The actress is leaving the soap after four months as part of a powerful storyline
The character will exit following a dramatic storyline on the soap(Image: ITV)
Emmerdale star Jaye Griffiths is “very sad” to be leaving the soap. The 61-year-old actress made her first appearance as Celia Daniels just four months ago but she always knew her stint would be short-lived. She was quick to ruffle feathers with her villainous farmer’s actions, including running a prostitution ring and county lines drug operation.
She has starred in several well known TV programmes, including her portrayal of Ros Henderson in the BBC series Bugs and D.I. Sally Johnson in ITV drama The Bill. She also played Elizabeth Croft in BBC soap Doctors. Earlier this year, it was confirmed she would be joining the cast of Emmerdale.
However, it has now been confirmed she is exiting the soap. She has been part of a whirlwind storyline since she arrived in the Yorkshire village four months ago.
According to BANG Showbiz, she said: “I knew it was finite, which I am very sad about, because I would like to stay forever, but it’s such a strong arc. It’s heaven, one of the nicest places I’ve ever worked, and I’ve done a little bit of work before!
“It is gentle and kind and professional and funny, and people care that it’s good. People care that we tell the story properly. It’s a joy to come to work. I’m gushing now, aren’t I?”
Jaye has enjoyed the reaction to Celia so far but urged fans to remember she is “really nice” in real life, despite her character’s dark deeds.
She said: “Everybody, they come up to me in the street and tell me much they love Celia and you think, ‘yeah, that’s not going to last’. That’s so not going to last and I want to remind people that it’s just pretend and I am really nice and I’m not a sociopath. It’s so not gonna last, I’m gonna get hate mail!”
The actress has portrayed Celia Daniels on the soap(Image: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
The former Bill actress hopes her storyline will shine a spotlight on the reality of modern day slavery. Emmerdale recently confirmed a special episode focussing on the hard-hitting topic, which aired earlier this week.
She said: “I hope so. Yes, that it’s not happening somewhere far, far away, it’s happening next door. That there are people whose passports have been taken, whose phones have been taken. She has a line to Joe, ‘we never take local’.
“You don’t take people who will be missed, you take the waifs and strays, and you give them purpose, you give them routine, and that lulls them, and you don’t give them any options. I mean, it’s hideous. It’s hideous.
“Sometimes, when I read the script, I think, ‘really? You’re going to make me say that?’ Just when you think she’s gone quite far enough, they’ll make me go a bit further! So yes, it’s horrendous.
“Hopefully, maybe conversations will start to be heard. Maybe every nail bar will be just…Maybe a question will run through people’s minds.
“Maybe every car wash, I don’t know how, as just an ordinary person, when you go into a car wash, do you say to them, ‘do you have a passport?’
“How do you navigate that? How do you as just an ordinary citizen help? I asked a police officer, and he said, ‘don’t know’.”
Jaye has found freedom in playing a character who doesn’t care what other people think of her. She said: “I love her. She doesn’t have many laughs, I’m hardly swinging from the rafters but no, it’s just so wonderful to explore someone who doesn’t mind whether you like or not, because your opinion is of less than no value.
“It simply doesn’t cross her mind that you have one or that I should take any note of it. So it makes her big and to never be afraid, to never feel fear, because the worst that could happen has already happened, and she survived. So bring it on. Just bring it on!”
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV1 and STV, or from 7am on ITVX and STV Player.
