Why is Maya Stepney leaving Emmerdale? Actress Louisa Clein has quit
Her controversial storyline is coming to an end, and so is her time in the soap
PREDATORY teacher Maya Stepney groomed and abused pupil Jacob Gallagher in Emmerdale - but now actress Louisa Clein has quit the soap.
Fans rejoiced as the character was finally arrested in a dramatic showdown with Jacob’s dad. But will justice be served in the end and when will Maya make her last appearance?
When will we see Maya's final scenes in Emmerdale?
While it’s not clear what day Maya will make her last appearance in Emmerdale, it has been confirmed that she will be making an exit very soon.
It was announced on May 22, 2019, that actress Louisa Clein would be leaving the soap after her harrowing paedo storyline.
Now that she’s been arrested Maya could be heading for a trial and prison - although her manipulative streak may see her evading justice, especially as Jacob will back her up.
An insider shared: “Louisa’s had fans glued to their seats with her brilliant performance.
They’ve been wondering what the future might hold for Maya and savouring the potential for her to continue to feature.
“But it seems they’ll be disappointed. Her arrest for grooming Jacob spelled the end of a chapter on the soap — for Louisa and Maya.”
Why did Louisa quit Emmerdale?
Louisa hasn’t made any mention as to why she has decided to leave the soap - but her character's arrest certainly suggests the shelf-life of Maya is short.
But, of course, it’s also unclear whether Emmerdale producers only hoped to have Louisa in the TV programme until the end of the storyline.
Either way, it certainly seems as if fans are feeling sad about Louisa’s departure.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “As messed up as this sounds, I’m kinda gutted to see Maya leave Emmerdale. She has had one of the most promising stories in the last couple of months”.
Another fan echoed similar words, writing: “Can’t believe Maya is leaving Emmerdale. She’s been such a joy to watch”.
What will happen to Maya?
Fans are set to see Maya's fate after her arrest - one thing we know for sure is that her character is leaving the ITV show.
It remains to be seen how Maya will try and defend her actions against Jacob, insisting that their relationship started out as a silly schoolboy crush in the beginning.
But, it doesn’t look like things will work in her favour.
Show boss Kate Brooks told : "We’ve got a responsibility.
"A lot of people watch the show, a lot of teenagers watch the show, and also we would never just tell one of these stories lightly, we have a duty to make sure the right protocol is carried out, and the right outcome."
So a prison term could be on the cards.