Caulfield: 'I didn't want to be killed off'

Emmerdale star Maxwell Caulfield has admitted that he did not want his character Mark Wylde to be killed off.

The actor announced in November that he was to leave the role after one year with the ITV1 programme. Fans will see his final scenes later this week.

Producers recently confirmed that bigamist Mark will be murdered in his last episode, though fans will not discover who is responsible until the hour-long special airs on Thursday.

Speaking of Mark's fate in an interview with the Glasgow Sunday Mail, Caulfield commented: "It is a final exit and I wouldn't have made that choice if I was pulling the puppet strings. I would keep the options open. You can bin a character but you can leave the coffin lid open a crack.

"I think, frankly, that when too many characters die in a community or get away with murder, it doesn't reflect very well on our society. There are what I would regard as more creative ways of off-loading a troublesome character and then have the option of bringing them back to cause more mayhem or bed more wenches or whatever."

Mark's bigamy and ongoing deceit has repercussions for his entire family, meaning that there will be many suspects for murder ahead of Thursday's climactic instalment.

Caulfield added: "I don't resent it at all. I understand the producer's decision. I signed a contract for a year. What I probably didn't realise was how much I was going to enjoy myself on Emmerdale.

"It's a super gig, a great organisation and a very strong team. There are a lot of people on the crew who have worked on this show for years and if they take you to heart, as they seem to have done with me, you feel very welcome."