Emmerdale star Danny Miller has announced he’s leaving the soap.
The actor, who recently became a father for the first time, played Aaron Dingle on the ITV show for 13 years.
The 30-year-old shared the news at a press event ahead of his stint in the new series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
He said: “I’d like to think I’m very, very far away from Aaron and that’s part of the reason why I wanted to do [I’m A Celebrity…].”
“I’ve actually left Emmerdale. I, unfortunately, decided to start a new path in life. I’ve got my baby now and I’m [getting] married next year, it felt like the right time to open a new chapter in my life. I’m very, very emotional about it actually, it’s been a massive part of my life.”
“I’ve wanted to spread my wings for a while and a show like this can give me the opportunity to see what else happens after it. [I can] start a new life with my family and see what happens.”
Danny continued: “I’ve been [on Emmerdale] for 13 years. I had a little break, but 13 years ago I started with Aaron. I’ve grown up with him and I feel very protective of him. I think it was time for him to start a new life.”
“We work Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm, so for me, having a new baby, as a lot of the cast that have kids know, it’s very difficult to be able to spend much time with them and you don’t get a lot of time off.”
“Obviously, when you’re in a contract and in a fantastic show like Emmerdale, you’re at the hands of the storylines and the writers. That’s something that I wanted to free them of and free myself of, because I wanted to make sure that I could pick and choose, and be there for my baby if I needed to be.”
“It was a really tough decision, that’s why I’m so emotional about it now, talking about it,” he added.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here starts this Sunday, November 21 on Virgin Media One at 9pm.
Check out this year’s line-up here.
