Two major Emmerdale stars quit soap and have already filmed their final scenes

TWO of Emmerdale’s main stars have left the soap and have already filmed their final scenes.

The Sun can exclusively reveal that Lewis Cope and Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana – who play couple Nicky Miligan and Suni Sharma in the ITV soap – will soon call it quits in a shock exit.

Lewis Cope and Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana have left Emmerdale and have already filmed their final scenes

Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana quits the soap after just one year of playing SuniCredit: Instagram@brahmdeo_bsr

Lewis joined the soap as part of a big storyline where he and dad Caleb got revenge on Kim TateCredit: ITV

The actors will leave this summer in what is said to be a controversial departure.

Actor Lewis joined the soap as Nicky Miligan in December 2022 as part of a major revenge plot against Kim Tata, while Brahmdeo followed a year ago in July 2023 as Jai Sharma’s brother Suni.

The soap will risk a fan backlash with two prominent gay characters leaving just weeks after bosses killed off gay lawyer Ethan Anderson.

A source said: “It won’t go unnoticed that three country gay characters have been written out within weeks of each other.

“The optics are not good, especially when it’s pride month.

“The fact is that decisions are made months in advance and there are many different factors that influence things like this.

“It’s very unusual for three actors with the same character profile to leave at the same time.”

Viewers watched as Nicky spiraled out of control after discovering mum Ruby’s role in Ethan Anderson’s death.

Disgusted by her hit-and-run in the days before his death, Nicky vows to give her up, but will it be the one that causes him to leave the village forever?

Meanwhile, Suni has recently been betrayed by his own brother, Jai, who chased their father out of the village, forcing him to give up his job to get Suni out.

Will this secret be revealed and will it lead to the exit of the characters?

Emmerdale’s Ethan Anderson broke down in tears after leaving Nicky Milligan for dead

The Sun can confirm that both actors have filmed their final scenes and will be leaving later this summer.

The source added: “It feels like the characters weren’t given a fair chance.

“They were hardly used despite having a lot of initial promise.

“Soaps can be great work for actors starting out – but only if they’re given stories to work with, and sometimes things just don’t work out.

“They’re hungry to hone their craft to show what they can do and they don’t want to be used as glorified decoration.”

Emmerdale has been contacted for comment.

The shock departures come as the ITV soap revealed its new boss after former producer Kate Brooks quit to take over sister soap Coronation Street.

It’s a shame Emmerdale bosses have lost one gay character, but losing three seems careless

The Sun’s Soaps editor Carl Greenwood explains why these shock dates could be mistakes…

Nicky’s arrival in the village as the mysterious nanny at Home Farm who seduced Gabby Thomas saw him deemed too good to be true – and he was.

He was soon revealed to be the secret son of Caleb Milligan, the secret grandson of Frank Tate – and they planned a devastating revenge on Kim Tate.

This new slightly curved bezel made the Nicky a much more attractive watch – and then he showed up, which was supposed to be extra fun.

A gay, scheming Tate was just what the show needed.

But since then, Nicky has faded into the background and has spent much of this year in a coma – induced or not.

Meanwhile, Suni was a breath of fresh air when he arrived.

It was fun, exciting and injected much needed positive energy into the village.

A year later and the gloom of Emmerdale threw him into a gray, boring, quasi-miserable existence.

Their coming out so soon after Ethan Anderson – another gay character with wasted potential – is not a great look.

Losing one gay character this way is unfortunate, but losing three is just careless.

Sophie Roper, a former story producer and cast producer, has been confirmed to take over.

She joins producer Laura Shaw as co-host of the long-running show.

Speaking about her appointment, she said: “As a lifelong soap fan, I feel privileged to be a part of such an iconic and beloved program and I’m thrilled to be taking the show forward as a producer alongside an incredibly talented and dedicated person. team.

“Emmerdale is a truly special place both on and off screen, and as we embark on this next chapter, I look forward to bringing even more daring and ground-breaking drama to the Dales.”