“A legendary Emmerdale villain reveals she will be leaving the Dales soon”
Emmerdale star Jaye Griffiths admitted she felt “very sad” as she confirmed her departure from the soap following a shocking storyline.
Fans of the ITV drama will know that Jaye’s character, Celia Daniels, along with her son Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), have been orchestrating a series of sinister schemes in the village.
Among their dark deeds, they forced April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) into selling drugs in an attempt to clear her boyfriend Dylan Penders’ (Fred Kettle) mounting debts.
Their crimes didn’t stop there—Celia and Ray were also revealed to have been holding Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) captive on their farm as part of a chilling modern slavery plot.
Now, Jaye has spoken out about leaving the show once Celia’s horrific actions came to light for the villagers.
“I knew it was always going to be limited, which makes me very sad, because I would love to stay forever, but it’s such a compelling storyline,” she recently told the press, as reported by The Sun.
“It’s heaven—one of the nicest workplaces I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve done a fair bit of work before!
“It’s kind, professional, funny, and people genuinely care about doing it right. They care about telling the story properly. It’s an absolute joy to come to work. I’m gushing now, aren’t I?”
Speaking about fans’ reactions, Jaye added: “Everyone comes up to me on the street saying how much they love Celia, and you think, ‘Well, that’s not going to last.’
“It really isn’t going to last, and I feel like I need to remind people it’s just acting—I’m actually very nice and not a sociopath. This won’t last forever; I might even get some hate mail!”
The 62-year-old actress also highlighted the significance of the soap in raising awareness about victims of modern-day slavery.
“Sometimes, when I read the script, I think, ‘Really? You want me to say that?’ Just when you think she’s gone far enough, they push me even further! So yes, it’s horrific,” she admitted.
“It’s not happening somewhere far away—it’s happening next door. People have their passports and phones taken from them… Hopefully, it might spark conversations, or at least make people pause and think.”
Reflecting on playing such a dark character, Jaye added: “She doesn’t get many laughs, I’m not swinging from the rafters, but it’s amazing to explore someone who couldn’t care less whether you like her or not—your opinion means absolutely nothing to her.
“She simply doesn’t consider that you have an opinion, or that I should care about it. It makes her fearless, because the worst has already happened and she survived it. So, bring it on. Just bring it on!”
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