Mark Charnock 'proud' of Emmerdale's lockdown episodes

Mark Charnock is "proud" of \'Emmerdale\' for taking on the challenge of airing special lockdown episodes.

The ITV soap\'s sixth and final lockdown episode airs tonight (24.06.20) with Mark\'s character Marlon Dingle forced to quarantine with his arch-nemesis Al Chapman (Michael Wildman), and the 51-year-old star believes the programme had a "social responsibility" to show how its characters were coping during the pandemic.

He said: "I\'m rather proud of us. Soaps are not really like any other form of drama.

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"They exist in the immediate reality of the audience, concurrently with the audience\'s present.

"You can use a soap for escapism, but I think we also have a social responsibility.

"You can\'t hide from the fact people have been going through this, and I think the audience want to see what the characters they are interested in are doing during lockdown.

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"It\'s basically all about meetings of minds, and how we can all do better.

"I\'m rather proud of it actually."

Mark admitted he felt "very safe" when he returned to filming on the set, which has strict social distancing guidelines in place.

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Speaking on \'Good Morning Britain\', he added: "You feel very safe, they\'ve got this two-metre stick. So there\'s somebody lurking off set with a stick."

And the star has been putting some of his lockdown time to good use, as he recently admitted he has been learning Italian.

He said: "I\'m good at occupying my time, I\'ve kept my brain fit by learning Italian and reading a lot.

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"I\'ve had a few days when I\'ve felt myself asking when this is all going to end? But this is what we\'re left with.

"This is the given situation at the moment and I\'ve been lucky. You look on the news and see people going through terrible things.

"I think I\'m not going to feel sorry for myself with people going through all that.

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"Fortunately, I\'m not in that position and I\'ve found it OK."