Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale star Emile John has addressed his unexpected exit from the show after his character Ethan Anderson was killed off.
In shocking scenes last night (May 28), Ethan was preparing for his impending sentencing hearing, after the recent car crash that left Nicky Miligan in a coma.
However, when father Charles – who was helping his son prepare – left the room briefly, he returned to find his son collapsed on the floor, as he and Manpreet Sharma tried to resuscitate Ethan.
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He was then rushed to hospital, before Charles and Manpreet later informed the village that Ethan had died. As the episode closed, Charles realised that his son's death may have been connected to Ruby Miligan's recent vengeful hit-and-run against Ethan.
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Appearing in a video message posted on Emmerdale's social media, Emile has spoken for the first time since the tragic scenes, as he thanked the show and fans after three years on the soap.
"Good evening, guys. If you're watching this, then that unfortunately means that Ethan Anderson has passed away and therefore means he will no longer be in the village," the actor said.
"I just want to say a huge thank you to all the cast and all the crew that I have worked with over these three years. It's absolutely flown by. A lot of the cast have sort of just taken me under their wing.
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"It's been such a ride, such a journey, and one that I've really learned so much on," he added. "I want to thank you – the viewers – that have stayed tuned and sort of kept up with Ethan's journey. Thank you so much."
Emile's Emmerdale co-star Kevin Mathurin – who plays Charles – has also addressed the sad scenes, saying it will be "devastating" for his character to deal with.
Paying tribute to Emile, he added: "He's an amazing energy to have on set and he's a brilliant actor. The future is very bright for this talented guy, so I wish him all the best."
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
