Emmerdale fans were in shock on Thursday night after Finn Barton died at the beginning of the episode, having been shot by his mum Emma earlier in the week. Actor Joe Gill spoke to the Radio Times about his exit, revealing that he had told the soap's executive producer Iain McLeod back in February that he was looking to move on to pursue new projects. Joe, who has been in the show for four years, said that he felt it was "time to move on." He said: "I felt professionally it was time to move on. I’ve loved every second of playing Finn and being part of the Barton family, but creatively it seemed like my time had naturally come to an end and I wanted to play different characters."
Emmerdale's Finn Barton died in heartbreaking scenes after being shot by mum Emma
Joe added that he felt "a bit sorry for Finn" when he heard that he would be killed off. "When you tell the bosses you want to leave you put the characters’ fate in their hands, and part of me felt a bit sorry for Finn I’ll be honest. But it’s a case of whatever’s best for the show, and if it meant getting that impact then it was the right thing to do," he said.
The most shocking soap stories
Joe also spoke about his time on the show in a video posted on Emmerdale's Twitter account, telling viewers that he was lucky to have been part of such a "wonderful family." The heartbreaking episode resulted in fans taking to social media to express their sadness for the character, with one writing: "Honestly devastated as Finn deserved a happy ending! Thank you Joe Gill for bringing us a character the public loved." Another said: "Gutted. Love Finn," while a third added: "I've already cried five times. I'm going to miss him a lot."
The show was left on another cliffhanger, with Emma contemplating jumping off the bridge she'd pushed husband James from last year.
Joe Gill spoke out about his time on the show