Joe Absolom has reportedly filmed his final scenes on Emmerdale, mere months after he arrived on the Yorkshire-based ITV soap as villainous drug dealer Ray Walters

Joe Absolom has reportedly filmed his final scenes on Emmerdale. The actor, 47, has only been playing drug dealer Ray Walters on the ITV soap for a matter of months, but it’s now being claimed that he will bow out in explosive scenes set to air at some point in the new year.

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Prior to landing his role on Emmerdale, Joe was perhaps best known for his stint as Matthew Rose on BBC rival EastEnders, which he played from 1997 until 2000, and then starred as Al Large alongside Martin Clunes on comedy drama series Doc Martin throughout the entirety of its long run from 2004 until 2022.

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Explaining news of his sudden exit, a source said: “Bosses knew they only ever had Joe for a certain amount of time, but they’ve definitely made the most of having someone of his calibre in the village. He filmed his final scenes back in November.” The Mirror has contacted Emmerdale representatives for comment.

According to The Sun, it’s thought that his exit scenes will play out as part of Emmerdale’s upcoming crossover with fellow soap Coronation Street. Throughout his relatively short time in the Yorkshire village, Joe’s character has been at the centre of one of the programme’s darkest storylines in its 53-year history. Together with his foster mother Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths), Ray has been heading up a drugs network and slavery ring, forcing villagers like April Windsor and Bear Wolf to get involved in their evil schemes.

Fans of the serial already know that Celia is set to make her departure, and actress Jaye, who has also starred in The Bill and Doctors, recently told of how ‘sad’ she felt to be leaving the part behind. Speaking about her exit, Jaye 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!

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“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 how 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!”

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The actress also revealed her hopes that her storyline will shine a spotlight on the reality of modern-day slavery. 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?’

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“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 weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.