Emmerdale star Jay Kontzle has backed his character Billy Fletcher and wife Dawn to overcome their current marriage strains.

Billy and Dawn have taken centre stage in recent months following the news that their baby son Evan has leukaemia.

The ITV soap has explored how Billy, Dawn and their wider family have all been affected by Evan’s diagnosis.

Discussing the importance of telling Evan’s story over a long period, Jay continued: “I think it’s really essential because it’s there to spread awareness. There’s a lot of people who are going through it, or who have connections with people who are suffering with leukaemia.

“Having that longevity there is really, really useful to spread awareness. It’s difficult for the characters themselves, due to the fact they’re going through this difficult time, but it’s there to serve a purpose.

Dawn has been pushing Billy away over the past few months and was recently furious when he admitted to endangering Evan by going out drinking. The family had been maintaining a strict social bubble to protect Evan from germs.

There was further trouble when Dawn and Billy both chose different sides during Rose Jackson and Kim Tate’s feud at Home Farm.

Jay spoke to Digital Spy about Billy and Dawn’s future while taking part in Emmerdale’s official nominees photoshoot for the Inside Soap Awards 2024.

We filmed the cast in Leeds for a behind-the-scenes video as they posed for their celebratory pictures, which can be seen in the latest issue of Inside Soap. Our full footage can be viewed at the top of this page.

Addressing the couple’s troubled times, Jay told Digital Spy: “I think that they are a stable unit and they will always stick together and pull through.

“They’ve always been given difficult hurdles to get over, but I think that their love is stronger than that.

“I think everyone can understand Dawn’s frustration with Billy. As men do, he’s made a silly mistake that he probably shouldn’t have made at the wrong time.

“In a lot of cases, guys will make wrong mistakes due to stuff that they’re going through because it’s harder to talk. You can see the point on both sides really, but it’s more frustration for Dawn definitely.”

Discussing the importance of telling Evan’s story over a long period, Jay continued: “I think it’s really essential because it’s there to spread awareness. There’s a lot of people who are going through it, or who have connections with people who are suffering with leukaemia.

“Having that longevity there is really, really useful to spread awareness. It’s difficult for the characters themselves, due to the fact they’re going through this difficult time, but it’s there to serve a purpose.