When it came to choosing my favourite platonic relationship from Emmerdale, Paddy and Marlon were the first people to come into my mind. Anyone who watches Emmerdale can clearly see how close they are and have been for years. They spend time together, watch movies together, and attempt to join Bear’s football team together (despite neither of the being anything close to athletic 😆).
I applaud Emmerdale for showing a close friendship between two men. Even in 2026, that is not often seen. You see often it with female characters but almost never male. Whenever you see male friendships on television it’s usually two or more men drinking beer, talking about sports, talking about a woman they slept with (or want to sleep with) or talking about their “problems with the wife” (gender stereotypes are wonderful aren’t they? 🙄). The reason for this is quite clear. Many creators of television shows (like many people in the general public) hold onto the homophobic and misogynistic ideas that (a) men can’t show their feelings or affections for anyone, especially other men, because it’s gay and unmanly and (b) if men show affection for one another, they must be in love and having sex. Paddy and Marlon show that close personal friendships between men (like friendships between women, or women and men, or between any human being regardless of sex, gender or gender identity) exist and can be very loving without it being romantic and/or sexual. If anyone needs further proof of the close bond between Paddy and Marlon, then watch this clip of Marlon desperately trying to stop his best friend Paddy from harming himself. The love is there and that is something that should be encouraged and celebrated.
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