'Emmerdale' star admits Declan romance doubts

Jason Merrells has admitted that his Emmerdale character Declan Macey has doubts over his rekindled romance with ex-wife Ella Hart.

Declan was reunited with Ella (Corrinne Wicks) last year after she made the unexpected decision to move to Home Farm with their daughter Mia, but the landowner has recently been neglecting his partner as he focuses on his business concerns.

Ella's feelings of loneliness will soon lead to her embarking on an affair with Mia's boyfriend Adam Barton, played by Adam Thomas.

Offering his character's take on the relationship troubles, Merrells told Inside Soap: "Declan is set in his ways. He and Ella got divorced for all the right reasons before, so it's not easy for him to play love's young dream after she turned up again out of the blue.

"He's really pleased Mia is back in his life and is sort of tolerating Ella being there, but he's not quite sure about it all. I don't think either of them are, really!"

Next week's episodes see Declan offer an olive branch to Adam's father John, promising to invest in the Bartons' farm and help them to expand the business.

Merrells added: "Declan and John are pretty similar men, so I think that the two of them could work well together as business partners. Declan also thinks that Adam is a genuinely good kid who makes his daughter happy, so he wants to give the lad a chance.

"Of course, should he find out what's going on between Adam and Ella, he might change his mind!"

Merrells's on-screen father Frank Kelly (Dermot) recently announced his decision to leave Emmerdale after less than six months in the soap.

> Read our interview with Adam Thomas about Adam and Ella's affair