Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw has revealed that the soap's history making all-male episode is "one of the most powerful" instalments ever.

Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) will host a lock-in for male residents of the village at the Woolpack during Friday's (March 10) hour-long episode so they can speak frankly with each other about mental health.

Marlon will encourage the other men to get talking, as a response to learning his best friend Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) has been contemplating suicide.

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Viewers are aware that Paddy fled the village following his split from Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and said goodbye to his loved ones before debating suicide.

Emmerdale producer Laura and her team have been working closely with Samaritans and Andy's Man Club to sensitively present the topic of male mental health.

Producer Laura explained to Daily Star and other press: "There is a whole episode where our men just talk.

"There are no stunts, there are no affairs, there are no big explosive reveals, it’s just men talking about whatever they are feeling or thinking.

"It’s as simple as that. But when you watch it, it’s probably one of the most powerful episodes we’ve ever done."

Laura, who has been an Emmerdale scriptwriter since 2007, continued: "We know accurate on-screen portrayals help people with their own experiences and help them speak out without fear of judgement.

"If we help just one person who is struggling to reach out and start talking, well, we’ve done our job."

Friday's episode will be the first time in Emmerdale's history that it has featured only male characters in an episode.

In 2019, the soap aired an all-female episode in celebration of International Women's Day.

Advocacy group Andy's Man Club encourages men to speak openly about their mental health, either with loved ones or on social media using the hashtag #ItsOkayToTalk.

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX

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