Rob Mallard
“Daniel is facing the possibility of being a widower age 23!”
Daniel’s world falls apart around him this week, when he finds out that his new bride Sinead has cervical cancer. And the devastated fella has to face the prospect of not only losing her, but also their unborn child.
The bombshell drops after Sinead passes out at the factory, and on seeing the commotion, Ken – the only other person to know about Sinead’s true condition – insists on accompanying her in the ambulance.
“Daniel is in his own little bubble, and completely unaware of what’s been happening,” sighs actor Rob Mallard, who plays Sinead’s doting husband. “Although Sinead has been doing everything she can to make sure he doesn’t find out, he’s making it very easy for her. I think he’s playing out a fantasy in his head, and he just doesn’t notice that everything is going wrong.
He’s clearly not paying her enough attention.”
As Sinead is rushed to hospital, Daniel has his mind on preparing a nursery, blissfully ignorant of the perilous situation his wife and child are facing. “He’s bought a big teddy bear – even bigger than him – for the nursery,” reveals Rob. “As he arrives home, he sees the ambulance driving off, and when he notices the way that Peter is looking at him, he knows it must be Sinead. At first, he just thinks she’s fainted because of the pregnancy or something - but there’s a weirdness at the hospital. Everyone seems to know a little bit more than he does. Then the doctor bursts the bubble by mentioning her illness, and it becomes clear that Ken already knows…”
While Sinead undergoes tests, Daniel asks Ken what’s going on. At this point, Ken realises that he can’t keep his boy in the dark any longer, and breaks the awful truth to him about Sinead’s cancer.
“Daniel is shocked at first, and then goes into denial,”
Rob tells us. “Then he finally understands what has been happening, and it’s like a cold bath. He goes from one extreme to the other – happiness and optimism for the future, to facing the possibility of being a widower age 23.”
“Daniel is shocked at first – it’s like a cold bath!”
As the true horror of the information sinks in, Daniel’s devastation turns to anger, as he realises his dad has known about Sinead’s condition for quite some time, but kept the news from him. It also brings back unhappy memories of how Ken played a vital part in persuading Sinead to terminate her previous pregnancy.
“Last year, after the abortion, Daniel and Ken agreed that there’d be no more secrets between them,” says Rob. “They said they would tell each other everything, so this is an echo of what happened before. Daniel still doesn’t really trust Ken. And although Sinead comes across as very sweet and innocent, she’s also lied a lot to Daniel, so he really struggles with this!”
The pain isn’t about to get any easier for Daniel. When he hears that Sinead has refused to accept any treatment for the cancer, fearing that it would mean losing her baby, Daniel is horrified. He begs his wife to reconsider, but Sinead is adamant that the life of their child is more important, and she refuses to put it at unnecessary risk.
“Daniel has it out with Sinead,” shares Rob. “For the first time, the baby becomes a foetus to him, rather than a baby. He depersonalises it. He tells Sinead that while she’s trying to be a hero by throwing her child to safety even if it costs her life, he grew up without a mum. He feels that she’s not being brave – he thinks it’s cruel to bring a child into the world if you’re not going to be there to bring it up.
“Deep down, Daniel is furious, but he can’t be angry with Sinead because of how he feels about her,” adds the actor. “Because that anger still has to go somewhere, Daniel’s rage redirects itself on Ken.”
Back home, Daniel vents at his dad, before Peter steps in to calm things down. Daniel’s half-brother tries to explain that while their father has many faults, it isn’t fair to blame him for the tragedy of Sinead’s cancer, or for agreeing to respect her wishes by keeping it secret.
As Daniel starts to compose himself, Peter encourages his younger sibling to be the better man and to stand by his
“Daniel is more worried about Sinead than the baby”
wife, whatever she decides she wants to do. Having overheard the conversation between his two sons, Ken thanks Peter for talking sense, and promises that he will do everything he can to make up for his past mistakes. Meanwhile, Daniel returns to the hospital to give Sinead the support she needs…
“Daniel is more concerned with Sinead’s wellbeing than the baby’s,” admits Rob. “However, he also has a feeling of self-preservation. As much as he is worried about his wife, there is something in the back of his mind saying, ‘How will I cope?’ He needs her to survive so he doesn’t have to go through that.”
As the week progresses, viewers will see Daniel return home with his weakened wife after going ahead with her first round of chemotherapy. However, when the hospital calls to let her know about her next appointment, she says she won’t be coming back!
How will Daniel react as he realises that not only is Sinead still keeping secrets from him, but she’s refusing to continue with the treatment for her cancer?