Adam Thomas is to leave Emmerdale at the end of 2018 after eight years on the ITV soap.
Back in May, Thomas denied press reports that he was set to quit, saying that there was "no truth" behind the stories, adding, "I'm happy here, I'm staying here".
But now it's been revealed that he has taken the decision to exit, with his final scenes airing in early 2018. Speaking today, the actor said:
"I've had an amazing eight years working on Emmerdale and I've loved every minute of it. It was a really tough decision to take to leave but I felt that now is the time to move on and challenge myself with some new roles."
"I'd like to thank everyone at Emmerdale for both giving me the opportunity to work as part of such a great team and for giving my character Adam Barton some great storylines too."
Series producer Iain MacLeod added: “Everyone will be really gutted to see Adam go! He's a top bloke and a really talented actor. But he's given us a lot of notice, so we've been able to prepare a huge exit story for him.
"I'm really excited to see it play out on screen - however sad it will be to wave goodbye to such a brilliant character and cast member."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZUEYP27Vmc
Thomas - who finished in third place on the most recent series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! - has been involved in a number of high-profile plotlines during his time on Emmerdale as Adam Barton, including the deaths of his father John and sister Holly, the discovery his uncle James was actually his biological father, the break up with his wife Victoria Sugden and the long-standing bromance with his gay best friend Aaron Dingle.
You can watch a 60-second rundown of next week's episodes of Emmerdale below.
And visit our dedicated Emmerdale page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRUSGCE4DTE
