Emmerdale star Sam Hall has finally confirmed he’s left the soap, as he shared an emotional farewell message with his fans on Tuesday.
The actor, 20, had played Samson Dingle on the soap for 15 years, and made his exit after it was reported earlier this year he’d been axed by ITV bosses.
Tuesday’s episode saw Samson sentenced to four years in prison after he violently attacked the teen thug Josh.
And in a message posted to Emmerdale’s social media, actor Sam confirmed that he had bid farewell to the soap.
He said: ‘So as you’ve seen Samson has now left the village.
Emmerdale star Sam Hall has finally confirmed he’s left the soap, as he shared an emotional farewell message with his fans on Tuesday
‘It’s been a great storyline so I’d like to thank everyone who’s been with me, cast and crew, over the last 15 years. And hopefully we’ll see Samson again. See you later.’
Viewers saw Samson say a moving goodbye to his father Sam, as he was taken to prison to begin his sentence.
He said: ‘I’m really sorry I let you down dad, I’ve been a rubbish son, haven’t I?’
Sam tried to reassure his son, saying that he was still proud of him, before adding: ‘I just wish you weren’t going away for so long.
‘If you keep your head down, you could be out in two years for good behaviour.’
Fans were less impressed by Samson’s departure after 15 years in the show, and took to X to make their feelings known.
Posts included: ‘That was such a poor exit for Sam after all the years he has been in Emmerdale.
‘They should have let him and Amelia go off travelling with Esther, after all she does not really have storylines so can’t understand why her, Noah or Sarah are still in it.
The actor had played Samson Dingle on the soap for 15 years, and made his exit after it was reported earlier this year he’d been axed by ITV bosses
‘I love Emmerdale but really bad decision.
‘An incredibly poor decision from Emmerdale to axe an incredible actor with so much more to give, you have well and truly lost a fan and will not be watching for the forseeable;’
‘S*** ending for Sam after 16+ years on Emmerdale! Should have sailed off into the sunset and be happy!’
It had been previously reported that Sam was being written out of the soap by Emmerdale bosses, though at the time it was claimed he would be killed off.
Sam’s co-stars were said to be unhappy about the decision, including Sam’s on screen dad James Hooton, and they rallied around the actor to offer their support.
They said: ‘He has been left devastated. He’s grown up with his on-screen Dingle clan and they are all very protective of him. Some of the cast even went to talk to bosses about their decision.’
Sam tackled tough storylines during his time on the soap including being a teen dad after a fling with young Amelia Spencer
‘As news of his axing swept through the building there were quite a lot of angry Dingles.
‘The fact that they are planning on killing him off means there’ll be no way back for him either. He’s absolutely gutted.’
Sam tackled tough storylines during his time on the soap including being a teen dad after a fling with young Amelia Spencer.
It comes after it was announced that Coronation Street and Emmerdale fans are in for a treat as ITV bosses announced a huge schedule shake-up in line with the Olympics.
Since the huge sporting event has been dominating airtime during the day on the BBC, ITV has stepped up its game with how it delivers the nation’s soap operas.
The new episodes will be released on their streaming platform ITVX at 7am on the days they are due to air, as well as being broadcast at their usual time in the evening.
Emmerdale and Coronation Street’s official X (formerly Twitter) accounts shared the exciting update on Monday morning, delighting fans.
They penned matching statements, which read: ‘We’re giving you a little treat this summer whilst the Olympics are on.
‘On each day of transmission, you can find Corrie and Emmerdale episodes on ITVX at 7am! But remember to keep this a spoiler free zone for those watching in the evenings.’
The savvy move from the broadcaster means viewers won’t have to miss out on Olympic coverage in order to get their soap fix.
It’s also something that the BBC have been doing with EastEnders for months, with most of their episodes dropping as early as 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
