It’s all go at Emmerdale – there are reports that FOUR stars are quitting the show.
Jonathan Wrather – Pierce, John McArdle – Ronnie, Louise Marwood – Chrissie, and Thomas Atkinson – Lachlan, are all said to be leaving.
A huge loss? Well, right off the bat, we’ll say with some confidence few people will miss stuck-up Chrissie and her awkward offspring – neither are likeable, or offer enough by way of top soap villains to justify sticking around.
As for Ronnie. He’s just furniture. With a beard. And a permanent bad mood. Shame, as John McArdle is a great soap actor, but the character was a mistake.
Pierce? That’s another matter. Jonathan Wrather has played a blinder as the devilishly handsome misogynist rapist. But this is soap, where justice eventually always prevails.
So everyone has been expecting his comeuppance and subsequent departure.
The Sun is making these exits out to be a bigger drama than they really are (imagine!), claiming a source has said: “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 Iain Macleod.
“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.
“The idea seems to be that it’s out with the old and in with the new.”
Hmm. We’ll take that with a pinch of salt. Ratings, awards and critical acclaim have all been on the rise since Macleod began his tenure.
And he’s showing no signs up slowing down the explosive drama. Yesterday we revealed the showrunner had teased FIVE huge storylines coming up this autumn.
The producer teased: “There’s a really massive surprise coming in October something that even the character it happens to hasn’t seen coming and it will just tilt the whole Emmerdale universe on its axis slightly.”
Er… HELLO???!!! This is massive. (And we just love how forthcoming he is about his plans for the soap!)
Although… this hint is so vague it’d be a bit pointless to start speculating who it could involve…
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Macleod also let slip: “We’ve got a new arrival, it’s not a Dingle actually but it is connected to the Dingle family in a way that I think people will find really interesting.
“He’s going to be sexy and dangerous and one of our characters stands to get her heart trampled on which I think will be really exciting as well.”
Hmmm… a Dingle… a sexy man… a trampled heart…
Well, it could be a new love interest for any of them, but we are really hoping it won’t be for Debbie or Chas. They’ve had their hearts broken way too many times already.
In fact the only Dingle we don’t mind getting an emotional bruising is Charity – hey, she gives it out enough!
And there’s more gossip, as the boss continued…
“There’s a big change to one of our famous sets in terms of who rules the roost in it.
“There’s a bit of a power struggle that will result in a bit of a changing of the guard in one of our key sets, I can’t say more than that.
“It’s massively exciting, I can’t wait.”
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So, we reckon we have figured this one out, or perhaps it’s just wishful thinking.
It’s already common knowledge that Lawrence is being written out of the show… so surely this relates to Home Farm?
And there’s more…
Macleod added: “There’s a couple of characters that are going to get a massive shock, and running into the new year we’re going to tell a really serious issue led story that’s going to be heartbreaking and truthful and really relatable to the audience.
“There’s something big going off for Aaron and Liv as well, there’s a big story for her.”
Oh, this is TOO much. We don’t want to wish away our summer but, seriously… hurry here October!