Gemma Merna: 'I'll miss Ricky Whittle'

Hollyoaks star Gemma Merna has said that the departure of her screen husband Ricky Whittle was "very sad".

Whittle filmed his last scenes as Calvin Valentine last month after deciding to bow out of the Channel 4 soap and pursue new roles.

The actor's final episodes air over the next few days, featuring the conclusion to the serial's 'Who Shot Calvin?' mystery, which first began in a special 'flashforward' edition last year.

Speaking to PA about Whittle's exit, Merna commented: "It's very sad. I don't like to think about it because we're really good friends. I'm going to miss him a lot, not working with him."

The star also predicted that her character Carmel McQueen will have an emotional journey ahead as she deals with Calvin's death and hears about his recent betrayals.

She said: "You know what Carmel's like. She probably grieve a long time for the love of her life. But when all the shenanigans come out, that's going to be testing on her head - what she is actually going to do, how she's going to forgive him for it."