Daisy Campbell has said goodbye to her role as Amelia Spencer as she had decided to leave the ITV soap after 13 years
Emmerdale fans were quick to notice how surprisingly calm Sam and Lydia Dingle were when Amelia Spencer announced that she was departing the village for good.
In Friday’s (December 20) episode of the popular ITV soap, the story took an emotional turn as Amelia, played by actress Daisy Campbell, made the decision to leave after 13 years.
As the news shook her loved ones, a character from the past made a surprising return after five years. Amelia’s biological father, Daz Spencer, unexpectedly appeared to help his daughter with her move.
Amelia and Daz revealed that they had stayed in touch and that she planned to relocate with her daughter Esther to live with Daz following Tom King’s conviction.
Amelia had been planning this for some time, and although Sam and Lydia Dingle were sad, they gave her their blessing to go, despite being the grandparents of little Esther, whose father is Samson Dingle, reports Leeds Live.
However, as expected, former stepmother Kerry Wyatt attempted to stop her from leaving, but after a heartfelt conversation with Belle Dingle, Amelia was convinced she was making the right decision.
As the episode came to a poignant close, Amelia said her goodbyes to everyone before driving out of the village for good.
Viewers watching at home didn’t hesitate to share their reactions to the emotional moment, questioning why Sam and Lydia seemed so relaxed about her departure.
One viewer took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and commented: “Didn’t expect same and Lydia to accept Amelia’s decision to leave with Esther.”
Another remarked: “Sam and Lydia have surprisingly accepted Amelia’s decision. #Emmerdale.” A third shared their thoughts, saying: “Amelia should leave Esther behind with Sam and Lydia when she leaves because she’s never got that child. I can’t remember the last time that I saw her with Esther before today #emmerdale”.
Meanwhile, another viewer expressed: “What a 13 years for Amelia. Sad to see her go, but she’s got no family left there now, and there’s not much they can do with the character.”
Reflecting on her unexpected departure, Amelia’s portrayer Daisy confided in The Mirror: “It feels really sad. It’s mixed emotions really I think. It’s been such a tough year, and I’ve had to deal with so much, but I was so at peace when leaving because I’ve grieved.”
“I’m not only grieving for myself, it’s a character that I’ve always played. This is my first ever job from being seven, so it felt really sad. But then it was nice to close the door and be at peace, because I’ve just allowed it to play out as it has this year.”
“But yeah, it’s really upsetting, because it’s all I’ve ever known, but I mean new things and maybe new parts next year. Who knows? But yeah, it’s been sad. It’s been really sad.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays