Emmerdale star Chris Bisson has opened up about his cousin, who has Down’s Syndrome, as Laurel and Jai’s abortion storyline kicks off.
The actor has played Jai Sharma in the ITV soap since 2009 and has had many storylines.
However over the next few months, Jai and his partner Laurel will be involved in a difficult storyline, which sees them having to make a very difficult decision regarding their unborn child.
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In last night’s scenes (Thursday, November 26) Laurel discovered she is pregnant.
However when the couple go for their first scan in upcoming scenes, it soon becomes apparent all is not how it should be.
After heartfelt and tearful conversations the couple decide to have a CVS test. The results tell them that the baby has Down’s Syndrome.
Upcoming scenes will depict the couple having very deep and emotional conversations. However they will make the sad decision not to proceed with the pregnancy.
Since the storyline was announced, Emmerdale has received backlash from viewers, fans and even Miranda actress Sally Phillips, whose teen son has Down’s Syndrome.
But Chris Bisson has revealed that his cousin has Down’s Syndrome and he knows quite a lot about the condition.
Emmerdale: Chris Bisson talks about his cousin
When asked if he knew anyone who had been in Laurel and Jai’s situation, Chris told Entertainment Daily and other media: “I have a cousin who has Down’s Syndrome. So the story of Down’s is something that I am very familiar with.
“I grew up with my cousin from being very small and looked after him as a baby and grew up with him. He was part of my bubble, what we now call bubbles, but he was part of it.
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“My cousin was the same age as me and we all grew up together. Yeah, so I know quite a lot about the background to Down’s.
“And interestingly when I’ve spoken to people about it, they talked about anxieties going for amniocentesis or CVS tests. I think those conversations have been more honest now they know I’m exploring it.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.
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