With 22 years on the clock, Charlotte Bellamy is one of Emmerdale’s most enduring stars.

And now the actress has addressed her future on the ITV soap, with good news for fans of her character Laurel Thomas.

Charlotte has insisted she will never willingly leave the show, revealing how bosses would have to get rid of her in an interview with Bella magazine.

She said: ‘I’d have to get killed by a bus in the village for them to get rid of me.

‘I absolutely love Emmerdale and I’m so grateful to be doing something that I love.’

Charlotte also suggested she’d stay close to the soap’s setting if she was ever axed, adding: ‘If I ever do get killed off, I think I’ll just go and run a coffee shop in the Dales.’

The actress also picked out some of her most impactful storylines across her two decades in the Dales, recalling: ‘Obviously the one with John [Middleton] about Ashley’s dementia because that had such a huge impact. It was amazingly received. 

‘I also did a cot death storyline about 17 years ago, and that was also written and dealt with incredibly well.’

Laurel has had a dramatic few months on the show of late, following her split from her third husband Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) which has seen the former couple locked in a bitter divorce battle.

Since being single, she has thrown herself into church life, but has clashed with vicar Charles Anderson (Kevin Mathurin) and his mother Claudette (Flo Wilson).

However, viewers saw that tension turn into surprise passion for Laurel and Charles last week. 

‘I didn’t see it coming!’ Charlotte said of the development. ‘I think it’s probably a little bit of a rebound, and the fact that he’s got a dog collar on, probably. 

‘It’s a bit of fun, really. And I think after Jai, she needs a bit of fun, doesn’t she?’

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.