Marcus Dent was a midwife and former sonographer at Weatherfield General, introduced when Violet Wilson went for a scan. He gave his number to Sean Tully who was also present. The two started dating but Sean wasn't sure how the relationship should progress. Sean tricked Marcus into revealing the sex of the baby to him as he wanted to know and Violet didn't. This caused problems briefly when Violet threatened to report Marcus for unprofessional behaviour but was persuaded not to and the couple continued dating. Marcus delivered Violet's son, Dylan, in the Rovers Return Inn on 22nd February 2008. Violet and her boyfriend Jamie Baldwin later left Weatherfield to escape Sean. Marcus quit his sonographer job to try to find more fulfilling employment. He and Sean planned to get a place together but Sean briefly losing his job at Underworld put their plans on hold.
In August 2008, Eileen Grimshaw received a call from Todd saying that he had seen Marcus in a nightclub in London, with another man. Eileen subsequently told Sean who initially dismissed it but became increasingly more paranoid and angry. When Marcus discovered that Sean made a pass at Tom Kerrigan, he punched Tom as he suspected that Sean had slept with him. Marcus later told Sean that he was fed up of Sean's jealousy and left Weatherfield. Sean pleaded with Marcus but he said an emotional goodbye to Eileen, Liam and Maria Connor and left for London, leaving Sean devastated.
Sean and Marcus crossed paths again in April 2011 when Sean visited Dylan in London. Marcus told him that he often babysat for Violet and Jamie, whose relationship was going through a rocky patch. Violet agreed that Sean and Marcus could take Dylan out while she and Jamie sorted things out. When they returned, Sean had a row with Violet and when they left, Marcus told her to call him.
In May, Eileen arranged a date for Sean with Marcus, and they began dating. Things seemed to be going well initially and Dylan even stayed with Sean and Marcus after Violet was badly injured in a car crash, leading Marcus and Maria to spend more time together as Dylan liked playing with Maria's son, Liam. When Dylan returned to his mother, Marcus realised that he wanted to be a full-time parent and looked into adopting but Sean's heart wasn't in it. Sean's jealousy also caused problems again when Marcus spent a lot of time consoling a colleague who was having problems with his parents after admitting to them that he was gay. Sean suspected that Aiden felt more for Marcus than just friendship and refused to believe otherwise so Marcus ended the relationship again. Needing somewhere to stay, he moved in with Maria and had a brief relationship with Aiden but had to end it when he and Maria realised that they had feelings for each other. Sean had hopes of reconciling with Marcus and was horrified to learn that he was now with Maria, as was Maria's boyfriend, Jason Grimshaw.
Marcus and Maria were happy for a while and Marcus loved being a father to little Liam but Todd Grimshaw refused to believe that they were happy together and deliberately split them up, believing that Marcus just needed reminding about why he liked men. They had a brief affair and Todd arranged for Maria to catch them together. The pair had a brief relationship, but Marcus eventually realised that Todd was manipulative and only using him. Marcus left Weatherfield in July saying goodbye to Liam Jr., and leaving on good terms with Maria who had forgiven him as she realised how manipulative and nasty Todd was.
Quotes
"Violet Wilson? I'm Marcus Dent... the sonographer." (First line)
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"Of course I will. Right, see you guys." (Final line, to Julie Carp and Maria Connor)