We didn’t see it coming!!!
Emmerdale has killed off a gay character and his death has left fans reeling. Finn Barton, played by Joe Gill was killed off last Thursday. In an interview with the Radio Times, Joe said, that he felt it was “time to move on.” He said: “I felt professionally it was time to move on. I’ve loved every second of playing Finn and being part of the Barton family, but creatively it seemed like my time had naturally come to an end and I wanted to play different characters.”
Joe revealed that he felt “a bit sorry for Finn” when he heard about the fate of his character. “When you tell the bosses you want to leave you put the characters’ fate in their hands, and part of me felt a bit sorry for Finn I’ll be honest. But it’s a case of whatever’s best for the show, and if it meant getting that impact then it was the right thing to do”.
Fans were naturally upset by the heartbreaking episode with one writing: “Honestly devastated as Finn deserved a happy ending! Thank you Joe Gill for bringing us a character the public loved.” Another added: “Gutted. Love Finn,” while a third said: “I’ve already cried five times. I’m going to miss him a lot.”
Joe Gill identifies as straight, but he knew that the character of Finn Barton was gay before he auditioned for the part. Speaking in an interview he revealed that he enjoyed playing a gay character because it helps him understand, learn and see things from other points of view. He said, “I think it’s been really good for me to play a character that’s far removed from myself. It means that I get to see things from someone else’s point of view, and learn and understand things that maybe I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t played Finn”.