Emmerdale airs major character exit after 17 years in early release episode
"I need to let him go."
Emmerdale spoilers follow from Wednesday’s episode (5 August), which is available to watch now on ITVX and YouTube but hasn’t aired on ITV1 yet.
Emmerdale has aired the exit of a major character in its latest episode. Noah Dingle’s departure has been reported for a little while, with Jack Downham tipped to leave after 17 years in the role.
Noah recently landed a job in Dusseldorf, though didn’t tell mum Charity until the last minute this week. A twist then occurred in last night’s episode that saw Noah choose to stay in order to support his mother amid her recent ordeal with Dr Todd.
However, tonight’s episode – which is available to stream now – sees Noah decide to depart in the end, as Charity realises it’s what he needs in his life.
At the start of the episode, Charity chats to Noah and suggests hanging out for the day, though he admits he needs to focus on finding some potential jobs and needs to plan for the future if he is going to remain in the village.
Later at The Woolpack, Charity says there is a potential job there, while Jacob and Sarah are disappointed to learn that Noah is no longer following his dreams by moving abroad. Conflicted, Charity speaks to Mack, who suggests that she needs Noah’s support at the moment.
“If I smother him, he’s just going to hate me, isn’t he?” she muses. “Maybe not now, but eventually. And then he’ll be something else that [Dr Todd] will have taken away from me. No, I need to let him go.”
Later on, Charity speaks to her son, and is adamant that he needs to go and take the job abroad. While he protests that he’s “happy” here, his mum notes that he isn’t.
“That job is yours, you go take it,” she declares.
Charity gathers their loved ones at The Woolpack, as Noah announces he will now be going to Germany, admitting he needs to do it and doesn’t want to regret it in the future.
Noah later says his goodbye to his mum, though after he walks out the door she shows sadness, Ryan noting: “Don’t pretend this isn’t killing you.”
Before departing the village, Noah catches Cain, who is putting Monty in the car after the dog was sadly put down. Noah declares that Cain was the closest thing to a father he had, and asks him to look after Charity, before telling Cain that he thinks he will be “alright” in his cancer battle.
The others say goodbye as Noah then gets in the car with Mack, who gives him a lift to the airport.
