By Katie Baillie

Copyright metro

Liam is overwhelmed at work and fears the worst (Picture: ITV)

Emmerdale’s Liam (Jonny McPherson) is not one to take his own advice when needing to seek serious medical help.

After confessing to struggling to hold his bladder and Claudette (Flo Wilson) tried to force him to seek help, Liam has so far done nothing.

Actor Jonny McPherson explains the doctor’s state of mind – that he can’t admit to ill health as a GP as it’s a sign of weakness.

‘I think he feels very much that, as a doctor, he’s in a position of medical authority and he needs to be seen as being on top of things in terms of the surgery and also himself,’ he tells Metro.co.uk.

So he’s refusing to concede defeat and is digging his heals in for fear of losing face. He digs them in further when Claudette tells him to stop putting things off. Liam books the appointment for his prostate but quickly cancels it when the fear takes hold.

Claudette is not to be deterred and reiterates how urgent this is, but he continues to ignore her. But as with ignoring anything troublesome, it rears its ugly head at the least convenient time.

Claudette is on hand to listen as Liam voices his concerns (Picture: ITV)

Jonny explains: ‘Bob pops over to have an appointment regarding a fairly standard health matter. The consultation goes on a lot longer than Liam expects and he starts having some pressing problems, shall we say, in terms of wanting to go to relieve himself.

‘Bob keeps him in the consulting room and eventually Liam manages to get rid of him, but Bob still tries to engage him in further conversation in the waiting room, then Manpreet asks him a question – and then he just has to run upstairs.

Liam confides in Chas (Picture: ITV)

‘Upstairs is occupied by Claudette. He dashes downstairs into the surgery, his consulting room, and relieves himself in the surgery sink.’

Manpreet walks in to discover her colleague on tip toes peeing into the basin and is aptly shocked and disgusted, but quickly realises it’s so unlike Liam, something must be dreadfully wrong.

Now with both Claudette and Manpreet on his back, he is forced to face the truth. It’s painful and destroying, but he accepts he cannot allow his fear to rule him and what his symptoms might mean.

With a deep breath, he reveals to Chas, who survived cancer herself, that he might have prostate cancer and once the words are said out loud, it feels way more frighteningly real. What will happen next for our favourite soap Doc?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 or stream from 6am on ITVX or YouTube.

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