NO HOPE LEFT
Why has Heath Hope left Emmerdale?
New Year's Eve ended in tragedy in Emmerdale.
SOAP bosses have proven once again that anything can happen in the Dales and the year 2024 could be full of surprises.
Emmerdale lad Heath Hope met a sad fate during a joyride gone wrong. But who played the teen and why did he leave?
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Why has Heath Hope left Emmerdale?
Cathy Hope was hoping to celebrate the new year in style, pushing against the rules by stealing Wendy Posner's car in recent scenes of the ITV soap, as teased by spoilers ahead of time.
The troublesome teen faced a rough time in 2023 when she was suffering from symptoms of PMDD, which caused her to lash out against whomever stood in her way - including her own father Bob Hope (portrayed by Tony Audenshaw).
In more recent months, Cathy decided she would get pregnant with Samson Dingle's child to help alleviate her PMDD symptoms, but her plan was quickly rumbled.
Determined to welcome 2024 in a spectacular manner, Cathy dragged her twin brother Heath Hope and their pal Angelica King into her scheme to steal Wendy's car.
Letting her rebellious streak take over, Cathy drove the vehicle outside the village with Heath in the backseat and Angelica (Rebecca Blakes) at her left.
In later scenes, Bob and Wendy (Susan Cookson) went out to look for the teens who were refusing to answer their phones.
They quickly found the car, crashed on the side of a road, along with Angelica and Cathy, both covered in blood.
It soon became clear that Bob was due for the biggest shock of his life yet - his son Heath didn't make it and it was later confirmed that he had suffered fatal injuries during the joyride gone wrong, thus dying instantly.
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Heath Hope was due to celebrate his 17th birthday in February, 2024.
Who plays Heath Hope in Emmerdale?
While tragedy struck on the road, sadness overwhelmed the Emmerdale cast who had to wave goodbye to one of their own after less than seventeen years.
Seventeen-year-old actor Sebastian Dowling portrayed Heath Hope since the character was a new-born baby in the Dales, back in 2007.
Emmerdale boss Laura Shaw had teased the tragedy of Heath's death in October, 2023, claiming that one family could be torn apart.
"Bob and Cathy's relationship is going to be tested to the max. We're going to see something happen that's going to push them to the extreme", she'd promised.
"They're going to hit rock bottom when this happens. Is it going to tear them apart or will it pull them together? We'll see how that plays out."
While this remains to be seen, Sebastian Dowling took to social media after his final scenes had been aired during Monday's (January 1, 2024) instalment of the Yorkshire-based drama.
"Thanks to everyone Emmerdale for such a fun time filming over the 17 years", he wrote, following his statement with a red heart emoji.
Sebastian's co-star, April Windsor actress Amelia Flanagan followed up with a heartfelt message, writing: "Good luck with everything will miss you."
But there was another important cast member who was sad to see Sebastian leave the set of Emmerdale for the last time.
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Are Cathy and Heath Hope in Emmerdale related in real life?
Sebastian didn't join the Emmerdale cast on his own as he was able to lean on his sister, Gabrielle Dowling during his stint, who viewers forgot was his off-screen twin sister.
Indeed, born in December, 2006, the pair of siblings have portrayed twins Heath and Cathy Hope since they were infants.
Much like Amelia Flanagan, Gabrielle paid tribute to her brother following his soap exit by commenting on his latest post with two heart emojis.
But she also took to her Instagram account to share a heart-warming tribute of her own.
"17 years with my brother by my side on set. Learning lines and having fun. It will never be the same again but I know you will thrive in whatever you decide to do next", she posted.
Viewers of the long-running show was shocked to remember Gabrielle and Sebastian were real-life siblings, taking to X to express their amazement after Tuesday's (January 2, 2024) tear-jerking episode.
"Even harder for Gabrielle to play in that case. Having to act like she'd just lost her Brother sadly", one soap watcher pointed out.
Another echoed: "Heath and Cathy have been played by real life twins Gabrielle and Sebastian Dowling since they were babies they've been in the roles together a very long time."
What will Sebastian Dowling choose to do next?
READ MORE SUN STORIES
How will Cathy and Bob overcome Heath's death as the latter blames his own daughter for the tragedy?
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.
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