This week on Emmerdale, fans were taken by surprise with the unexpected departure of Ethan Anderson,

played by Emil John, who made his final appearance after three years on the show.

Ethan has been central to numerous storylines

, including the milestone 10,000th episode of the ITV soap. Here’s a recap of Ethan’s exit and the build-up to his tragic end.

Although Emmerdale hasn’t officially confirmed Ethan’s cause of death, the recent episodes have subtly foreshadowed his tragic fate. Earlier this month, Ethan made a grave mistake when he decided to drink and drive to help two friends. The drama began when Sunni Sharma called his boyfriend, Nicky Milligan, from a bar in town, distressed after spotting one of the men who had attacked him in a homophobic assault last year. Nicky, wanting to rush to Sunni’s aid, was unable to drive himself as he had been drinking at The Hide. Ethan, despite having consumed alcohol that afternoon, volunteered to drive.

During the journey, Ethan lost control of the car, resulting in a crash. Ethan managed to drag an unconscious Nicky to safety but fled the scene upon seeing Moira Dingle approaching, fearing the repercussions of drink-driving. This critical moment was not shown on camera, occurring during an ad break, which became a pattern for Ethan’s final episodes.

The crash left Nicky in a coma, prompting his vengeful mother, Ruby, to seek retribution against Ethan. In Emmerdale’s 10,000th episode, Ruby orchestrated a hit-and-run, targeting Ethan on the day of the village fete. This scene also took place off-camera, leaving viewers with a brief whodunit. Ethan was shown injured and stumbling back towards the village, claiming he hadn’t seen his attacker and refusing medical attention.

A private conversation between Ethan and Ruby later revealed her guilt, and her husband, Caleb, also deduced her involvement. In the May 28th episode, Ethan prepared to face court on charges of dangerous driving and fleeing the scene of the accident involving Nicky. Supported by Charles, Ethan collapsed just before his court appearance. Despite efforts by Charles and Manpreet to revive him, Ethan was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead, with this heart-wrenching scene also occurring off-camera.

The village was left in shock as Charles and Manpreet returned from the hospital, announcing Ethan’s death. Manpreet mentioned an upcoming autopsy, while Charles was adamant that Ethan had been murdered, vowing to seek justice for his son’s death.

Although the autopsy results are pending, Ruby’s mounting guilt suggests that this storyline will unfold further in future episodes.

Following Ethan’s final scenes, Emmerdale released a video message from Emil John. In the video, John thanked the cast and crew for their support over his three years on the show and expressed gratitude to the viewers who followed Ethan’s journey. Kevin Mathurin, who plays Charles, shared his sadness over John’s departure, highlighting their close bond and the joy of working together.

Mathurin praised John’s talent and positive energy on set, wishing him success in his future endeavors.

Ethan Anderson’s exit marks a significant and emotional turning point in Emmerdale, leaving fans to mourn the loss of a beloved character while anticipating the resolution of his gripping final storyline.