'Emmerdale' Spoilers: Gillian Kearney To Leave Emma Barton Role, Amid Claims She'll Be Killed Off

’Emmerdale’ bosses have confirmed reports Gillian Kearney is set to leave the soap in the coming months.

It had been claimed the actress who plays Emma Barton will be killed off later this year, with rumours suggesting Gillian was unhappy that producers had decided to close the door on her character permanently.

A show spokesperson has since insisted that Gillian was actually asked to stay in the Dales beyond her contract to help tie up Emma’s storyline.

Confirming her departure, they told Digital Spy: “Gillian Kearney was intending to leave ‘Emmerdale’ in May 2017. We asked her to extend her contract to play the last chapter of Emma Barton’s story.

“Gillian was happy to stay with the programme to the end of the year in the knowledge she would be involved in a major storyline this autumn.”

However, the rep wouldn’t be drawn on whether Emma would be bumped off.

A source had told The Sun that she would meet her maker as bosses felt there “had to be retribution for all the trouble she’s caused”.

“Gillian had a discussion to see if they would leave the door open for Emma but they wanted a dramatic death,” they said.

“It’s put a few noses out of joint, as there’s a feeling that the actors who put in the graft are not being recognised and either made to leave or killed off.”

Emma famously killed her ex-husband James after taking him hostage, pushing him off a bridge, which caused the Honiton car crash.

Since then, she has become increasingly disturbed, even messing with the mind of dementia sufferer Ashley Thomas, prior to his death.