Emmerdale's Viv Hope star Deena Payne still 'bitterly…

Emmerdale's Viv Hope star Deena Payne still 'bitterly disappointed' with soap exit

Emmerdale legend Deena Payne, who is best know for her role as the iconic Viv Hope on the long running ITV soap, has spoken of her disappointment with her on-screen character's ending over a decade after leaving the village.

The 67-year-old star, who played Viv Hope for an impressive 18 years, is one of the longest-serving characters to have featured on the show having first appeared on screen in the early 2000s.

That was until Viv was killed off in a fire after getting drunk and passing out in her flat. Friend Terry Woods, played by Billy Hartman, attempted to rescue her, but was also killed in the inferno.

And while her character's memory lives on with her husband Bob Hope (played by Tony Audenshaw) still living in the village with the couple's two children, Cathy Hope (Gabrielle Dowling) and Heath Hope (Sebastian Dowling), actress Deena still has trouble coming to terms with her characters demise that "deeply hurt her".

Deena has opened up about her sadness in the manner her character Viv was killed off from the soap.

During an interview with the Distinct Nostalgia podcast Deena said: "18 years was enough. It was at a time when I wasn't quite sure [if I wanted to stay].

"If they tempted me to stay, I would've stayed and I would have preferred to have given in my notice. I was bitterly disappointed with the storyline exit I had as well after all the years I had been in.

Cathy and Heath are the twin children of Viv and Bob Hope (ITV)

"I was hurt quite deeply and I did enjoy playing the character. I still miss that, absolutely, it did hurt, that's for sure because it was a life and a person I had been playing for 18 years and it was also my son's total upbringing and schooling.

"Although he was born in London, he was brought up in Yorkshire and he is kind of a Yorkshire man."

The actress continued: "So, I never in my wildest dreams thought we would be here and it is like leaving a family because you can't choose your family.

"The hours you just have together in long shoots and things and scenes you do together, you're quite vulnerable. You're airing your soul to somebody.

"That is there forever, I think and the connection is there forever and you might not see them socially but if after a couple of years you bump into somebody, it is like seeing family.

"To me that was a big thing because I'm a people person and I love to have a purpose to my day and I love to go and be with people.

"People are very important to me. So I think I saved face by saying, 'It is time to go so I am happy to do so'.

And Deena didn't stop there in voicing her disapproval over her character's departure, she added: "I not only didn't have a storyline building up to it, but I also didn't even have a grave in Emmerdale.

"They just sent my bits down south and I didn't have any family left there so I did feel all of a sudden gone.

"And yes, in an ideal world it would have been fantastic to keep coming back in and muddying the waters and upsetting everybody and then back out as if nothing had happened."

The death of Viv Hope still angers some viewers of the and it sounds like the manner of her axing was handled far from sensitively.

Deena was quickly replaced by Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop), who has become like a surrogate mother figure to Viv and Bob's twins Cathy and Heath.

Asked what she enjoyed the most about being on the soap, Deena added: "Having the time to evolve as Viv and not being a typical nomadic actor, being in one place to bring my son up!

"And now realising that for quite a few people I am a household name - they have been on Viv's journey too. I am given many positive warm comments, it's a lovely fulfilling feeling!"

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour-long episode airing on Thursdays.

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