Emmerdale star Roxy Shahidi reacts to Leyla Harding's shocking death in dramatic limo crash

The ITV soap’s major stunt has left 17 characters fighting for their lives after two limousines, driven by Charity Dingle and Caleb Miligan, were involved in separate crashes - one of which plunged into an icy lake.

The first confirmed fatality was Suzy Merton, who died after the vehicle she was in sank into the water. In last night’s (February 19) episode, a second death was revealed, as Leyla succumbed to blood loss before reaching the hospital. Her lifeless body was later shown in the morgue, leaving fans devastated.

Shahidi, who has played Leyla Harding since 2008, admitted she was completely taken aback when she found out about her character’s death.

"When I first found out, I was very shocked. I had been in the show for a long time and I wasn’t expecting this news," she told The Sun.

Reflecting on her time in Emmerdale, she described the show as a major part of her life both professionally and personally. "Emmerdale becomes a fabric of your existence to a huge degree. It’s not just about the joy of the work, it’s the joy of the people and community," she explained. "There are times when you have a big story where you will spend more time with your work family than you do at home."

Despite her initial shock, Shahidi revealed she took Leyla’s dramatic exit as a form of recognition for her long-standing role in the soap. "Leyla’s death is shocking but, as one producer told me, 'You have to be worth killing!'. I take this as a compliment," she said.

She acknowledged the ever-changing nature of television and the uncertainty of long-term roles. "The landscape of TV has changed a lot over the last decade. To keep it going at its best, there is never any guarantee of continuous work," she said. "It’s been a privilege and an honour to have been in Emmerdale as long as I have and I’ve never taken it for granted."

Filming the crash sequence was physically demanding, she said, with late-night shoots and tough conditions. Shahidi recalled an emotional moment while playing Leyla’s lifeless body. "At one point, I was supposed to be dead and I had tears streaming down my eyes. I was a weeping corpse," she revealed.

She also shared that she became unwell during production but was concerned about missing work. "We filmed the crash at night and unfortunately I was ill for four days. I’d only ever had one day off in the 16 years I had been there, and I was worried this would cause a big issue. But our producer, Laura Shaw, was amazing."

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.