Emmerdale lining up romance story for Pierce Harris's son Marcus

Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Pierce Harris's son Marcus Dean is about to flirt his way around Emmerdale village.

Speaking to Digital Spy and other media, the soap's producer Jane Hudson teased what's on the horizon for Darcy Grey's newcomer, who arrives on the scene in early February.

ITV

"When we meet Marcus, we don't know who he is but then we find out he is Pierce's son. Pierce has written to Rhona [Goskirk] asking to find his son, who she didn't know about.

"Pierce has had no contact with him since he was young because he was abusive to Marcus's mum," she revealed.

"This young man turns up on Rhona's doorstep and she makes the wrong decision to not tell Marlon [Dingle] about it. Vanessa [Woodfield's] not very happy that Marcus is there.

"We will have to wait and see whether Marcus is a chip off the old block or whether he's the polar opposite of Pierce."

ITV

Although she couldn't dive too deep, Hudson did also go on to note: "I will say that he is going to be involved with one of our villagers – so watch this space as a new romance blossoms.

"There will also be someone else new in Rhona's life appearing but I'm not telling you that one! Rhona's going to be having two new characters appearing in her life."

Addressing the arrival of this mysterious character, fellow producer Kate Brooks previously said: "We're delighted to welcome Darcy to the show and we're sure he'll certainly make quite the impression on villagers and viewers alike."

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.