Emmerdale has said goodbye to Marshall Hamston (Max Fletcher), who departed the eponymous village after breaking up with boyfriend Arthur Thomas (Alfie Clarke) in heartbreaking scenes.

We know, we’re not over it either.

The teen, who burst onto our screens eight months ago as a love interest for Arthur, has been at the centre of some of the ITV soap’s biggest and best stories in that timeframe.

From standing up to homophobic dad Colin (Mark Noble), who used his religious beliefs as a smokescreen to gaslight the confused lad, to falling for Arthur, it’s been quite a year for the newcomer, who has proven extremely popular with fans of the show.

Despite all the obstacles they faced, love prevailed, with Marshall and Arthur making a proper go of things, officially becoming boyfriends back in May.

But as is ever the case in Emmerdale, the couple’s happiness was short-lived, with much of their subsequent relationship taking place off-screen, before Marshall dropped a bombshell, admitting that he’s unhappy.

Earlier this week, he made contact with his aunt Jean (Emma Beattie), who had no idea that he’d been disowned by homophobic dad Colin, urging him to come and live with her.

There was an instant connection between the two characters, with Marshall evidently feeling safe in his aunt’s presence, unlike his father’s, and therefore he decided to take up Jean’s offer and move away with her.

The teen struggled to break the news to Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) and Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson), who have looked after him like one of their own over the past few months.

What’s more, he didn’t know how to tell Arthur. Jai, who was enjoying his stag do, picked up on the tension between Marshall and Arthur, asking the former to open up about what was on his mind.

Marshall did just that, revealing that he’s leaving the village with his aunt, with Jai subsequently getting in touch with Laurel to notify her of the development, while Marshall finally told Arthur the truth, revealing that he doesn’t want to be with him anymore.

Be right back, we’re just grabbing a shovel to sweep up what’s left of our hearts.

Arthur struggled to fight back the tears, as Marshall shared a special moment with Laurel, thanking her for everything she’s done for him over the past year, before turning his attention to Arthur, holding him tight as they said their goodbyes.

We’re not sobbing, we assure you.

Arthur subsequently broke down in Laurel’s arms, devastated to have lost his first love. Laurel was adamant that he would find love again, as she gave her son the biggest hug.

Metro.co.uk understands that there are currently no plans for Marshall to return.

These scenes therefore officially bring to an end the tale of Arthur and Marshall, which we hoped would’ve had a happier conclusion, given just how groundbreaking the storyline has been.

Max Fletcher, who played Marshall, has certainly proven what a talent he is, delivering nuanced and thought-provoking performances throughout the story, winning over the viewers, who very much rooted for his character to find happiness with Arthur, played by Alfie Clarke, who has been equally brilliant.

We’re not sure about you, but we’re already championing a Marshall comeback. Make it happen, Emmerdale. It’s the right thing to do.

Emmerdale continues Friday July 20 at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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