Joe McFadden has quit ‘Holby City’.
The 42-year-old actor – who is currently taking part in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ – recently teased that he was toying with the idea of bowing out of the medical drama, but fans were in for a shock last night (07.12.17) as his loveable alter-ego Raffaello ‘Raf’ di Lucca was dramatically shot dead by Fredrik Johanssen (Billy Postlethwaite).
Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper, he said: "We filmed it a couple of months back. It has been hard to keep a secret because I’ve been doing lots of interviews for ‘Strictly’ and people have been asking me about ‘Holby’.
"I always dreaded the day when I would leave. It has been four years since I’ve done a play or been on stage. ‘Strictly’ has certainly given me a hunger."
Just two weeks ago, Joe revealed that he wanted to leave the medical drama in an "explosive storyline", but told fans they had a little longer of him on screen.
He said at the time: "If and when it does happen it would be nice to have the big exit, as an actor no-one wants to leave in the back of a taxi even if it means being killed off. And obviously a big stunt would be brilliant!"
Although he’d like to bag a theatre gig, Joe is currently pouring his attention into the ballroom and latin show and has admitted it’s not just the performance side of things he’s enjoying – he’s also developed a love for weekly fake tan sessions.
He said previously: "I’m doing the fake tans every week — it’s all part of the experience. In fact, I went double dark the other day. It’s like a colour chart where you choose."
However, there are some parts of the dancing show that Joe is still trying to get his head around – the restrictive costumes.
He explained: "Some of the things are quite surprising, like your shirt is attached to your pants which I found quite odd in the beginning.
"And being stitched into things . . . they always stitch you in just in case buttons pop open — unless they are supposed to be open for things like the Paso Doble."
Joe McFadden quits Holby City
