Emmerdale’s Roxy Shahidi responds to co-star’s surprise exit

Emmerdale actress Roxy Shahidi has responded to her co-star Matthew Wolfenden leaving the soap.

Wolfenden left the role of David Metcalfe a few months back in order to play the lead role of Buddy in a production of Elf on the West End, with his final scenes airing at the end of November after he learned of Jacob and Victoria’s relationship.

Reacting to his exit in a roundtable interview with Digital Spy and other press outlets, Leyla Harding actress Shahidi joked: “He’s an awful selfish person going off!

“No, I think it’s absolutely fantastic. He’s playing the lead in the West End – how incredible.”

“The part is so perfect for him to play [Buddy in] Elf. I kept saying that to him. He was saying ‘Am I a ridiculous person?’ and I was like ‘Nooo!'” she added.

“He’s going to be absolutely fantastic and we’re all going down to see it. I think he’ll be absolutely fantastic. What a part. It’s the chance of a lifetime, really.”

It’s not the only change in Wolfenden’s life recently, as it was announced in November that he and Charley Webb had split up after almost two decades together.

Just a few days ago, Wolfenden hit out at tabloid reports that the marriage had ended because of an affair.

“Just to set the record straight… this (so called) reporting by the Daily Mail is an out and out LIE!” he wrote in his Instagram Stories.

“Can you leave us alone now? And shame on anybody who believes anything that these red tops report!” he said, before adding in a follow-up post that he was “glad to get that off [his] chest”.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.