MILLIONS of Emmerdale fans tonight watched Leyla Harding take her final breath as she became the second victim of the soap’s horror limo crash.
And it was a bittersweet moment for actress Roxy Shahidi, who has played the colourful character for 16 years.
The actress revealed she was initially stunned to learn last summer that Leyla would be killed off.
But she admits it inspired her to look beyond the ITV show and embrace new opportunities.
In her only interview, Roxy, 41, told The Sun: “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.
“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.
“There are times when you have a big story where you will spend more time with your work family than you do at home.”
But once she had had time to digest news of her exit, the bubbly star says she quickly began to feel pleased the decision to go now had been taken out of her hands.
“Once the news had sunk in, it felt right,” Roxy explained.
“Of course it’s sad to see my character die, and I have loved playing Leyla because she is so funny, camp and a brilliant character. But at the same time, if I had left it another five years, I might not have felt as excited as I do now.
“I have had a long time to process everything and I am looking forward to my next chapter. I’ve always wanted to explore other things and now I’ve got the opportunity.”
Telly bosses had promised Roxy an explosive send off in a storyline dubbed “Emmerdale does the Titanic”.
Last Friday, two limousines were involved in smashes.
One, carrying some of the soap’s biggest female characters, including Leyla, ending up on a frozen lake.
Suzy Merton, played by Martelle Edinborough, died instantly, whilst Amy Barton (Natalie Ann Jamieson), and Leyla were seriously injured.
In last night’s episode, viewers saw doctors pronounce Leyla dead at the hospital, where her devastated son, Jacob, works.
Insisting there are definitely no hard feelings over her departure from the soap, Roxy said: “Leyla’s death is shocking but, as one producer told me, ‘You have to be worth killing!’. I take this as a compliment.
“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.
“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 limo scenes and last night’s hospital death were, however, tough on Roxy.
As well as taking four days’ sick leave after falling ill with a virus during the crash shoot, she revealed both she and Joe-Warren Plant, who plays Jacob, were overwhelmed by emotion..
“My exit was really explosive and my scenes with Joe-Warren Plant were brutal,” Roxy said.
“I have watched Joe grow up on the soap and, when we were filming these scenes, I would see him have a little wobble. And then I would go. We were awful because we were just constantly crying! It really worked well for Joe with his scenes.
I have had a long time to process everything and I am looking forward to my next chapter
Roxy
“But at one point, I was supposed to be dead and I had tears streaming down my eyes. I was a weeping corpse.
“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.”
Reflecting on her time in the Dales, Roxy is hugely proud of the many dramatic storylines she has been involved in. They include admitting to her son Jacob she was his mum after initially handing him to her sister, Alicia, who was infertile.
Her character also got hooked on drugs and was shot by the soap’s evil psychopath, Meena.
But it was her screen marriage and subsequent divorce from Dr Liam Cavanagh that stands out as her most memorable plotline.
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“The marriage break-up of Leyla and Liam was great,” Roxy said.
“She couldn’t navigate the grief of him losing his daughter, and her turning to drugs and then recovering made her realise she couldn’t stay married to him and stay sober.
“We did nearly 40 pages of dialogue in one day and that was one of my favourite ever days. It felt like being in a play. I’ve had a lot of amazing storylines over the years and the drug addiction plotline was a powerful one to help raise awareness.
“Leyla is such a fun character, though, and I’ve loved all the humour, as I have working with Joe. He is such a pleasure to work with.”
Roxy revealed that she will stay in touch with all the friends she has made throughout her years on the soap — and said a big disco party was held for those caught up in the crash stunt.
But she admitted with a smile: “I couldn’t make it as my husband was away and I couldn’t get a babysitter.
“I did have a lovely dinner with some of my friends from the show.
“I’ve also taken with me a couple of pairs of Leyla’s stilettos.
“I’ve got her six-inch heels!” Roxy says her husband, Arsher Ali, also an actor, has been a huge support during her final weeks at Emmerdale.
“As soon as I found out I’d be leaving, I told him and a few close friends about what was happening,” the actress explained.
“It’s great to be married to someone in the business who understands the highs and lows and how creative you have to be. He has been a great support.”
Roxy and Arsher first met when they were both performing a play at the National Theatre in London.
And before they had even kissed, he proposed, telling her that one day she would be his wife.
Not long after that, they started dating and the couple married in 2010. They have a daughter, six, whom they have never named in public.
Describing the moment they got engaged, Roxy said: “He asked me after two weeks.
“It was really romantic, and they do say ‘when you know, you know!’.
“He definitely knew. But we didn’t get married for years!”
Roxy also joyfully revealed that leaving Emmerdale will give her more time to be a mum — and take her little girl to school.
She said: “It’s amazing that I do now have the flexibility.
“Life on a soap means that you are dictated by your fortnightly schedule.
“Now I am free from that and I can do family things when I want to do them.”
But what’s next for the actress?
Roxy says she has several projects in the pipeline, including a podcast series with former Emmerdale co-star and best friend Matthew Wolfenden, who played David Metcalfe.
It will be out in March.
They have a new TV script lined up and she is also launching a yoga business.
Roxy said: “I am at a completely different phase in my life now compared to when I joined in my twenties.
“I’m going to be doing lots of different things.
I know it’s heartbreaking for viewers watching a character die but it does make it more memorable
Roxy
“Matthew and I have got our new podcast series out, with guests like Lisa Riley (Emmerdale’s Mandy Dingle); we are working on a script; and I’m launching a yoga in the workplace business. It’s all about empowering people at their workstations to feel less stressed and lift energy.”
Roxy — who took part on Dancing on Ice last year, partnered with pro skater Sylvain Longchambon — also hopes to take on more acting roles.
She revealed: “I’d love to be in Waterloo Road.
“I’d also love to do some presenting work with Matthew, and I am definitely open to doing some more reality stuff like Big Brother.
“Dancing on Ice was terrifying though! It was an adventure, but every time I stepped on the ice, I literally thought I might die!”
Turning her attentions back to Emmerdale, Roxy hints there will be more drama in the coming days, weeks and months following the crash.
Fellow Emmerdale resident, Amy, is also still in hospital fighting for her life.
Roxy said: “There have been two deaths so far, but this crash is going to have a huge ripple effect. There is definitely more to come.
“I know it’s heart-breaking for viewers watching a character die.
“But it does make it more memorable. And I am glad I do have finality to the character.
“If I had just left in a taxi, I know I’d continue to look over my shoulder.
“Now I can look forward to my next adventure.”
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