Emmerdale airs explosive exit as villager breaks up with partner and says their goodbyes
EMMERDALE aired an explosive exit tonight as a villager broke up with their partner and said their goodbyes.
The latest episode of the ITV soap saw Jai and Laurel celebrate their stag and hen dos.
However, at Jai’s bash in The Woolpack, Arthur was fretting about boyfriend Marshall, who seemed distracted and distant.
Later, Jai noticed Marshall was looking at colleges miles away from the village, and the teen admitted he was leaving that day to go and live with his aunt.
Jai advised Marshall to be honest with Arthur about how he didn’t want to be in a relationship with him any more, and that he was leaving.
Marshall took his advice, leaving Arthur devastated, and hours later, he was putting the last of his belongings in his aunt’s car as a tearful Arthur watched on.
Laurel and Jai came to say goodbye, with Marshall thanking them for taking him in after his dad kicked him out earlier this year once he learned he was gay.
He then went over to Arthur and gave him a hug, telling him: “I’m really going to miss you.”
Marshall was then driven out of the village, and Emmerdale viewers were left devastated for Arthur, and sad that actor Max Fletcher had left the soap.
One wrote: “Poor Arthur.”
Another added: “Aww Arthur is missing Marshall already.”
A third tweeted: “Who else knew that Marshall and Arthur would end this way. It was too much, too soon and he was completely overwhelmed by it all.”
Despite making a big impression on viewers in the few months he has been in Emmerdale, it seems Marshall was never meant to be in the village long term.
Executive producer Jane Hudson revealed during an appearance on ITV1’s Loose Women: “It’s been such a lovely story and I’m so proud of Alfie [Clarke], who plays Arthur. He’s done it so brilliantly.
“It’s not just a story about coming out as gay. It’s a story about teenage love and teenage angst. I think we all remember when we first broke up and we thought: ‘Oh, I’m never going to find love again!'”
Emmerdale airs on ITV1 and is available on ITVX.