At the end of March, we shared a teaser blog about filming a new TV spotlight message for the Online Community. We want to reach more people living with and affected by cancer so we can be there for everyone who needs us.
Today, we’re delighted to be able to tell you more about this important project and how members of the Community team have been involved.
We can now share that Macmillan have partnered with ITV's Emmerdale, the much-loved British ‘soap opera’ to help raise awareness of the realities of a cancer diagnosis and the vital support that Macmillan can offer. Steph starred in an advert to appear after Emmerdale to spotlight the support available from the Online Community.
Macmillan is proud to be partnering with much-loved soap Emmerdale on its prostate cancer storyline which will show the reality of what it’s like to receive a cancer diagnosis and go through treatment.
When Emmerdale character 'Cain Dingle' is diagnosed, we see how overwhelming it can feel to make decisions about cancer treatment. We also see how lonely a cancer diagnosis can be and how challenging it can feel to talk to those closest to you. The storyline shows the impact a cancer diagnosis can have not only on the person diagnosed, but on their family and friends too.
This partnership allows us to show how Macmillan walks alongside people through cancer—offering the practical help, emotional strength, and clinical care they need at every stage. We have created a series of messages from staff on the frontline of Macmillan's Support Line and Online Community. Our important messages spotlight the range of support available and will help us reach more people when they need us.
To help spotlight the Online Community, Steph - Online Community Officer travelled to London to film a short advert to follow episodes of Emmerdale. We documented the experience in our recent blog 'Lights! Camera! Action! Steph & Emma's Secret London Trip'.
Our advert's message was designed to clearly demonstrate who the Community is for and how people use it:
Macmillan's Online Community is a safe space for anyone affected by cancer, and their loved ones, to connect with others facing similar experiences. It's the place to ask questions, share fears and vent emotions, anytime day or night.
As part of Macmillan's commitment to fair cancer care for everyone, we also shared the message:
Whoever you are, we will do whatever it takes.
We were proud to be the first service to feature in a Macmillan advert following the episode of Emmerdale shown on ITV/STV at 8pm Wednesday 8th April, 2026. If you missed it, don't worry! You can see it again across episodes of Emmerdale over the coming weeks, alongside messages from colleagues representing their Macmillan Support role.
Can't wait to see it? We have shared a copy of the advert below so you can watch it now. Click play on the video below to see what came on screen following the episode of Emmerdale on Wednesday.
You can read and watch more related to the Emmerdale partnership across the Macmillan website and social media.
Do you usually watch Emmerdale, or are you interested to catch up with Cain's cancer story? What did you think of our Online Community advert? We'd be pleased to hear from you in the comments section below.
