Emmerdale actress Susan Cookson, who plays Wendy Posney, has reportedly filmed her final scenes on the ITV soap after being let go due to budget cuts. The 48-year-old, who joined the show in 2019, is said to be 'devastated' to leave the role she loved.
A source told The Sun that Cookson was well-liked among the cast, but financial pressures at ITV have led to a number of departures. 'ITV is going through a cash crisis with the soaps and the money just isn’t there to pay for everyone any more,' the insider said, adding that more characters are likely to be axed.
Cookson's exit follows that of Dean Andrews, whose character Will Taylor was killed off on Christmas Day. Andrews had previously told the Mirror he would stay 'as long as they want me,' but acknowledged that retirement might be on the horizon. Young actress Daisy Campbell was also given her marching orders in recent weeks, describing her departure as 'really upsetting.'
An insider noted that unless a character is beloved or brings significant drama, there is no budget to keep them, causing 'worry on set about who will be next to go.'
