Emmerdale actor Bhasker Patel has revealed he was devastated to be axed from the ITV soap.

The actor was keen to keep playing Rishi Sharma for years to come because he loved working on the soap.

But in the summer bosses decided to kill him off in a bid to boost ratings.

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Bhasker said: “It wasn’t my choice. It was a mega surprise, to be honest.

“I was on Zoom with the producer and I said, ‘Have I done something wrong?’. But I hadn’t. They just wanted a big story and knew killing Rishi off would be a big shock for viewers.

“I was sad about it. It was a sad moment for me. I would have liked to have stayed a little bit longer.”

Emmerdale fans were also left heartbroken by Rishi’s death.

Bhasker added: “People were very sad. I don’t think people expected him to go.

“They thought he would be part of Emmerdale for years to come. I read people’s reactions. It made me cry. I thought, ‘I did something right’.”

Bhasker has been in demand since leaving Emmerdale.

He said: “I’ve been busy. I’ve done plays and I’ve done a short film. I have some cameos in other films coming up, too.”

Bhasker will be in new play Passing at London’s Park Theatre from November 1.

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