that’s terrible," as another tweeted: "OhHh Eric!!! Poor Brenda."
Emmerdale aired heartbreaking scenes on Tuesday night (itv)A third fan commented: "Ohhh no Eric don’t say that!" while a fifth said: "Eric that's cruel." Emmerdale have been working alongside the charity Parkinson's UK on the lengthy storyline, which will raise awareness of the condition and how it affects people in their day to day life and the impact it can have on friends and family.
Producer, Laura Shaw, said of the important storyline: "When Eric Pollard is diagnosed with Parkinson's he's naturally very scared and unsure of what the condition means for his future. The unique position of a show like Emmerdale means we can tell this story really authentically over a long period of time and we can really shine a light on what a diagnosis like this means and follow Pollard on his journey of learning to live with it.
"Working closely with Parkinson's UK, who have been guiding us through every step of the way, we hope seeing Pollard's story helps to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and show the day to day reality of those living with it, as well as the impact it can have on friends, family and the local community."
Actor Chris Chittell spoke of the "privilege" of taking on such a big storyline, and he is desperate to do it justice. "I feel really privileged to be given this storyline. Parkinson’s is indiscriminate, deceptive and wickedly unkind targeting so many. I want to do this storyline justice for the most courageous of people who are having to bear the brunt of this condition," he said.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , and .