Has Gail left Emmerdale? Actress Rachael Gill-Davis' reason for leaving ITV soap

There were sad exit scenes on on Wednesday night, as a fan favourite left the soap for good.

Viewers learned , played by actress earlier this year. Wednesday night confirmed her exit for the first time, after the soap did not let slip whether or not it was actually happening.

That said, spoilers released last week heavily hinted at the storyline and the departure for the first time before Wednesday's episode aired the exit itself. Six years after her debut on the show as the girlfriend of Ryan Stocks, Gail realised she was no longer in love with the character.

She decided it was time to move away from the village and start a new life somewhere else. In sad scenes she hugged it out with Ryan and said goodbye to those closest to her, before driving out of the village for good.

Gail had debuted in 2019 for a brief stint, before making a permanent return in 2023. Earlier this year it was claimed The Woolpack barmaid Gail was leaving the show for good, with actress Rachael exiting the role.

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But up until last week's spoilers and Wednesday's episode it wasn't made clear when or how she would go. Spoilers teasing trouble in paradise for Gail and Ryan were the first hints she might be leaving the village.

She told Ryan that they no longer loved each other and that it would be best if they split up. As the pair talked things through, Gail decided to move away and left the village for good.

It comes as it was revealed months earlier why actress Rachael had decided to leave her role, while it appeared to a mutual decision with show bosses. The news of the exit first emerged in reports in March, and a source claimed it was the right time for actress Rachael to "spread her wings".

It was claimed by sources that the soap star felt the show didn't have much more in store for her. A source told : "Rachael has loved her time on the show but it’s time to go.

"Bosses felt the character wasn’t inspiring much story and so it was all very amicable. The door has been left open but it’s a definite goodbye for now.

"Rachael is looking forward to spreading her wings and showing off her talents on other shows." It seems a return could happen some day on the show as they have kept the door open for her.

Wednesday marked the actress and her character's final scenes on the soap with her now gone for good.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , , and .