It was confirmed over the weekend that Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi) is set to leave Emmerdale.
The character, who made her arrival way back in 2008, is mum to Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) and the ex-wife of Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson).
The 41-year-old actress, who has been a staple on the show since her debut, will have her character killed off in an intense exit storyline that promises to leave fans shaken.
The news of Shahidi’s departure comes after a stellar year in her career, which saw her take part in Dancing on Ice and ITV’s reality series Drama Queens.
A source close to the actress told The Sun of her excitement about this new chapter: ‘Roxy has adored her time on the soap and has made so many happy memories since first joining when she was just 17.
‘The cast have become like family to her, and she has grown so much as an actress. But now, she feels it’s the perfect time to spread her wings and try something new.’
While the details of Leyla Harding’s death are being kept under wraps, it’s clear that the storyline will be a major event in Emmerdale.
Shahidi is thrilled to have such a powerful exit, with the source adding: ‘She’s really excited about her meaty exit storyline, which will see her character Leyla die on screen. She’d rather go out in a blaze of glory and be remembered.’
This news has understandably left us wondering just how the beloved character will leave, and one theory top of our list involves a certain Ella Forster (Paula Lane).
When Ella’s past was explored earlier this year in the soap, we learnt she killed her best friend when she was a child. After befriending a girl called Joanne at school, Ella was taken aback when Joanne’s mum June started to become a motherly figure to her.
When Joanne tried to cut off the friendship as the other girls wouldn’t hang out with her while she was friends with Ella, she was left panicking, knowing it would mean she wouldn’t be with June anymore.
Things escalated, with the girls scrapping and Ella explained that she lost it and repeatedly slammed Joanne’s head off the ground, only realising too late that she had gone too far.
Interestingly, it’s possible history could repeat itself in the near future, as Emmerdale fans have recently realised.
As it stands, Ella and Liam have agreed to give their relationship another go, but Liam isn’t being entirely honest with himself about his feelings.
Due to the chemistry he has with Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), Liam has found himself torn between the two women.
The prospect of knowing how Liam feels about Chas is bound to make Ella feel jealous but if Leyla was to get involved, it could spell disaster.
Leyla could simply have something to say because she wants to protect Liam from Ella, or she could get involved in this plot because she still has feelings for her ex.
Either way, if Ella was to be faced with the Liam being taken from her – the same feelings she felt when she lost June could resurface.
The angry outburst Ella had a few weeks ago in front of Wendy Posner (Susan Cookson) proves that side of her hasn’t disappeared.
Is Leyla unknowingly in serious danger?
