LIFE in Emmerdale is never far from drama, and life in the famous village is far from smooth sailing.
But over the past twelve months, the Dales have seen new people arriving, some returning and others leaving – which has included screenwriter Jack Deslandes leaving to join EastEnders.
Which characters have joined Emmerdale?
Rose Jackson played by Christine Tremarco
Former Waterloo Road and Casualty star Christine Tremarco made her debut as Rose Jackson, who is described as “boisterous and bold”.
The Emmerdale newcomer shares a past with Will Taylor and threatens to cause problems in his marriage to Kim Tate.
Announcing the news that she has joined Emmerdale, actress Christine said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Emmerdale!
“Working with such a wonderful cast and crew, along with a brilliant writing and production team, is an absolute joy!
“Rose is so much fun to play. She’s free-spirited, loud and downright mischievous, with a steely edge and a big heart.”
Ella Forster played by Paula Lane
11
Actress Paula Lane has joined the cast of Emmerdale in 2024, playing veterinary receptionist Ella Forster.
Soap fans will recognize her for playing the late Kylie Platt in rival soap Coronation Street.
Speaking about joining Emmerdale, actress Paula said: “Everyone has been so welcoming and I can’t wait to start a new chapter in the role of Ella.”
“I’ve already heard there are big plans for her and I can’t wait to see her live a new life in the village and hopefully make some friends!”
Ruby Fox-Milligan played by Beth Cordingly
11
Ever since Caleb Milligan rocked Emmerdale with his past shrouded in mystery.
However, he did mention a “wife,” who was Ruby Fox-Milligan. Playing her role is former The Bill star Beth Cordingly.
Speaking about joining the famous soap, the actress said at the time: “I’m so happy to be part of the cast of Emmerdale, it’s a huge privilege and Ruby is a dream role.”
“She’s a firecracker and a troublemaker and I think people will either love her or hate her, and I can’t wait to get stuck in with this fabulous cast.”
Who left Emmerdale?
Heath Hope played by Sebastian Dowling
11
Cathy Hope hoped to ring in the New Year with an act of rebellion as she dragged her friend Angelica King and her twin brother Heath into one of her schemes.
The trio of teenagers managed to steal Wendy Posner’s car before driving around the Yorkshire village, with Cathy at the wheel as she took driving lessons from her half-brother Scott – but their New Year’s Eve celebrations took a turn.
After failing to find his children, Bob Hope ventured into the night alongside Wendy and the pair found Angelica and Cathy on the side of the road, with the nurse’s car overturned.
But although Cathy and Angelica survived, Heath was not so lucky and it was later revealed that he had suffered fatal injuries during the accident.
Actor Sebastian Dowling’s last scenes aired on New Year’s Day 2024.
The young star has played Heath since he was a child in 2007.
Zak Dingle played by Steve Halliwell
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Emmerdale legend Steve Halliwell made his debut on the soap in 1994.
Soon, he became a household name as the head of the iconic Dingle family, becoming one of the series’ most beloved characters.
Throughout his time, Zak has been involved in a multitude of stories, clashing with some members of his own family and sharing a touching love story with his wife Lisa Dingle, who passed away in 2019.
Steve went to sleep peacefully with his loved ones around him. He was making us laugh until the end.
Steve Halliwell’s family
The 77-year-old stalwart appeared in more than 2,300 episodes of the long-running show, but his health was an obstacle to him remaining on the show permanently.
Sadly, on December 15, 2023, actor Steve died “peacefully,” leaving his wife Valerie and daughter Charlotte behind.
A statement released by his family after his passing said: “He went to sleep peacefully with his loved ones around him.
“He was making us laugh until the end, the most amazing father and grandfather you could ask for, family was everything to him.”
“We would like to thank the wonderful staff at St James Hospital and Wheatfield Hospice for their love and kindness in his final days.
“He didn’t want sadness, just joy for a life well lived.”
Chloe Harris played by Jessie Elland
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The fiery redhead was initially introduced as a love interest for village troublemaker Noah Dingle in August 2021, but her story changed after she bedded Mackenzie Boyd.
As viewers will remember, Chloe became pregnant with the heartthrob’s child and gave birth to him in dramatic scenes in 2023.
After the birth of her son Reuben, Mackenzie rushed to her in hopes of starting a family after his infidelity was exposed and destroyed his marriage to Charity Dingle.
The love triangle reached deadly levels when the trio were involved in a car accident and Mackenzie let Chloe die to save Charity.
Eventually, the hunk made up his mind and decided to call things off with Chloe, only for her to decide to flee Emmerdale with Reuben.
However, it was revealed that her criminal father, considered dangerous and controlling, was Harry (Robert Beck), aka Damon Harris.
The thug who was involved in a huge feud with Caleb Miligan and got involved in Chloe’s affairs and tried to get rid of Mackenzie to allow her to escape Emmerdale with Reuben without any backlash.
But Mack’s captivity ended with Harry’s death and an emotional Chloe left Emmerdale with her son soon after. Chloe blackmailed Charity and Mack, putting Harry’s death over their heads – which was enough to convince them to let her go quietly.
Actress Jessie Elland confirmed she had left the soap when her final scenes aired on Boxing Day, 26 December 2023.
Bosses have since confirmed that this would be the last time viewers would see her character.
Craig Reed played by Ben Addis
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Lydia Dingle’s childhood sweetheart Craig Reed made his debut in August 2023 and was introduced as a successful businessman.
By introducing him to life in the eponymous village, viewers were given the chance to revisit Lydia’s past, which was initially alluded to in 2019 when Craig was confirmed as the father of her stillborn son, Toby.
The pair of old friends reunited at a careers fair in the village and it was confirmed that he would become a prominent character when Lydia accepted a job offer from him.
At the time, the Home Farm cleaner was looking for extra money in a bid to support Amelia Spencer and her daughter Esther, making Craig’s proposal life-changing.
Lydia’s stepson, Samson, was impressed by Craig’s chic lifestyle and car, deciding to work alongside him.
Shortly after its introduction, it was revealed that Craig would rape Lydia in a hard-hitting storyline and fans of the soap were devastated to see the woman of the family become a shell of her former self.
The plot culminated in Craig’s murder and Lydia played the role of detective as she tried to find out who was responsible.
Kim Tate finally confessed to her his involvement in Craig’s death, which caused a stir in their friendship.
The villain was played by Ben Addis, an actor known for his appearances in several other programs such as Vera, Doctor Who and Hollyoaks.
David Metcalfe played by Matthew Wolfenden
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Much like his real-life partner Charley Webb aka Debbie Dingle on ITV Dales, soap legend Matthew Wolfenden has also decided to quit the soap.
The actor confirmed he would be leaving the long-running show during an appearance on the set of This Morning after 17 years.
Previous reports by The Sun revealed that he was reportedly unhappy with the lack of “gritty stories” for his character.
Matthew’s character David left Emmerdale heartbroken after discovering his son Jacob Gallagher was romantically involved with his ex-fiancée Victoria Sugden.
Bernice Blackstock played by Samantha Giles
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Actress Samantha Giles first joined the long-running show in 1998, becoming one of Woolpack’s biggest icons.
Although she moved on to other projects throughout her time in the Dales, including a book and an appearance in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks as Valerie Holden, Samantha always returned to the village of the same name.
Her final Emmerdale storyline and exit scenes aired in mid-November 2023, as Bernice was caught plotting behind her own sister Nicola King’s back.
While she was supposed to go to prison to pay for her financial crime, Bernice was released but decided to leave the Dales once again.
Which characters have returned to Emmerdale?
Tracy Metcalfe played by Amy Walsh
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Actress Amy Walsh has said goodbye to Emmerdale to go on maternity leave, before returning to the soap.
She welcomed her first child after a “difficult” birth with partner and former EastEnders star Toby-Alexander Smith in January 2022.
Amy’s character Tracy first appeared on the soap in July 2014, when she was introduced as Sam Dingle’s love interest.
She came to the village after talking to Sam through adult chat and ended up staying at Dingle Manor.
However, her relationship with Sam didn’t last long – she stole his money, ended up sleeping in a barn and then went to work for Val Pollard at the B&B.
Fast forward, Tracy married David Metcalfe before falling in love with Nate Robinson, with whom she welcomed a daughter named Frankie.
Vanessa Woodfield played by Michelle Hardwick
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Actress Michelle Hardwick also left the villa to go on maternity leave.
The soap star gave birth to her second child with Emmerdale producer Kate Brooks at the same time as her final scenes aired.
The veterinarian left the village to work in Canada for a year after falling out with her friend Rhona Goskirk.
Michelle announced that she would be reprising her role and told fans, “I’m definitely coming back!”
Her character Vanessa returned to the Dales in February 2024.
EMMERDALE NEWS
Everything you need to know about Emmerdale
- New cast, leaving and returning from Emmerdale
- Where is Emmerdale filmed?
- All Emmerdale spoilers
- Our soap opera spoiler live blog with up-to-date news
- The story of Emmerdale’s iconic pub, The Woolpack
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
