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1 October 2019, 09:24
Emmerdale spoilers: Exit planned for fan-favourite Pete Barton as Anthony Quinlan quits the soap.
It’s bad news for Emmerdale fans, as one of the soaps most popular characters Anthony Quinlan has reportedly quit.
The actor has played Pete Barton for almost six years after previously starring in Hollyoaks as Gilly Roach from 2005 to 2011.
But now 34-year-old Anthony has reportedly decided to leave the ITV favourite for ‘other TV opportunities’, even setting his sights on the likes of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
A source told The Sun: “Anthony has loved his time on Emmerdale but he is really keen to try and make a name for himself away from just soaps, and is looking at auditions.
“He says he would be up for doing a reality show too, like the jungle or Strictly, but with a full-on filming schedule for Emmerdale that’s quite tricky.”
While it hasn’t yet been revealed how Pete will leave the village, viewers may fear he’ll be killed off after a few of his closest family members have met their tragic end over the years.
Anthony's character first appeared in the Dales back in December 2013 after his dad James lost their farm.
Pete married Debbie Dingle - played by Charley Webb - back in 2015, but he was later devastated to discover she cheated on him with his brother Ross (Michael Parr).
This then led to a very dramatic episode involving a helicopter crash which left Adam Barton (Adam Thomas), the brother of Ross and Pete, fighting for his life after getting caught up in the accident.
Pete was also shocked to find out his his mum Emma, played by Gillian Kearney, killed his dad James (Bill Ward) and then shot his brother Finn (Joe Gill) dead.
Emma was then killed by his aunt Moira (Natalie J. Robb) when she discovered the shocking truth.
Elsewhere in the family, Ross was part of a huge storyline when he suffered a terrifying acid attack before moving away to live in Liverpool.
While Anthony is yet to speak out on his exit, it’s very possible he could suffer the same fate as some of his family members.