‘Emmerdale’ fans got a blast from the past on Monday (21 August) night, when Daz Spencer reappeared and we can confirm that he will be sticking around “indefinitely” this time.
Ahead of his return, HuffPost UK and other reporters grilled Mark - and his co-stars Liam Fox (Dan) and Laura Norton (Kerry Wyatt) - on what fans can expect from the character’s comeback.
Here’s everything they were allowed to tell us…
Things really have not gone well for Daz
Mark admitted: “It’s quite a change in the three years and I think ,after the last exit, he’s ended up in a really bad place. It’s a major change from the Daz we last saw, to the Daz you’ll get to see now.
“He’s homeless, he’s lost everything and ended up at the bottom of the barrel. When Kerry spots him, he’s in dire straits and had a lot to think about since he was last in the village.
“It’s interesting for me to come in and be almost [the] polar opposite of what I came in as last time which is wonderful
His situation will resonate with Kerry
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The exact details of why Kerry is so struck by Daz’s situation is being kept under lock and key, but viewers will see her desperate to help Daz - despite everything that happened last time she saw him.
“That is something that you learn but basically her seeing him at rock bottom, it’s a parallel journey,” Laura explained. “But this is something she hasn’t shared with anybody before so it comes to light.
“That’s why she feels so strongly, because it’s her opportunity to make amends for the mistakes she made with Amy because of the situation she was in, she goes ,‘I might be able to help this situation but make myself feel better at the same time’.”
And Daz’s reappearance will bring out a different side to her
“Your [Daz] sort of new polar opposite role has given us [Dan and Kerry] the same,” Laura said. “Kerry’s now sort of becoming sort of mother, trying to fix wrongs that she has done in the past. It’s an opportunity for her to make up for all that.”
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But his homelessness won’t have the same effect on Dan
Liam’s character will struggle to trust his brother, and the actor admitted: “Dan doesn’t want to know at all. He doesn’t want him in his life.”
The storyline will have some serious twists and turns
Kerry and Dan are fantastic comedy characters, but the soap’s producer, Iain MacLeod, revealed that the storyline will “give them something more serious to do at times as well”.
Explaining why he decided to bring Daz back in the first place, Iain added: “I liked the idea of extending Dan and Kerry’s family group and giving another source of friction in their relationship.
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“The idea was just to build a bigger family around them and to give another facet to the type of stories we could tell with them.”
Daz won’t be kissing Kerry again - but there is romance on the cards
When asked whether Daz could be enjoying the company of a Dales resident, producer Iain said: “Yup. There’s definitely one [romance] on the cards. I won’t say who with but yeah, it’s an interesting odd couple dynamic which is really good fun.”
Catch up on all the latest soap news and spoilers here.
TV's Longest Serving Soap Stars
Bill Roache(01 of15)
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Played: Ken Barlow (1960 - Present, 'Coronation Street')
William, or Bill as he's known, was one of the original stars in Tony Warren's series. In the decades since, we've seen his character marry four different women, though Deirdre Barlow will always be his soulmate. (credit:ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Adam Woodyatt(02 of15)
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Played: Ian Beale (1985 - Present, 'EastEnders')
Not only is Ian the longest-serving 'EastEnders' character, but he's also the most married, following five ceremonies - though he did marry Jane twice. (credit:REX/Shutterstock)
Chrisopher Chittell(03 of15)
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Played: Eric Pollard (1986 - Present, 'Emmerdale')
Pollard has been at the centre of many big storylines, but none were more touching than his - often hilarious -relationship with Val. (credit:ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Emily is the longest-standing female character in 'Corrie', and though she's taken a handful of breaks from the soap, actress Eileen has always returned to t'cobbles. (credit:ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Pam St Clement(05 of15)
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Played: Pat Butcher (1986 - 2012, 2016, 'EastEnders')
We thought we'd seen the last of Pat in 2012, when she was killed off in emotional scenes. Little did we know, she'd be back for Peggy Mitchell's farewell. (credit:News (UK) Ltd/REX/Shutterstock)
After making a brief appearance in 1964, Barbara returned to the soap just under a decade later. (credit:Ben Curtis/PA Archive)
Richard Thorp(07 of15)
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Played: Alan Turner (1982 - 2013, 'Emmerdale')
Richard made his last appearance in the soap in July 2013, and his character was killed off, off-screen, three months later. Sadly, the actor then died in late October. (credit:ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Betty Driver(08 of15)
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Played: Betty Williams (1969 - 2011, 'Coronation Street')
The role was at first a bit part but due to Stan's popularity, he stayed in the Dales. And it simply wouldn't have been the same without him. (credit:ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Steve McFadden(11 of15)
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Played: Phil Mitchell (1990 - 2003, 2005 - Present)
Steve was honoured for his work on the soap at the 2016 British Soap Awards, where he received the Outstanding Achievement Award. (credit:Nils Jorgensen/REX/Shutterstock)
Over the years, Gail has had to deal with many unexpected moments, and Tina O'Brien's (pictured) teen pregnancy was just one of many that hit headlines. (credit:WHAT'S ON TV/REX/Shutterstock)
Clive Horby(14 of15)
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Played: Jack Sugden (1980 - 2008, 'Emmerdale')
Between 1972 and 1976, the role was played by actor Andrew Burt, but Clive made it his own when he arrived in the Dales. (credit:ITV/REX/Shutterstock)