Emmerdale bids farewell to three characters

According to The Sun, Emmerdale has eased the pressure on its budget by letting go of Will Taylor (Dean Andrews), Wendy Posner (Susan Cookson), and Ella Forster (Paula Lane).

Viewers saw Will suffer a fatal heart attack on Christmas Day after Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) returned to Home Farm to reveal his plot against Kim (Claire King). Despite Will’s desperate pleas that he had abandoned his scheme and truly loved Kim, the stress became overwhelming, leading to his collapse from chest pains. Tragically, Kim didn’t believe him and delayed calling for help, ultimately witnessing his death.

Earlier this year, Andrews revealed in an interview that he was settled at Emmerdale, noting:

“I do feel settled here. When the producers initially asked me to come in and asked me how long I’d like to stay and I said: ‘If I come in now, you’ll have to kick me out.’

£I’ll stay as long as they want me to stay but how long they want to stay is up to them. I’m of an age now where I’m in my sixties so I’ll probably retire after this job.”

Now, Susan Cookson has reportedly been left “devastated” at the decision to cut her character to save a few bob.

The actress  has played nurse Wendy Posner in the rural saga for the past seven years. Initially introduced as the loyal defender of her rapist son Lee, Wendy settled into village life after seeing her son’s true colours. More recently her relationship with Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw) was tested when she had an affair with Dr Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson).

A source told The Sun: “Susan was devastated at the decision. She loves the show and loves being part of it but unfortunately budget cuts mean hard decisions need to be made.”

The Sun also claims that Paula Lane is leaving her role as Ella Forster in the ITV soap, with a casting page for the actress suggesting she will be free to take on other roles from February 2025.

Receptionist Ella first appeared in the Dales in January 2024, quickly forming a friendship with Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) and developing feelings for Dr. Liam Cavanagh. As the story unfolded, viewers learned about Ella’s tumultuous past, including her involvement in a friend’s tragic death during her childhood.