Emmerdale's Charley Webb confirms she has left soap for good

Emmerdale star Charley Webb has confirmed she has left the soap for good.

The 33-year-old actor joined the ITV soap opera as a teenager in 2002 playing Debbie Dingle and last appeared on screen in February 2021.

Webb was asked in an Instagram Q&A if she has left Emmerdale, to which she replied: "This is always my most asked question but I’ve never answered it before because I’ve never wanted to make a big deal of it.

"I left to have Ace 2 years ago. I went back at the end of last year for 10 weeks to complete a storyline. So, I guess officially it’s been a year. I never felt the need to announce it which is why we didn’t."

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The soap star has three sons - Buster, 11, Bowie, six and two-year-old Ace - with Emmerdale co-star Matthew Wolfenden and took maternity leave from the soap three times.

Debbie left the Dales to live in Scotland after being betrayed by her mother Charity Dingle. But her family remain in the soap, so it was thought that the door could be open for her to return in the future.

Webb said of having more children: "People say you know when you're done having babies. I don't feel that way. I'm actually really broody at the moment but it's not quite the right time."

She also confirmed to her 548k Instagram followers that Emma Atkins, who plays her onscreen mother Charity, is her best friend and lives "30 seconds walk" from her home.

She added, "Our kids are like brothers, I love it."

Wolfenden, 41, has played David Metcalfe in the soap since 2006.

Webb and Wolfenden married in 2018, having dated for more than 10 years.

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Webb's older brother is fellow soap actor Jamie Lomas who has appeared in Hollyoaks and EastEnders.

Last year Webb revealed she was in "agony" after being involved in a car accident.

The soap star previously opened up about the pain she suffered during her third pregnancy after contracting symphysis pubis dysfuntion (SPD).

Watch: Emmerdale soap news