Emmerdale star Joe-Warren Plant feared he would be axed during six month break

EMMERDALE star Joe-Warren has revealed he feared he'd be axed during his six month break from the soap.

Joe-Warren plays the role of Jacob Gallagher in the long-running ITV show.

His character was first introduced to the village in 2010 and since then has faced testing situations.

With his character now grown up, he's lifted the lid on what's to come - and revealed he feared bosses would axe him.

Speaking about working on the soap, Joe-warren told Inside Soap: "It wasn't until about three or four years into working at Emmerdale that I realised how lucky I was.

"When you are so young, you don't understand the calibre of the show."

He continued to reveal how he wasn't sure at one point if he would be returning to Emmerdale.

"I had around six months off when I wasn't sure if I was going back, and everything started to sink in.

"I realised how big Emmerdale was and how many people watch it, and I thought: 'Wow, I need to stick and this and take it seriously!'"

Fans may have noticed Joe-Warren has been on our screens less recently - and there's a reason behind it.

His character Jacob is currently undertaking a degree in the hope of becoming a doctor.

"Jacob's been pretty quiet – but you wouldn't want scenes of him revising, would you," Joe-Warren said.

"I'm hoping it'll pick up soon because I miss work when I'm not there. I get lazy, to be honest. I need a purpose for the day to get up. I'm happier when I'm at work."

His character was at the centre of a grooming storyline when one of his teachers, Maya, had an inappropriate relationship while he was underage.

Maya was eventually arrested and the grooming came to an end. She was put on trial and sentenced to a year in prison due to inappropriate text messages exchanged between her and Jacob.

However, the full extent of her grooming could not be proved.

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this article help and support information is available from the 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222 or by visiting their .