Bradley Johnson has reportedly been axed from Emmerdale, with the actor set to leave the soap after seven years. Johnson first joined the cast in 2019 when Mandy Dingle returned to the village, and his departure comes after a run of storylines that made him one of the show’s more familiar faces.
Last year, Johnson tackled Vinny Dingle’s sexuality storyline, a plot that he said took him by surprise when it was first put to him. “When I first got told it was a complete shock to me, as I had no idea that was the avenue they were gonna go down with Vinny,” he said. Once the creative team explained it, he added, “But once Sophie and Laura told me the storyline, it was quite exciting! For Vinny, [and] everything he's been through in the past with Liv, I think it's a really exciting story to tell of a young lad who's confused, really.”
The reported exit lands at a time of wider change inside the soap. The Sun reported that the cast were “shocked that bosses decided to axe him but it’s all part of the ITV cuts and they still need to trim back the cast.” ITV declined to comment when approached by Radio Times, leaving the reported decision unaddressed publicly.
Johnson is not the only name linked to a departure. Nick Miles is also reported to be saying goodbye to Jimmy King after 20 years in the village, with the character set to be killed off in a major new stunt. Radio Times understands that Miles is still filming scenes at the serial drama’s studios in Leeds and will remain on screen until the autumn. Olivia Bromley is also set to leave Emmerdale later this year as Dawn Fletcher.
For viewers, the immediate question is no longer whether Vinny Dingle’s recent storyline would continue, but how Emmerdale will reshuffle one of its long-running families as more exits gather pace. The soap continues to air weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.
