Emma Davies To Leave Emmerdale

Emmerdale actress Emma Davies is to leave the ITV soap at the end of her current contract, reports DigitalSpy.

The 38-year-old actress, who joined the show in June as Anna De Souza, is due to finish filming within the next couple of weeks and will bow out when her storyline reaches a dramatic climax in December.

The storyline will also involve the exit of her screen father Donald de Souza (Michael Jayston) and screen lover Matthew King (Matt Healy).

Of her departure, she said, "The opportunity of playing Anna has been a joy from start to finish. I've enjoyed being part of such a fantastic, hard-working and super talented team."

She isn't the only one leaving the Dales as other Emmerdale departures include Roxanne Pallett (Jo Sugden) and Mathew Bose (Paul Lambert), while Emily Symons (Louise Appleton) is taking a temporary break for the soap for family reasons

Soap Star Cleared Of Rape

Former Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman has been cleared of rape in Barbados.

The 28-year-old had been accused of forcing himself onto a 16-year-old girl at a resort in December 2006.

A 'not guilty' verdict was delivered after 90 minutes of deliberation at the High Court in Bridgetown.

"I'm grateful to be vindicated by the jury's verdict and am looking forward to spending time with my family and close friends who have been enormously supportive to me over the past two years," said the actor outside court.

Pallet 'Furious' After Being Groped

Emmerdale actress Roxanne Pallett was stunned last week when a stranger groped her in a Manchester restaurant.

The 25-year-old, who plays Jo Sugden in the soap, was so shocked by the man's actions that she threw her drink over him.

She told Star magazine, "I was out for a quiet drink with my friend when this guy just came up to me and pinched me on the bottom. I was furious."

"I ended up pouring my drink over him because I was so annoyed."