Matthew Wolfenden’s departure from Emmerdale after nearly two decades left fans surprised, but the actor has now revealed the real reason behind his decision. Best known for his role as David Metcalfe, since 2006—Wolfenden had been at the centre of some of the soap’s most dramatic storylines. Despite his love for the show, he felt the need to take a leap into a different genre that the soap’s scheduling didn’t allow.
A Tough Decision To Leave Emmerdale
Wolfenden’s exit wasn’t about dissatisfaction with the soap— it was about seizing a rare opportunity that he got. Speaking to The Sun, he explained that he was offered the role of Buddy the Elf in the West End production of Elf. But Emmerdale had a strict rule that prevented cast members from leaving to do pantomimes or seasonal theatres.
He added, “The problem is they don’t let people out at Christmas to do panto. Because their reasoning is ‘if we let one person out, we’ve got to open it up to everyone. And we could lose half our cast at Christmas. ’” While Elf was technically a musical rather than a panto—it still fell within the same restricted period. With his contract ending, he faced a difficult choice. He could stick with his secure long-term role in the soap or take a risk for an eight-week theatre run.
“Do I leave an 18-year job to do an eight-week show?” he questioned. He said it was a little crazy, but then he thought, “If I don’t do it now, I never will.” At 44 years old, he realized he had to chase his passion while he still had the chance. Having originally come from a musical theatre background, the opportunity to return to the stage was too tempting for him to pass up. Only the upcoming Emmerdale spoilers can reveal whether he will ever come back to the Dales. Until then, stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more soap updates.
