Emmerdale star admits 'I am very sad' as she confirms ITV soap exit

Emmerdale star Jaye Griffiths has admitted "I am very sad" as she confirmed her ITV soap exit.

ITV soap fans will know that Jaye's character, Celia Daniels, and her son, Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), have been running several dark operations in the village.

They have forced April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) into dealing drugs as the youngster tries to pay off her boyfriend Dylan Penders' (Fred Kettle) never-ending debt.

That's not all, as it was also revealed that Celia and Ray have been keeping Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) captive on their farm in a new modern slavery plot.

Now, actor Jaye has opened up about having to leave the soap once her character's horrific actions have been unveiled to the village, reports the Daily Star.

"I knew it was finite, which I am very sad about, because I would like to stay forever, but it's such a strong arc," she recently told the press, as reported by The Sun.

"It's heaven, one of the nicest places I've ever worked, and I've done a little bit of work before!

"It is gentle and kind and professional and funny, and people care that it's good. People care that we tell the story properly. It's a joy to come to work. I'm gushing now, aren't I?"

On the reaction from fans, Jaye continued: "Everybody, they come up to me in the street and tell me how much they love Celia, and you think, 'Yeah, that's not going to last'.

"That's so not going to last, and I want to remind people that it's just pretend, and I am really nice and I'm not a sociopath. It's so not gonna last, I'm gonna get hate mail!"

The 62-year-old actress went on to share the importance of the soap raising awareness of the victims of modern-day slavery.

"Sometimes, when I read the script, I think, 'Really? You're going to make me say that?' Just when you think she's gone quite far enough, they'll make me go a bit further! So yes, it's horrendous," she said.

"It's not happening somewhere far, far away. It's happening next door. That there are people whose passports have been taken, whose phones have been taken... Hopefully, maybe conversations will start to be heard. Maybe a question will run through people's minds."

Reflecting on playing such a villainous character, Jaye concluded: "She doesn't have many laughs, I'm hardly swinging from the rafters, but no, it's just so wonderful to explore someone who doesn't mind whether you like or not, because your opinion is of less than no value.

"It simply doesn't cross her mind that you have one or that I should take any note of it. So, it makes her big and to never be afraid, to never feel fear, because the worst that could happen has already happened, and she survived. So, bring it on. Just bring it on!"

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX

More information about modern slavery and forced labour can be found via The Salvation Army and the UK government website