Emmerdale spoilers follow from recent episodes of the ITV soap.
Emmerdale aired an unexpected exit storyline this week as Emile John made his final appearance in the role of Ethan Anderson.
The actor bowed out after three years in the role of Ethan, who'd been central to a big storyline in the ITV soap's recent milestone 10,000th edition.
If you missed an episode or just need a quick refresher, here's how Ethan was written out.
How did Emmerdale's Ethan Anderson die?
So far, Emmerdale hasn't given an official cause of death for Ethan, but we can now see that the show has been subtly building up to his final scenes for several weeks.
Earlier this month, Ethan made a bad decision when he chose to drink-drive to help two friends in need.
What to Read Next
The drama kicked off when Suni Sharma called his boyfriend Nicky Miligan while out in a bar in town. Suni was concerned after spotting one of the men who'd targeted him in a vicious homophobic attack last year.
Nicky wanted to rush off to pick up Suni, but he'd been drinking at The Hide. Ethan stepped in to get behind the wheel instead, but he acknowledged that he'd also consumed alcohol that afternoon.
During the journey, Ethan lost control of the car and crashed the vehicle. The young lawyer dragged an unconscious Nicky out to safety, but when he spotted Moira Dingle approaching, he chose to flee from the scene rather than face the music for drink-driving.
Some fans were surprised by the approach to this storyline, as the dramatic crash sequence took place off-camera during an ad break – which quickly became a running theme for the rest of Ethan's final episodes.
The incident left Nicky in a coma, so his vengeful mum Ruby decided to target Ethan for revenge in a hit-and-run accident. This story took centre stage in Emmerdale's milestone 10,000th episode.
On the outskirts of Emmerdale on the day of the village fete, Ethan was brutally knocked over by Ruby. This scene also took place off camera, creating a brief whodunit mystery, although we did see Ethan lying injured on the road before stumbling towards the village.
Ethan claimed that he hadn't seen his attacker and he refused to go for a check-up at the hospital. A private chat between Ethan and Ruby later confirmed her guilt, while Ruby's husband Caleb also figured out that she was the secret culprit.
In Emmerdale's May 28 episode, Ethan prepared for court after being charged with dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident in relation to the incident with Nicky.
Charles was supporting Ethan on the big day, but when he left the room for a moment, Ethan collapsed to the ground.
The local vicar and his partner Manpreet Sharma both tried to revive Ethan, but they struggled to make any progress.
Ethan was rushed to hospital but was declared dead, with the heartbreaking scene taking place off camera again.
There was a shock for the villagers as Charles and Manpreet returned from the hospital and announced that Ethan had died.
Manpreet explained: "There'll be an autopsy. The coroner will tell us what happened."
Charles added: "We know what happened. He was run over. Someone knocked him down and a few days later… it's murder. And I swear by almighty God, I will not rest until whoever's done this pays for what they've done."
The results of the autopsy have not yet been revealed, but this seems likely to be explored further in upcoming episodes as Ruby's guilt grows.
What has Emile John said about his Emmerdale exit?
Emmerdale released a video from Emile John after Ethan's final scenes aired on Tuesday evening.
He told fans: "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.
"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.
"It's been such a ride, such a journey, and one that I've really learned so much on. I want to thank you – the viewers – that have stayed tuned and sort of kept up with Ethan's journey. Thank you so much."
Kevin Mathurin, who plays Charles, added: "It was devastating to know that Emile was leaving. We joined the show together and we bonded straight away.
"He's been amazing playing my son and he's a good mate, a brother, and we've had some great moments and laughs and tears together.
"We've had an amazing journey and it's just going to be so weird not having him sitting next to me in the dressing room, belly-laughing!
"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.
