It’s been an emotional time to be an Emmerdale fan – with last week’s limo crash episodes serving as farewell to Leyla Harding, Suzy Merton and Amy Barton, all in one fell sweep.
With three residents succumbing to a perilous limousine crash on the outskirts of town, viewers were shocked as the soap killed off the women, one after the other.
First up, Suzy. The party planner was killed during the initial impact as the limo crashed onto an ice-covered lake. Next up, Leyla. She had been mortally injured during the crash. She survived long enough for Kerry to pull her for the car, but died in the ambulance on the way to hospital.
Finally, Amy. Poor Amy crashed through the ice (hi Nate) and later died in hospital from the shock. This week, as the village mourns its losses, viewers attempt to come to terms with the death of three major characters.
But what have the actors said about their death scenes?
Suzy was the first to die in Emmerdale limo crash
As the first to die, actress Martelle Edinborough paid tribute to her character in the episode’s aftermath. Writing on X, she said: “And just like that….Suzy is no more and a new chapter begins!! What an ep!”
She continued: “It’s been such a blessing to have been a part of such an iconic show that I grew up on and loved by so many!!”
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Martelle followed up with a post to her Instagram account, where she shared a series of images from behind the scenes of the crash.
In the caption, she wrote: “Well what a Week!!! I am not OK! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!! Suzy, Leyla, Amy!!”
She continued: “I genuinely haven’t known where to start with this post as there’s so much I want to say and my brain has not been braining so it’s taken a minute. But I’m going to start by saying firstly how beyond blessed and grateful I feel to have been given the chance to bring Suzy Merton to life on your screens!!
“Emmerdale has one of the most incredible fan bases and I can’t tell you how overwhelmed I have been at the amount lovely messages I’ve received this week and for all the love you have shown for Suzy! I did not know she was loved this much to the point you guys had her trending, which I will never get over! Haha but it’s been so beautiful to see so THANK YOU!!!”
In her full statement, she went on to thank the production team and her fellow cast members, thanking the show for having her.
She finished: “Yes, I kept the Orange Coat!”
Leyla killed in Emmerdale limo crash
The soap revealed last year that actress Roxy Shahidi would be leaving the soap after almost 16 years. This led to much speculation among viewers whether she had been killed off, or quit of her own accord.
Last week, she spoke out on an episode of Loose Women, revealing that the decision to kill off Leyla had come as ‘as shock.’
“I genuinely am so excited about a new chapter,” she told the panel. “That’s what life’s about, isn’t it? You’ve got to do new things, you’ve got to challenge yourself. And, sometimes, when you’re forced to do that, it’s the best thing that can happen. Otherwise you’ll just stay within your comfort zone.”
She continued: “To have been in a show like that for 16 years is such a blessing, it’s something you can’t take for granted. We’re always aware each year, most of us are on yearly contracts so you never know.
“To have done 16 years, I am so grateful, but when I got that call because I kind of knew something was happening… it was a shock. When it’s such an epic story, you know it’s going to happen and I think your job is just to process that, do the best you can, and just keep going.”
Amy fell through the ice
In the soap’s most shocking death, Amy died while recovering in hospital. As the episode aired, actress Natalie Anne Jamieson thanked fans for their support over the years.
Posting to her Instagram account, she wrote: “Goodbye Amy. I have had the best six years of my life playing this gobby Geordie with a heart of gold! What a way to go – so so proud of the cast and crew who achieved all of this in these last few eps!â€
She admitted she has “so many more amazing things to say†about her time on the show. However, she doesn’t have the words yet.
She continued: “For tonight, I just want to say thank you for everything! And thank you to every one of you who came on the journey with me. And for all your beautiful messages you have sent to me.
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Natalie Ann Jamieson confirms shock as Amy dies in Emmerdale limo crash
In an interview with The Mirror, she revealed that Amy’s death had come as a shock to her also. “I had been asking for meetings about what was coming up for Amy and saying that I’d really like some challenging, new stuff,” she said.
“They knew they had this coming up and they didn’t have anything planned for Amy – and that was the direction that I wanted to go in. It worked out that this was going to be Amy’s exit and I didn’t know it was going to be death at first.”
She continued: “When they told me, I was like, “Oh!” It’s really hard to know whether you would prefer for your character to die if you’re going, or to go in the back of a taxi.”
Rest in peace ladies, you will be missed.
Read more: Amy’s death was the wrong move and has destroyed yet another LGBTQ+ couple – OPINION
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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