Emmerdale star Fiona Wade has spoken about her decision to quit the ITV soap after over a decade on the Dales.
The actress, who plays Priya Kotecha on the ITV soap, has now said she struggled with the decision to leave after reports emerged last October that she would leave her role after first joining the show in 2011.
As Fiona’s character Priya will see her final scenes air on the soap next week, she has now opened up about leaving the soap behind.
Describing it as ‘one of the hardest decisions’ she has ever made, Fiona added: “Leaving my Emmerdale family is a big thing and it wasn't easy filming my last scenes.”
She continued to Digital Spy: “When you've been somewhere for that long and that's your every day, it's hard and feels sad.
“But as every actor knows, you need to challenge yourself and that's very important too.”
She went on to describe the ITV soap as a ‘gift of a job’ adding that there are ‘so many blessings’ with working on the beloved soap.
She said: “To be given a character that you can make yours, to have fantastic writers that enable you to grow in this amazing character.
“Plus, the friends you make and the experiences you have are invaluable.”
It has now been confirmed that Fiona finished filming late last year and ITV spoilers have revealed her final moments on the Dales next week.
Priya is set for a fiery exit when her past trauma from being trapped by crazed killer Meena Jutla (Paige Sadhu) comes back to haunt her.
The moment stems from scenes in Take A Vow, when Priya is reminded of the maize maze when a veil goes up in flames from nearby candles during an event.
Priya freezes in fear as the memories of that day she sustained terrible burn injuries comes rushing back.
Priya flees the scene as Leyla Cavanagh ( Roxy Shahidi ) steps in to salvage the situation – yet when her colleague then fails to remember why this is so significant for her, Priya is hurt by the lack of support.
The following day, Priya opens up to Take A Vow client Justin at the Hop about why she found the veil mishap so upsetting, prompting him to invite her for a coffee so they can talk further.
Justin says how impressed he is with Priya and as they chat, he offers her a job with his company in London, giving her the chance to start afresh away from Emmerdale.
