Adam Thomas confirms he's leaving Emmerdale at the end of 2017

adam thomas
(Image credit: Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)

Popular Emmerdale star Adam Thomas is saying goodbye to his namesake character after eight years on the farm

Adam Thomas says the time is right for him to challenge himself with new roles as he announced his departure from Emmerdale .

Adam (pictured with girlfriend Caroline Daly) has played Moira Barton's son, also named Adam, since 2009, and said on Emmerdale's website: "I've had an amazing eight years working on Emmerdale and I've loved every minute of it. It was a really tough decision to take to leave, but I felt that now is the time to move on and challenge myself with some new roles."

He continued: "I'd like to thank everyone at Emmerdale for both giving me the opportunity to work as part of such a great team and for giving my character Adam Barton some great storylines too."

Adam, who first found fame on BBC1 school drama Waterloo Road, has been involved in a number of key storylines in Emmerdale. Initially, he took over Butler’s Farm with father John, mother Moira and sisters Holly and Hannah. He's witnessed the deaths of his father John and sister Holly, the discovery his uncle James was actually his biological father, the break-up with his wife Victoria Sugden and the long-standing bromance with his gay best friend Aaron Dingle.

Emmerdale producer Iain MacLeod said: “Everyone will be really gutted to see Adam go! He's a top bloke and a really talented actor. But he's given us a lot of notice, so we've been able to prepare a huge exit story for him. I'm really excited to see it play out on screen – however sad it will be to wave goodbye to such a brilliant character and cast member."

Adam will continue working on Emmerdale until the end of this year, so will still be on our screens in early 2018.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.