Assisted Suicide in Emmerdale

[alan45]

A PARALYSED character in Emmerdale is to die in a controversial assisted suicide storyline, The Sun can reveal.
Jackson Walsh's mother and his lover crush a lethal dose of tablets in a drink.

The ITV1 soap, watched by eight million viewers, was slammed last night by campaign groups who fear the producers are using the plot just to "chase ratings".

Jackson, played by Mark Silcock, 22, was injured in a road smash last year. He will ask boyfriend Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) and mum Hazel (Pauline Quirke) to help end his life.

An Emmerdale insider last night said: "Jackson will start discussing plans to end his life in the next few weeks.


"His resolve to see it through will strengthen, which will lead to many rows and emotional scenes.
"Throughout the plot, there will be a phone number on screen for a helpline for anyone affected."

Industry watchdog Mediawatch-UK slammed the storyline. Spokesman David Turtle said: "Emmerdale has been trying to push the boundaries for some time just to boost ratings. It's a soap, not a serious discussion about a serious topic."

Alistair Thompson, of the Care Not Killing Alliance, said: "I hope this is done for the right reason and not to chase ratings."

In 2000 EastEnders character Ethel Skinner took morphine pills, aided by friend Dot Cotton.

Assisting a suicide can lead to 14 years' jail.

An Emmerdale spokeswoman said last night: "We do not confirm or deny speculation about future storylines."

[thestud2k7]

oh no i dont want jackson to leave

but emmerdale will do it justice

[Chloe O'brien]

They did the assisted suicide story a few years ago when Sam helped his cancer ridden wife to die and Cain took the blame and did a bunk. I don't want Jackson to leave I was kind of hoping for some major fundrasing event to send him to America for life-saving surgery which would help him to walk again.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Marc Silcock, Danny Miller and Pauline Quirke have just spent four days shooting scenes on location in the North Sea.

The soap stars, who play Jackson Walsh, his boyfriend Aaron Livesy and his mum Hazel Rhodes, have been getting some sea air filming on a boat in Whitby.

Danny, who plays tough guy Aaron, was pictured leaning over the side of the boat looking a bit green around the gills, prompting co-star James Thornton (who plays John Barton) to tweet: "Danny Miller is seasick. Very funny. Head up lad."

But a source from the soap insisted all the actors had survived their time at sea without suffering any seasickness.

Jackson already has more than enough to deal with as he struggles to accept being paralysed from the neck down after a car accident.

It has been rumoured he'll get involved in an assisted suicide storyline, and the top secret plot has left some guessing what he is doing on a boat.

But a spokeswoman for the soap said: "They are not filming exit scenes for Jackson."

PA

[Chloe O'brien]

Maybe there on a holiday together.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale favourite Marc Silcock has claimed that his departure from the ITV soap at the conclusion of an assisted suicide storyline will be "an exit people will remember".

Viewers will see the 22-year-old's paraplegic character Jackson Walsh ask his boyfriend Aaron (Danny Miller) and mother Hazel (Pauline Quirke) to help him end his life in an upcoming plot.

Speaking to the Boston Herald, Silcock revealed that his final scene as Jackson will be filmed on May 14th and air on ITV1 sometime the following month.

He also urged fans to make the most of the short-lived optimism displayed by Aaron and Jackson as they attempt to adapt to his character's life-changing injuries, which were sustained in last October's dramatic train crash.

"There is a large time where [Jackson and Aaron] are happy together because we decide to go, 'Okay, we'll give it a go. We'll see what kind of life we can have'," he said. "That's something people can look forward to. There's going to be lots of laughs, lots of jokes... We are going to see a bright light of shining happiness - for a while.

"When that comes to an end, we'll start discussing the issues that people will understand a bit more and appreciate a bit more."

Pressed for his on views on assisted suicide, Silcock argued: "Why shouldn't you have that choice? If you've had an accident, why should you be kept in a prison cell for a crime you haven't committed? You should have the choice.

"You're trapped in a body for something you didn't do. There shouldn't be such an uproar around it. It shouldn't be such a taboo subject."

He added: "We believe what we're going to be talking about is something that needs to be talked about and hasn't been talked about in British TV, let alone a soap, and that's really important for me, to really think that a really unappreciated subject will be brought to the forefront."

Although he refused to confirm whether Jackson will have his wish to die granted by Aaron and Hazel, Silcock promised: "I think it's going to be an exit people will remember."

So he is leaving the show

[layla]

I am sorry to see that this story will end in an assisted suicide. Was hoping it would not go down that path.

[tammyy2j]

I better get the tissues ready

[Perdita]

Jackson Walsh's departure from 'Emmerdale' will be "an exit people will remember".

Last month it was revealed that the tetraplegic former builder - who lost the use of his limbs following a horrific road crash in the ITV1 soap last year - will beg his doting mother Hazel (Pauline Quirke) and boyfriend Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) to help him end his life by administering a lethal dose of tablets in his drink and actor Marc Silcock hopes his plight will be thought-provoking for viewers.

He said: "I think it's going to be an exit people will remember.

"We believe what we're going to be talking about is something that needs to be talked about and hasn't been talked about in British TV, let alone a soap, and that's really important for me, to really think that a really unappreciated subject will be brought to the forefront."

The 22-year-old actor also revealed that fans of his character can take some comfort in that there will be some happy times for him and Aaron before he decides he wants to end his life.

He promised: "There is a large time where [Jackson and Aaron] are happy together because we decide to go, 'OK, we'll give it a go. We'll see what kind of life we can have'. That's something people can look forward to. There's going to be lots of laughs, lots of jokes... We are going to see a bright light of shining happiness - for a while.

"When that comes to an end, we'll start discussing the issues that people will understand a bit more and appreciate a bit more."

Though Jackson begs his mother and lover to help him end his life, show chiefs have remained tight-lipped on whether they will grant his request.

(C) BANG Media International

[Chloe O'brien]

I am sorry to see that this story will end in an assisted suicide. Was hoping it would not go down that path.

Me too. This is going to be a very emotional story. I was hoping that Jackson would get some feeling back or he could have some life-saving operation but it looks like another funeral in the dales and perhaps Hazel or Aaron going to jail for their part.