Kelvin Fletcher thinks he should stay away from ‘Emmerdale’ because the soap has gone "from strength to strength" since he left.
The 35-year-old actor portrayed Andy Sugden for 20 years on the ITV soap until he departed the Dales in 2016, but he joked it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to reprise his role because the show has landed several accolades – including this year’s Serial Drama prize at the National Television Awards – and says the programme’s praise is "richly deserved".
He said: "It’ll be three years since I’ve left coming up this year. It’s a terrific show and coincidentally it has started winning awards since I left.
"So maybe it’s a good thing that I don’t go back?
"Since I’ve been gone it’s going from strength to strength.
"It’s a fantastic show and richly deserves the awards they’re receiving now.
"For me, I’ve very much moved on and I want to pursue other things.
"If I did want to go back in the future, who knows?"
Kelvin played farmer Andy on the soap, but admitted he is now "better equipped" to play the part again after presenting ‘Springtime on the Farm’.
Speaking on ‘Lorraine’, he added: "I’m certainly better equipped.
"It’s overwhelming, emotional as well, to witness the significance of a birth, whether it be an animal, a sheep or a cow or whatever it is.
"I’ve likened it before to the birth of my own children."
In December, Kelvin admitted he doesn’t watch ‘Emmerdale’ anymore because he wanted to "put some distance between" himself and the soap.
He said: "I don’t watch as it clashes with my daughter’s bedtime and I needed to put some distance between me and the show but it doesn’t matter because everywhere I go, the public keep me up to speed.
"They ask why I haven’t visited Sarah (Andy’s daughter) or if I even know she’s ill. They’re very passionate both in person and on social media."
Kelvin Fletcher jokes he should stay away from Emmerdale
