Four ‘Emmerdale’ stars have quit the soap.
Jonathan Wrather, Louise Marwood, Thomas Atkinson and John McArdle are set to walk away from the Dales in the coming months, meaning the ITV show has seen a total of 10 major cast members depart over the last 12 months, with a string of explosive plots planned around their exits.
A source said: "There are going to be some huge plots in the coming months which will see several show favourites leave the programme for good.
"The idea seems to be that it’s out with the old and in with the new."
Jonathan will leave the soap when his character Pierce Harris gets his comeuppance for raping wife Rhona (Zoe Henry), while Louise and Thomas will depart their roles as Chrissie White and her son Lachlan after family patriarch Lawrence White (John Bowe) is killed off.
The dramatic storyline will also signal the exit of Jonathan, who plays Lawrence’s partner Ronnie Hale, from the soap.
Insiders claim long-term cast members on the soap are now worried about their own futures and the direction of the show following the latest news and the departures of the likes of Kelvin Fletcher, Adam Thomas and Gemma Atkinson.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "The cast of ‘Emmerdale’ are starting to feel concerned for the show’s future as one by one all of the regulars are leaving.
"There’s a real feeling of worry over the direction ‘Emmerdale’ is taking and a lot of the blame is being put on the exec producer Ian McLeod.
"He’s even been nicknamed Donald Trump by cast and producers because of his cut-throat attitude and the way he’s keen to focus on new signings, not long-standing cast members.
"Pasha Bocarie, who played Rakesh, made no secret that he quit the show over an unenjoyable change and it seems as though other stars are following suit and also leaving because of the change."
Four Emmerdale stars to leave
