Assisted Suicide in Emmerdale

Emmerdale's Hazel Rhodes is to be "profoundly affected" by her son's message from beyond the grave.

After assisting tetraplegic son Jackson Walsh in his suicide, Hazel (Pauline Quirke) and Jackson's devoted boyfriend Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) are already crushed and in a precarious legal position.

However, when they watch a final message Jackson - played by Marc Silcock - left them from beyond the grave, they are pushed even further into the depths of grief.

An insider explained: "Seeing Jackson speaking from beyond the grave has a profound effect on Hazel and Aaron. Only they know the traumatic journey all three of them went through.

"They cling to each other for support because both of them are facing a prison sentence if the law dictates that what they did was a criminal offence."

However, Hazel's problems are far from over when she incurs the wrath of Aaron's mother Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), who can hardly control her anger at her son being involved in the crime, and her woes are added to even further when local vicar Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) tells her he won't let Jackson's funeral take place in the church.

The source added to Inside Soap magazine: "Both Hazel and Aaron have taken it for granted that Jackson's funeral will be held at the local church with Ashley officiating. But given the moral implications of assisted suicide, Ashley has to tell Hazel he cannot condone Jackson's decision."

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Emmerdale star Andy Walker has spoken candidly about how his life has changed since he lost the use of his limbs.

The 33-year-old, who made his debut on the soap earlier this year, was left paralysed from the neck down in 2006 after suffering a diving accident while on holiday in Goa, India.

Emmerdale fans have recently seen Walker appear in the role of Steve Kelly, who tried to help regular character Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock) come to terms with life as a tetraplegic.

Walker told The Mirror: "Of course it's a negative thing and initially you can't imagine life without moving your arms or legs. There's a lot of adjustment and I've had bad times myself. In the first year I found it hard to get used to having carers. I was impatient, frustrated and I stopped chatting up girls."

However, he added: "I've sailed single-handed across Bassenthwaite in the Lake District and I regularly take my brother's dog for a two-mile walk around our local lake. I go to watch Manchester City, I go to the pub, I travel abroad and I want to play wheelchair football. I'm massively independent and plenty of times I forget I'm in a wheelchair."

Walker, who began filming at Emmerdale in February, currently devotes much of his time to charity work.

"Of course, there are bad days. But in many ways my life is so much better than it was before," he said. "As I got older I found myself caught up in the rat race. Now I spend my days helping other people and it's fantastic. I want to show that you can live life to the full, whatever your situation."

Walker's on-screen character Steve provided a contrast to Jackson, who did not want to live with his disability.

Emmerdale viewers saw Jackson's story come to an end earlier this week as his boyfriend Aaron Livesy and mum Hazel Rhodes helped him to end his own life.

Emmerdale's series producer Stuart Blackburn has confirmed that there is a "long journey" ahead for show regular Aaron Livesy in the aftermath of his boyfriend Jackson Walsh's death.

Last week, viewers saw Jackson end his life by drinking a concoction of drugs which were given to him by Aaron (Danny Miller). Jackson had told his loved ones that he no longer wished to continue living with his spinal cord injury, which left him paralysed from the neck down.

Aaron begins to face the consequences of his actions in next week's episodes as he is charged with murder. Jackson's mother Hazel, who was also involved in the incident, is released without charge.

Discussing Aaron's future on This Morning today, Blackburn explained: "There will be a trial. It's going to be a long, long journey for Aaron. We're storylining now right up until October, November - and he's still trying to come to terms with what he's done.

"These are actions that he's taken that he's going to have a lot of remorse and regret about. And the real trial is among the village - people like Chas and Paddy who are having to step up to the mark and the after-effects of this. So there's a long way to go."

Emmerdale's assisted suicide storyline sparked a handful of complaints to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, while spinal injuries charity Aspire branded the plot "negative, unrealistic and pretty inaccurate". Others, however, have praised the way the conclusion to Jackson's story was handled on screen.

Discussing the reaction, Blackburn commented: "All I can say from my point of view is that it's been brilliant. The one thing we knew we wanted was debate - and that's what we've got. There have been some complaints and some people aren't happy with the way we told it, and we understood that and appreciated it. But I think overall, it's gone down incredibly well and we're now sitting here having an adult debate about the issues it raised."

He continued: "I don't want to go out to offend, and we tried at every level to be as sensitive as we possibly could - and I think we achieved that."

Emmerdale continues tonight at 7pm on ITV1.

Aaron Livesy faces one of his darkest periods yet, as he awaits trial for the murder of his boyfriend Jackson Walsh. The assisted-suicide storyline saw Danny Miller's alter ego charged with killing his paraplegic partner last month.

Digital Spy grabbed several minutes with the award-winning actor, as he went between takes, to discuss upcoming court scenes, Pauline Quirke's exit and his thoughts on receiving another 'Best Actor' nod in the TV Choice awards.

How are we going to see things progress for Aaron over the coming weeks?
"You are going to see a side of Aaron which is quite interesting in my opinion; a side that hasn't really been seen before. He's quite determined that whatever will be, will be. He's not interested in anything else other than getting on with life - trying to deal with what's happened and moving on. Onwards and upwards really."

We've heard that he will go on a "long and deeply meaningful journey" now - will this lead to resolution for Aaron?
"Obviously there will be light at the end of the tunnel, but he's got to through the dark patch first. Whatever the verdict is, it'll be [Aaron] having to deal with that and adjust to life [after] the verdict. It's in the judge and jury's hands."

What can you tell us about the trial episodes?
"They are just brilliant episodes, they really are. They're very interesting and we've got some great guest actors in to play the defence and prosecution. They were fantastic. We really enjoyed it. It was different to be able to film something like that in a courtroom, instead of just the village or The Woolpack. It's always nice to get out to location and do some different stuff. It was like filming a drama - really good."

How do you hope things progress between Aaron and Hazel before Pauline Quirke leaves?
"Well I hope that before Pauline goes, they are happy again. Obviously at the moment there's not a lot of laughs because of what's happened. I just want them to be happy again and I want them to share a nice, emotional moment before she goes. We'll see."

Aaron's dark journey is great for you to get your teeth into - are you enjoying it?
"Really enjoying it! It's really interesting actually because I'm receiving my scripts - and not that I'm not normally interested - but I'm just interested in his whole journey now; What's next for him? Where's he going? Where's this leading to? Why is he doing this? Why is he doing that? I kind of feel a bit sorry for him really. He's had a lot happen to him over the past two years. It's great for me to get my teeth into. There's not really much more to say other than the fact that it's interesting and that I'm enjoying it. I really am enjoying myself."

Congratulations on your TV Choice 'Best Actor' nomination - how much does it mean to you to receive recognition from fans and critics?
"It's always nice to receive an award. It's one of those things... but I've got a big team behind me here at Emmerdale and I think it's nice for us all to get recognition through one person or through two people. It's nice for the other guys to sit back and see that we're getting recognised now; people are voting for us. It's such an honour and a privilege. I think a lot of people forget just how much of an honour it is to be even nominated, let alone to win something. If you win, you get out there and you win an award, you've got to be over the moon that people have been moved by your performances and have taken the time to go on the internet and vote for you."

Emmerdale is bidding farewell to a number of faces over the coming months - can we expect to see Aaron remain in the village?
"You can, yes! I'm not looking to go anywhere at the moment. I'm happy. I've got good friends, good storylines - why would I want to go? I'm perfectly happy where I am; so no plans to go anywhere."

Miller is nominated for TV Choice's 'Best Actor' award alongside Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald, Coronation Street), Shane Richie (Alfie Moon, EastEnders) and Emmett J Scanlan (Brendan Brady, Hollyoaks).

Former Bad Girls actor James Gaddas will lead the guest stars who will appear in Aaron Livesy's upcoming Emmerdale trial.

The mechanic - played by Danny Miller - appears in court late this month, after he was charged for his part in the assisted suicide of his paraplegic boyfriend Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock).

Gaddas, best known for his role as Larkhall prison governor Neil Grayling, previously appeared in Coronation Street as Vinny Sorrell, who had an on-off relationship with Rovers Return landlady Natalie Barnes (Denise Welch).

"I was delighted to be approached to appear in these episodes and really moved by the performances," the 51-year-old actor told the show's official website. "The scenes in the courtroom are very hard hitting and it was a privilege to be involved."

While Gaddas takes on the role of the prosecutor, Benidorm actor Tony Maudsley will play Aaron's lawyer. Meanwhile, Mary Jo Randle - whose credits include The Bill, Wire in the Blood and Silent Witness - will appear as the judge.

Miller acknowledged the guest cast for their contributions to the "brilliant" episodes, telling Digital Spy: "We've got some great guest actors in to play the defence and prosecution. They were fantastic."

Emmerdale's Pauline Quirke has said that her character Hazel Rhodes fears Aaron Livesy will be sent down for his part in Jackson's assisted suicide.

The mechanic - played by Danny Miller - handed his boyfriend the fatal cocktail of drugs when Hazel was unable to see it through. Quirke told Soaplife that the grieving mother feels "terribly guilty" for leaving the responsibility to Aaron.

Quirke said: "They were going along with what Jackson had planned. Hazel thought it was all going to be OK because Jackson had made sure it was. She was just thinking about what he wanted - everything else afterwards came as a huge shock."

Of Aaron and Hazel's bond, Quirke explained that the teenager is a source of comfort for Hazel. "They're the two people in this world that went through it," she said. "He reassures her it's all going to be all right. Obviously there are still a lot of doubts in her mind, but they have a close relationship."

However, with Aaron charged with Jackson's murder and facing trial later this month, the former Birds of a Feather star said that Hazel is "starting to panic".

"She's terrified she's going to fall to pieces in the witness box," Quirke said. "She feels under immense pressure to get it right, but to be honest she doesn't know what the hell's going to happen."

Adding that Hazel will be "devastated" if Aaron is sent down, Quirke concluded: "She feels terribly guilty she wasn't able to do what Jackson wanted at the last minute and that her act of letting Aaron give the drink to Jackson turned everything on its head.

"So whatever guilt she's got for what's already happened she will have that on top. As she says: 'I've already lost one boy. I don't want to lose another...'"

Miller recently told Digital Spy that he hopes to see Aaron and Hazel "happy again" and sharing a "nice, emotional moment" before Quirke departs the ITV1 soap.

Emmerdale star Danny Miller has described himself as the Wayne Rooney of the show.

The actor, who won Best Actor at this year's British Soap Awards for his role as Aaron Livesy, explained that although he is often highlighted as a reason for the soap's continuing success, many people contribute to it.

"I am shy about my success," Miller told The Sun's Buzz magazine. "It's like football - Wayne Rooney is always the one who's picked out at Manchester United even though there's a whole team behind him.

"Anything I do, I do for the show. I don't like being singled out. I was on the verge of becoming a traffic policeman. But then I got the Emmerdale audition. If I hadn't got the role, I'd probably have given up altogether."

Miller added: "I'd love to do a big drama. And obviously film too. In the next few years, I'd like to experience the whole auditioning world."

Following his British Soap Awards success, the 20-year-old has also been nominated in the 'Best Actor' category at this year's Inside Soap Awards.

Emmerdale star Danny Miller has admitted that a guilty verdict would be the best option for his character Aaron Livesy at his forthcoming murder trial.

This week's episodes of the ITV1 soap see Aaron's future in jeopardy as the legal case surrounding his boyfriend Jackson Walsh's death is finally examined in court.

Earlier this year, Aaron helped Jackson to die after he repeatedly insisted that he no longer wished to continue living with his spinal cord injury, which had left him paralysed from the neck down.

However, as the trial develops, Aaron slowly finds himself agreeing with the prosecution's case until he finally decides that he did the wrong thing.

Speaking to Emmerdale's official website about the possible outcomes for Aaron, Miller commented: "If he was found guilty and he went to prison, I think he'd be alright because at the end of the day, he would just keep his head down and I think he would just know that he deserves to be there. And he wants to be there - to be punished for what he's done to Jackson.

"If he's found not guilty, it will be a slippy, slippy slope for him because then he has to begin life outside of prison without any punishment - and adjusting to life without Jackson."

He added: "I think it would be worse off for him to be found not guilty than guilty."

Emmerdale's trial verdict will air in Thursday night's double bill.

Emmerdale's Aaron Livesy faces a very difficult day in court as his murder trial continues in tonight's episode of the soap.

When Jerry takes the stand, he makes sure to paint Aaron (Danny Miller) in the worst light possible as he recalls the mechanic's turbulent history with Jackson, while Adam also fuels the prosecution's case by reluctantly admitting that Aaron confessed to killing his boyfriend.

Later, there's yet another setback for Aaron when a compelling clip from Jackson's video diary is played in court, in which he spoke positively about his long-term future.

As his loved ones realise that it's not looking good, Aaron turns over the day's proceedings in his mind and starts to question himself - did he do the wrong thing after all?


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Emmerdale star Danny Miller has said that his self-harm storyline is a "massive challenge".

The actor's latest plot sees Aaron Livesy continue to struggle with his role in the assisted suicide of boyfriend Jackson Walsh. Speaking to Soaplife, Miller said that the vulnerable mechanic remains "very angry about everything".

"He's so angry. Hurting himself is pretty scary, but it changes his mood, he's almost happy when he's hurt," he said.

"He's still very angry about everything. He thinks he and Hazel should have given Jackson longer to adapt to his altered life, although Jackson was pleading to die. Aaron loathes himself and he won't let anyone in to help him. The self-harming is how he's dealing with this."

Aaron uses a new punching bag to account for his injuries, which become "a kind of release", Miller explained. He added: "The punchbag is a great cover for his self-harming. When anyone asks why he has cuts and bruises he can make out it's because of the boxing."

Asked what Jackson would think of Aaron's emotional state, the 20-year-old said: "It's gone way beyond that. He doesn't care what Jackson might have wanted. He's so full of self-hatred nothing else matters. He won't stop this until someone steps in. At the moment it's his secret and he likes this."

On his own research into the plot, Miller added: "I've spoken to someone who used to self-harm and now runs a charity to help people who want to stop. I've also done some research on the internet and gone to the website www.selfharm.co.uk. This storyline is a massive challenge. I love it."