Ian Kelsey, best known for playing farmhand Dave Glover on Emmerdale, has opened up about his character's dramatic exit and hinted at a possible return to the ITV soap.
Kelsey joined the show in 1994 and became a popular figure with audiences before Dave Glover was killed off in scenes broadcast on December 26, 1996. The character was written out after suffering injuries and smoke inhalation during a fire.
Reflecting on a 'great exit'
Speaking to Heart Bingo, Kelsey looked back on his departure from the programme more than three decades ago. He explained how actors typically approach leaving a soap, saying: "If you speak to production and say, 'Look, I think I've had enough. I'm giving you notice that I want to leave,' when a producer tells the writers an actor is leaving, it gives them a deadline."
He added: "The sensible thing to do is not burn your bridges. At the end of your contract, you say, 'Could I possibly have six months off to do a theatre job?' Hopefully, you'll want to come back, so you get written out."
Kelsey noted that on Emmerdale, characters who leave without being killed off are typically written out by getting a bus to Hotten, but he chose a different path. "I didn't do that. I said I wanted to leave. I typically do things in three year stints and then want to move on," he said.
Death scene and legacy
Describing his exit, Kelsey said: "I had a great exit too. It was a Christmas death, so millions of people tuned in. In hindsight, quite a lot of people have gone back to Emmerdale after leaving. But when you die, you can't look back. You're forced to look forward."
When asked about Claire King's character Kim Tate and her remarks suggesting David could be the father of her son Jamie Tate, Kelsey responded: "Oh, yeah, he was Dave's! Well, I know they had a DNA test or something, didn't they?" He added: "But she wasn't with anyone else when she was with Dave Glover. Maybe Dave Glover's twin brother needs to come back and claim his inheritance!"
Potential comeback
Asked whether he would welcome a return to the soap, Kelsey said he would be "grateful" and revealed he has had conversations with writers. He said: "I'm hanging out at the studios with my partner Beth (Cordingly), who plays Ruby Fox-Miligan, and I have spoken to a few writers."
He continued: "They've said it has been mentioned before. Claire came back from the dead. Claire's husband, who's on it now, came back from the dead. So, you know, maybe I'll come out of the shower like Bobby Ewing!"
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV.
