Samantha Giles thinks ‘Emmerdale’ will be a flop now that Kelvin Fletcher has left.
The 45-year-old actress – who plays Bernice Thomas in the long-running soap – is devastated the hunky star has decided to bow out of the programme and is convinced it won’t be the same without his alter-ego Andy Sugden gracing the Dales.
In a video of the cast paying tribute to Kelvin – who has starred on the show for the past 20 years – she admitted: "I don’t know if there is going to be a programme without him because Andy Sugden is ‘Emmerdale’."
And Samantha isn’t the only one sad to see her co-star go as Lucy Pargeter – who plays Chas Dingle – is heartbroken by Kelvin’s exit and believes he is the "God" of the show.
She said: "The God, the Adonis, the one, the only. And the one to be listened to and learnt from, Kelvin Fletcher AKA Andy Sugden. He taught me no preparations needed, you can just turn up on set with that script, learn it and do it."
Meanwhile, Isabel Hodgins – who plays Kelvin’s on-screen sister Victoria – hailed the actor a "wonder to behold".
She said: "I just think he is man personified, isn’t he? He’s just a wonder to behold."
And Louise Marwood – whose alter-ego Chrissie White landed Andy in prison for shooting her father Lawrence White (John Bowe) – said she’s "jealous" of his talent.
She said: "As an actor I am jealous of how he becomes Andy Sugden. When that Barbour jacket goes on Kelvin disappears."
And Emma Atkins – who portrays bad girl Charity Dingle in the show – praised Kelvin for his ability to remember his lines better than anyone else.
She explained: "Nobody, I mean nobody knows their lines like Kelvin does. He was truly inspirational."
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old actor – who is expecting his first child with wife Liz Marsland – has reportedly left the soap in order to start a new career as a rally driver.
He said: "I do have aspirations to do other things.
"When you play one character for 20 years, regardless of the storylines they throw at you, there comes a time when you want to try something else.
"My drive and hunger for acting has never subsided, but hopefully I’ve got a few strings to my bow."
Samantha Giles: Emmerdale will flop with Kelvin Fletcher
