Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale is waving goodbye to one of its best-loved characters, with news that Aaron Dingle will be leaving the village.
Danny Miller, who has played Aaron on and off since 2008, announced his soap departure ahead of his involvement in the upcoming series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Show bosses have released a statement thanking Danny for his contribution to the Dales, while fans have also been praising the award-winning star on social media.
Alongside the tributes, though, there's also an acknowledgement among many that this exit is probably coming at the right time. Hear us out…
Aaron has taken centre stage in some of Emmerdale's biggest and most important storylines over the past 13 years, covering topics such as sexuality, assisted suicide, child abuse, bullying and mental health.
Danny has more than 20 TV and soap awards to his name after his unforgettable performances in the role, making him one of the soap world's most acclaimed actors.
Aaron was also one half of a soap supercouple when #Robron took the Dales by storm in 2014, until they were cruelly torn apart by Robert Sugden's imprisonment in 2019.
In retrospect, this is when things went slightly pear-shaped for Aaron's journey in the show, with the character feeling like he'd been cast adrift following the sad departure of his other half.
Left rattling around Mill Cottage with his sister Liv over the past couple of years, Aaron has rarely played a significant role in the big Dingle family dramas while characters like Mandy, Vinny, Sam, Lydia, Charity and Cain have each taken their rightful turns in the spotlight.
While all soap characters need to take a back seat from time to time, it became a running joke among fans that Aaron always seemed to be absent when things were kicking off for his loved ones.
There were also plenty of missed opportunities along the way. When Robert first left the village, we were promised that Aaron would have plenty of upcoming storylines with his troublesome uncle Cain, but their dodgy dynamic soon fizzled out.
Aaron also had an excellent chemistry in scenes with Mandy on the rare occasions they interacted, but nothing much came of this either.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed a possible chemistry between Aaron and Mackenzie Boyd when the village newcomer kept flirting with him, but this potential story appeared to be abandoned when Mack's attentions turned to Charity instead.
Some viewers were also annoyed this year when the show teased the possibility of Robert being released from jail, but this turned out to just be a plot device to facilitate Luke Posner's departure from the Dales.
Aaron's new relationship with Ben Tucker, who brings a likeable presence to the village, has also been underdeveloped by the storyliners.
While COVID restrictions won't have helped (most of their romance has played out with the actors awkwardly standing two metres apart), it was telling that Ben played a key role in the Super Soap Week disaster while Aaron was nowhere to be seen. It also took more than a week to see Aaron's reaction to what had happened.
It's fair to point out that the writers are arguably caught between a rock and a hard place with Aaron. Throw another big issue-based story at him, complete with sobbing scenes six times a week, and some will complain that the ITV soap is recycling its greatest hits.
Have him pop up for a pint at The Woolpack every two weeks, though, and fans will complain that the popular character is being wasted.
Fortunately, we've seen in the past with Aaron that a break can do his character the world of good. When Aaron previously left the show in 2012, he'd been exhausted by big storylines after the assisted suicide of his boyfriend Jackson Walsh.
When Aaron returned two years later, he was refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for a fresh direction. After his time away, there was an appetite among the writers and viewers to see him at the centre of big, headline-grabbing storylines again.
We'd place our bets on Aaron's upcoming departure not being the last we see of his character. In the long run, it could ultimately prompt the reboot that the much-loved Dingle needs.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.
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Daniel has been writing about soaps on Digital Spy since 2004 and took over as Soaps Editor in 2010.
He has interviewed hundreds of soap stars over the years, from Bill Roache to Lacey Turner, and regularly visits the sets of Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks for behind-the-scenes trips and press events.
He has served as an awards judge on numerous occasions for the likes of the BAFTA TV Awards, RTS Programme Awards and British Soap Awards. In 2020, he was Highly Commended for Best Section Editor at the BSME Awards.
