In scenes which aired on Emmerdale tonight (Monday October 10), Aaron Dingle talked fondly of his late boyfriend, Jackson Walsh.
But who was Jackson in Emmerdale? How did Jackson and Aaron meet?
And how did he die?
Who was Jackson Walsh?
Jackson Walsh joined Emmerdale in 2010, played by actor Mark Silcock.
He was the son of Hazel Rhodes and Jerry Walsh, and worked as a builder upon coming to live in Emmerdale.
Aaron met Jackson at a gay bar in Hotten.
After Aaron had second thoughts and left the bar, Jackson found his mobile phone and visited Emmerdale to return it.
Returning the phone to Aaron, the pair agreed to meet for a drink.
However, he was left disappointed when Aaron stood him up.
Meeting later, Jackson attempted to encourage Aaron to come out. They successfully went on a date, and shared a kiss.
Their relationship took a violent turn when Aaron punched Jackson in the Woolpack – believing that Jackson was about to out him to the village.
Aaron was subsequently arrested and charged with assault.
During the trial, Aaron admitted that he was gay and, as the pair returned to the village, they went their separate ways.
Jackson and Aaron’s relationship
However, when Aaron defended Jackson from a bully Wayne Dobson, the pair began a relationship.
Moving to the village with mother Hazel, Jackson began work with builder Declan Macey.
During a fight with Aaron, Jackson declared his love.
This was a step too far from Aaron, who shut Jackson out for several days.
After trying to make amends with a night out, Aaron attempted to talk through their issues.
Jackson was left hurt when Aaron was unable to admit that he loved him.
Driving off in a huff, tragedy struck when he attempted to answer his phone while driving his van.
He crashed into a railway line and was grievously injured when the van was struck by a train.
At the hospital, Jackson learned that he was forever paralyzed from the neck down.
Although the couple briefly split up – with Jackson blaming Aaron for the crash – they reconciled when Aaron finally admitted his love for Jackson.
How did Jackson die?
In a video diary, Jackson revealed that he no longer wished to live.
Seeing the video, Aaron attempted to help Jackson change his mind.
However, Jackson remained steadfast in his wish to die.
Reluctantly, Hazel and Aaron agreed to help him end his life.
The next day, Hazel brought Jackson some pills. However, she was unable to hand them over to her son.
Aaron took the cup and gave them to Jackson, who took the pills and, finally, died.
In a pre-recorded video message played at his funeral, Jackson explained that his death was his own choice and no-one else’s, exonerating Hazel and Aaron from any repercussions.
Read more: Who is in the cast of Emmerdale 2022? Meet the full line-up
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
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