There was some shock news recently when it was confirmed that Matthew Wolfenden will be leaving Emmerdale soon. The actor has played David Metcalfe – owner of the shop that bears his name – since 2006.
Matthew appeared on This Morning recently to discuss his exit, saying it ‘felt like the right time’ to leave the show – although he admitted that the prospect made him emotional and ‘so nervous about leaving after nearly two decades.’
Luckily for his fans he also said that the door was going to be left open for him to return. ‘They’re not killing me off. I’ve been promised… and I am allowed to tell you that,’ he confirmed.
Apart from the fans, someone who will be hugely relieved by this news is Joe-Warren Plant, who has played David’s stepson Jacob Gallagher since 2010 – when he was only eight years old.
The actor spoke to Inside Soap about his upcoming storylines and addressed the exit of the man he thinks of as his ‘best friend.’
‘I’m gutted!’ he said of the news that Matthew will be leaving. ‘I’ve learnt everything from him. I had no previous acting experience, so everything came directly from Matthew.’
Joe-Warren said that he’d enjoyed the way Jacob and David’s relationship has matured in recent years now that Jacob is an adult.
‘It’s nice to see the change in conversations – everything’s a bit more grown-up and they talk more on a mature level,’ he reflected. ‘They’ve always got on, David’s a great father, but Jacob’s enjoying spending more time with David as a single dad.’
Upcoming episodes are due to bring drama for both father and son, as a careless mistake sees Jacob suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction.
As we’ve seen in previous storylines where Jacob’s life was in danger, David’s world is rocked by anything happening to his son and he immediately goes all out to protect him.
Looking towards life for Jacob without his dad around, Joe-Warren said, ‘It’s going to be strange not having him around!
‘I think he’ll have to spend more time with Leyla (Roxy Shahidi) and get used to not having a father figure in his vicinity. Jacob loves David to pieces and there’s good energy between them. Jacob will struggle without him!’
It’s clear that not working regularly with Matthew is going to be difficult for Joe-Warren too.
‘It’s sad, but we’ll keep in touch – he’s my best friend!’ he said.
‘Matthew’s the most genuine soul you could ever meet. I’ll miss him, for sure.’
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