It was announced earlier this week that Michael Parr, who has played the role of Ross Barton in Emmerdale for the past five years, has quit the soap.
The actor, 31, confirmed the news late on Wednesday night (23 May) via his official Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Addressing his 204,000 followers, Mike wrote: “Yes I’ll be leaving the soap soon. Have had the best few years at Emmerdale but it’s time to move on and explore other avenues.”
He joked: “If I win that soap award I might stay though.”
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Some titles reported that Mike was leaving because he was ‘fed-up’ with the storylines and what had been done to his character, specifically the acid attack which has resulted in heavy and dramatic make-up for Ross.
But he has denied this was behind his decision.
Would just like to state the I’m not leaving Emmerdale because of the make up or because I’m going to become a professional MMA fighter 😂😂😂😂. It’s just time for a change….although we all know I could be heavy weight champ if I wanted to be. X
— Michael Parr (@MikeParrActor) 24 May 2018
Whatever the reasons behind his departure, fans are distraught, with one responding to the news: “Don’t leave!!!!! We want you to find love and get over Debbie!!!!!!!!”
One wrote: “To be honest, they never should have done the acid story line with you. Your character was obviously never gonna be the same again. Which would have been a big shame. I’m gonna miss watching you in Emmerdale. Good luck with whatever you do next.”
Another fan was “gutted”, while one responded with: “Well that’s just pants.”
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Mike will leave the ITV soap later this year at the end of his current contract, although his exit storyline has not yet been revealed.
His character Ross is currently on a mission to get revenge for the acid attack he endured a few months ago.
Acting producer Kate Brooks told The Sun: “His decision to pursue other acting opportunities has given the writing team the opportunity to create an intriguing storyline for his exit.
“Michael, who is nominated for Best Actor at the British Soap Awards next month, will leave the show on a high after brilliantly portraying Ross for five years.”
Last night, Ross confronted Joe Tate over the acid attack and ex Debbie was accidentally shot in the tense stand-off.
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