Changes are on the way for Emmerdale, with a handful of stars
bowing out from the show in the coming weeks.
While the ITV soap rarely comments on cast contracts, news
of imminent departures have hit the headlines over the past couple of months.
Whether it’s a short-run storyline reaching a natural conclusion or long-standing stars bowing out, we’re rounding up the latest cast changes all in one place.
Nicholas Day (Anthony Fox)
This one comes direct from the soap itself – evil Anthony Fox will make his final appearance on the show this week.Nicholas Day joined the ITV drama for a guest stint as Anthony in November this year. Since then, his character’s evil crimes have been revealed to viewers and it’s clear that he was never intended as a permanent resident in the village.
This week’s episodes see Anthony found dead by one of the villagers. So far, we don’t know the exact circumstances behind his demise, but Ruby, Caleb, Cain, Chas, Aaron, Nicola and Laurel have been named as possible suspects with motives for wanting him gone.
Lesley Dunlop (Brenda Walker)
In November last year, news leaked out that Lesley Dunlop would soon be leaving Emmerdale after 16 years in the ITV soap.
The show had no comment to make when contacted by Digital Spy at the time, but this was no real surprise as the team prefer to avoid spoiling future storylines.
Some reports have linked Lesley’s departure to rumoured budget cuts at Emmerdale and Coronation Street, which are both said to be trimming cast numbers to make the shows cheaper to produce.
Lesley’s character Brenda Walker has recently featured in heartbreaking scenes as she split from her partner Eric Pollard after he lost her life savings in a risky cryptocurrency investment.
Roxy Shahidi (Leyla Harding)
Roxy Shahidi’s departure from the role of Leyla Harding in Emmerdale leaked out in October last year.
Roxy has played Leyla on and off since 2008, but reports have suggested that her character could be killed off in an upcoming storyline.
As with Lesley Dunlop, Emmerdale hasn’t commented on the details of Roxy’s contract or the ongoing storyline speculation.
We do know that Emmerdale is airing a dramatic stunt plot in February, so could this be the end for Leyla or is there still hope that she’ll make it out alive?
Paula Lane (Ella Forster)
Former Coronation Street star Paula Lane announced her own departure from Emmerdale at the end of last year.
Paula’s official Spotlight page was updated to confirm that she’d only be filming with the show until February 2025, which means that her character Ella Forster is likely to bow out in March or April.
The ITV soap introduced Ella at the start of 2024 and the receptionist’s dark past was a major storyline last year.
Recent cast changes
