Shila Iqbal has been sacked from ‘Emmerdale’ over past racist tweets posted in 2014.
The 24-year-old soap star – who was 19 at the time she wrote the historic messages on the social networking site – has been cut from her role as Aiesha Richards after the posts re-emerged this week.
A representative for the show told The Sun Online: "As a consequence of historic social media posts Shila Iqbal has left her role as Aiesha Richards on Emmerdale.
"The programme took the decision not to renew her contract as soon as these posts were brought to the company’s attention."
Shila’s Twitter account has been deleted since it was revealed she has left the soap.
As reported by the MailOnline, the actress shared an apology soon after the tweets and her sacking emerged.
She said: "I am terribly sorry and take full responsibility for my use of such inappropriate language… I have paid the price and can no longer continue the job I loved the most at Emmerdale. "Although I was young when I made the Tweets, it was still completely wrong of me to do so and I sincerely apologise…
"The only consideration I would ask is that I have recently received hateful tweets telling me that as a Muslim my Emmerdale role means that I am ‘committing sinful acts, promoting sin and deliberately going against the Quran’…
"I regret that I too have let people down by the use of such language, albeit six years ago. I, like everyone else, have a responsibility about the language I have used on social media as well as in conversation."
The incident comes just a few weeks after Shila was made a permanent member of the ITV soap’s cast.
She said at the time: "I am over the moon to be back at Emmerdale as a regular. My family love Emmerdale and to be appearing in a show that you’ve grown up watching just feels like a dream…
"Aiesha very much represents the new generation of social media fascination and her phone is her third hand. She is always camera ready! She speaks her mind, although it comes from a ditzy but good place for sure."
Emmerdale’s Shila Iqbal sacked over historic racist tweets
