Several Emmerdale stars have admitted to being left in tears as they reacted to Bradley Johnson's exit from the ITV soap, which comes after he was seen celebrating his recent personal news.
It was in 2019 that the actor made his debut as Vinny Dingle, arriving alongside his on-screen mum, Mandy Dingle, played by Bury-born actress Lisa Riley, who had raised him after he was abandoned by his father and her former boyfriend, Paul Ashdale.
Vinny's Sentencing and the Fatal Crash
After a rollercoaster of seven-and-a-half years in the Dales, it was in Monday's (October 12) episode of Emmerdale that Vinny was seen having to leave his home and his loved ones behind as he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving.
It was recently revealed that he was responsible for the deaths of fellow villagers, Jimmy King and Dawn Fletcher. Disaster struck on what should have been Dawn and Joe Tate's wedding day, when Jimmy King suddenly crashed into the marquee where the couple were set to say 'I do', sending debris flying and throwing the celebrations into complete chaos.
Tragically, Jimmy died at the scene, with his wife, Nicola, seen saying a gut-wrenching goodbye after she found the devastating scene while heading to a picnic with her husband. While Dawn appeared to survive, she later went into premature labour with her and Joe's son. After giving birth, she suffered a significant haemorrhage, causing her heart to stop, and doctors were unable to save her.
Confession and Court Verdict
Weeks passed before Vinny confessed to his role in the fatal crash that killed Jimmy and Dawn, with flashback scenes showing that he had been distracted by a video call with Gabby Thomas while driving, which led him to drive into the other side of the road, making Jimmy swerve and ending up in the field where the marquee was set up for the wedding.
After admitting to his role in the crash, Vinny was charged and as the week got underway, Vinny was seen heading to court to learn his fate. Mandy and her husband, Paddy Kirk, watched on as the judge delivered her verdict, confirming she was going to make an example of Vinny to discourage others from using mobile phones while driving, before sentencing him to a decade behind bars.
However, as an emotional Vinny was led away, and a heartbroken Mandy returned to the village, it was revealed that Joe had paid off the judge to give a more hefty sentence as he struggles with grief following the loss of Dawn.
Cast Tributes to Bradley Johnson
Following the episode, a number of Emmerdale stars spoke out in support of Bradley, as they paid emotional tributes to their former colleague, which comes after some were seen helping him and his real-life partner, Sammie, celebrate their recent marriage after they eloped to Nashville last month.
On-screen mum Lisa shared a picture of the pair on Instagram and said: "My Brad….my Vinny….Mandy’s ORIGINAL sweetheart….my work son….my friend for life. We’ve been through so much together, you will be in my life forever. May you move forward with honesty, determination, drive, excitement, and the knowledge that you have so much more to do. Vinny has been a great chapter in your life, but now you have to go and make a full book with many, many, many more chapters."
She added: "You know how missed you will be around the building but the good news for you is, you won’t hear me yelling down the corridor, 'Have you seen my glasses?' 'Have you got my glasses?' 'Have you seen my flask?' 'Have you got my flask'. I love you loads. I have memories for life-but nothing will ever beat-snogging the Dingle kitchen cupboard to make you laugh. Ok now I’m crying @emmerdale @itv #emmerdale#itv #missyou #goodluck #friendforlife @bradjakejohnson. This was our last two hander scene-it’s imprinted in my heart."
Bradley Riches, who plays Lewis Barton in Emmerdale, also shared a picture of himself and Bradley and said: "Working with you has been nothing short of an honour- I love you Bradley. So excited for the next chapter you are about to go on #emmerdale #fyp #heartstopper #lgbtq #love."
Meanwhile, Natalie Ann Jamieson, who left Emmerdale last year in the role of Amy Wyatt, shared a string of photos to her Instagram page and shared: "Well I’m crying again… Emmerdale won’t be the same without Vinny! @bradjakejohnson I LOVED watching you playing that character, you’re an absolute joy… as are you IRL… I looked for a little photo to put up to celebrate your time at Emmers but I couldn’t choose… look at all these bangers!
"And how special that the last one is us celebrating you and Sammie! Can you believe since I met you you have achieved all of this, Albie and Sammie are some mega achievements! Love you and can’t wait to see what happens next in your incredible journey."
