Emmerdale star Michael Parr has dismissed speculation that he is leaving his role as Ross Barton due to unhappiness over storylines.
A recent tabloid report had claimed that Parr grew "fed up" with the plots and the make-up due to the acid attack his character was a victim of – but he told Digital Spy on the British Soap Awards red carpet on Saturday (June 2) that it was always the plan for him to leave the ITV soap.
"No, no," he said when asked if the story was true. "And they said that I wasn't happy with the make-up!
"Do you not think that I thought, can you imagine me going, 'Well, I didn't think I was going to have to put make-up on my face every day'. Of course I knew that going into it.
"The make-up girls have been amazing. That's been one of the saving graces of it. I've been working long hours, but the make-up girls have been on point.
"I've enjoyed every second of the storyline. It's just, I always said that I was going to do four [years]. They convinced me to do a fifth, and it'll be the end of my fifth. It's just my time to go.
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"And I'm definitely not leaving to become a professional MMA fighter!"
Parr added that he knows how Ross will leave Emmerdale – but refused to share any details.
"I'm very happy [with it]," he said. "Obviously, I can't give it away!"
This year's Soap Awards saw Coronation Street walk away with Best British Soap, as well as taking home the most awards with six. Emmerdale won two awards, including one for Isobel Steele who plays Liv Flaherty.
Emmerdale airs on ITV.
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