Emmerdale actor Joe-Warren Plant – who plays Jacob on the hit ITV soap – has revealed his own soap future after the actors who play his stepfather David Metcalfe and mum Leyla Harding both departed their roles

Emmerdale star Joe-Warren Plant has revealed his own future plans with the soap after a string of shock exits.

Joe-Warren plays Jacob Gallagher on the ITV soap, but he has lost both his dad and mum recently. Jacob’s stepfather David Metcalfe decided to leave the village a few months back when he realised Jacob was having an affair with his ex Victoria, after actor Matthew Wolfenden decided to step away from the role after nearly two decades.

Similarly, Leyla actress Roxy Shahidi also recently bowed out of her role in sad scenes when Leyla succumbed to her injuries in the harrowing icy limo lake crash, which also killed Suzy Merton and Amy Wyatt.

Speaking about his own soap future, Joe-Warren told The Mirror and other press: “It’s nice to see everybody again. Now that Matthew and Roxy have gone, which was heartbreaking, it’s allowed me to work with other people that I don’t usually have scenes with.

“It’s been quite a breath of fresh air really. It’s nice just to see how – behind the scenes, we get along so well – but you never really interact much with one another in scenes, so it’s nice to see what dynamics Jacob has with different characters as well.”

Jacob tragically discovered his mum had died (Image: ITV)

He added: “It’s kind of pushing me in a different direction. Rather than playing the son of Leyla and playing parts in their storyline, it’s been nice to try something different.”

Joe-Warren is looking forward to reuniting with his co-stars soon and the group have planned lunch.

“We’re due to go out for lunch very soon and I saw Matthew in panto. Me and Roxy went down together and that was a really nice moment. We keep in touch all the time,” he said.

Joe-Warren has seen the scripts for the next few weeks and months and said he “can’t wait” for the big scenes.

Teasing what’s to come, he revealed fans can expect some high drama. He shared: “I can’t wait. The new episodes that are coming through have got me excited and I’m looking forward to the next year.”

Speaking about her own character’s departure, Roxy admitted it was “sad” to see her character leave in such a heartbreaking way.

She said: “It’s sad to see my character die, and I have loved playing Leyla because she is so funny, camp, and a brilliant character. But at the same time, if I had left it another five years, I might not have felt as excited as I do now. I have had a long time to process everything and I am looking forward to my next chapter. I’ve always wanted to explore other things and now I’ve got the opportunity.”