Fans of Emmerdale were horrified to learn that Chris Chittell’s longest-serving character, Eric Pollard, had Parkinson’s disease in Friday night’s (November 1) episode of the ITV soap opera.
Yesterday, as part of a unique week centred around the Dingle family, we witnessed Mandy’s (Lisa Riley) actions just prior to Craig Reed’s (Ben Addis) demise.
Until she had purchased from Pollard, she was in the salon fighting with him over the questionable. Mandy requested that Eric repair it since she was angry and furious that it wasn’t functioning, but in the end, he broke down in tears.
Mandy initially believed she had upset him, but Eric later sat down and acknowledged that he was experiencing physical changes in his body, which he later verified were caused by Parkinson’s.
With tears in his eyes, Eric begged Mandy to preserve his secret so he could fight the war alone, away from his loved ones. Although Mandy accepted, her heart ached as Eric said that although he had escaped many gunshots in his life, this one had struck him.
Fans responded to the news on social media as soon as the moving moments aired.
One reader commented on Twitter/X, saying, “I love Eric’s character, it was upsetting to watch tonight, but it just shows what a great actor he is.”
Another person’s response to the shocking turn of events was similar to ours when they commented, “So Eric is going to have Parkinson’s disease in #Emmerdale, wasn’t expecting that.”
Producer of Emmerdale, Laura Shaw, commented on this plot point: “When Eric Pollard receives a Parkinson’s diagnosis, he naturally feels very scared and uncertain about what the condition means for his future.”
We can tell this narrative very realistically over an extended period of time, shed light on what a diagnosis like this entails, and follow Pollard as he learns to live with it because to the special position that a programme like Emmerdale holds.
“We hope that sharing 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,” said the statement released in collaboration with Parkinson’s UK, who have been our guiding light throughout the entire process.
ITV soap opera icon Kate Ford, who played Tracy Barlow for almost 20 years on…
Lucy Fallon plays Bethany Platt in Coronation Street.Credit: ITV/ Coronation Street Through Bethany Platt's character on…
Next week, there will be a comeback in the ITV soap opera. Roy Cropper and…
Fans of Coronation Street believe caretaker Cassie Plummer is playing Ken Barlow, so they fear…
Fans of Emmerdale are certain that they have figured out what happened to Nate Robinson…
Fans claim Nate's exit was the 'worst'... Many viewers of Emmerdale have been curious about…