EMMERDALE star Joe Absolom has finished filming his stint on the ITV soap.
The former EastEnders legend was brought in by bosses earlier this year as twisted Ray Walters.
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Emmerdale star Joe Absolom has quit the DalesCredit: ITV
The actor plays the evil Ray Walters in the ITV soapCredit: ITV
He’s been central to the soap’s darkest ever storyline that saw Ray groom young April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) into drug dealing and sex work – but after finding love with vicar’s widow Lauren Thomas, there were hopes that Ray could be redeemed.
However The Sun can reveal that Londoner Joe, 47, filmed his exit storyline last month and it is expected to be played out in the lead up to the soap’s huge crossover episode with Coronation Street in the New Year.
An Emmerdale source said: “Bosses knew they only ever had Joe for a certain amount of time, but they’ve definitely made the most of having someone of his calibre in the village.
“He filmed his final scenes back in November.”
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Joe shot to fame as Matthew Rose in EastEnders in the late 1990s alongside Martin Kemp.
The pair were involved in the murder of Saskia Duncan. Since then he’s gone on to star in a string of dramas including, A Confession, The Bay and Doc Martin.
Joe’s character isn’t the only Emmerdale villain set for an exit as his on-screen adoptive mother Celia, played by actress Jaye Griffiths, has also filmed her final scenes.
A source said: “Jaye has truly loved her time on Emmerdale but she knew when she signed up that a character like Celia had a limited shelflife.
“She must be seen to get her comeuppance and that’s what is going to happen – one way or another.
“But while Celia might be done – her impact and secrets will run and run and continue to cause chaos long after she’s gone.”
The storyline has been branded the darkest soap storyline ever with its harrowing contents.
At first April Windsor was groomed into drug dealing, before quickly being manipulated into doing other jobs for Celia and her adopted son Ray.
She was quickly sold for sex in a disturbing twist before April ended up fighting back against one of the paedophile punters and left thinking she had killed him.
It later emerged that she hadn’t killed him but Celia has her convinced that they got rid of the body to protect her.
When April finally told her parents, Celia threatened them – and forced them to watch as Ray tried to kill April’s boyfriend Dylan who is now in a coma.
Celia Daniels actress Jaye Griffiths is also leaving EmmerdaleCredit: ITV
And to add to all this, Celia has also been enslaving vulnerable people, keeping them locked up and working for nothing on her farm.
In a further disturbing twist Bear Wolf was revealed to have been enslaved by them – and is just a stone’s throw away from his family who are convinced he ran away for a new life in Ireland.
Bear was forced to bury the body of his friend Anya after Ray and Celia refused to get her medical help and let her die.
They wrapped her body in a blanket taken from Moira Dingle – and buried her on her land, in an effort t frame Moira for everything.
