Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley said he is "saddened" over his co-star's exit from the show.
The 52-year-old actor is renowned for his role as Cain Dingle in the long-running soap. The character is going through a difficult time in the show after his mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Faith Dingle is played by Sally Dexter and show bosses have revealed her exit will kickstart Emmerdale's 50th anniversary celebrations in October. Executive producer Jane Hudson told the ECHO: "At the start of the month, we will be focusing on our Faith storyline, which is a huge storyline for us at the moment."
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Jeff revealed he would play a key role in Faith's storyline and said he was devastated about his on-screen mum's exit. He told the ECHO: "My character is involved in the Faith storyline. I'm personally saddened at losing the brilliant Sally Dexter, but it will give us some great stories going forward.
"I look forward to doing that and that is as much as I know." Sally has previously heaped praise on her exit plot.
She said: "I think (the exit storyline) is excellent. I haven't read the scripts for her death, but I'm hoping it's as positive as it can be. This isn't just a story about a cancer; it's a wider story about family."
Faith's exit storyline will be the start of a dramatic month of episodes that will see an epic storm wreak havoc on the fictional village. Producer, Kate Brooks, told the ECHO: "It will leave a massive trail of destruction in its wake and some of our best loved villagers will be in peril. It's safe to say that the village won't be the same ever again because the impact this storm will have is massive."
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