An Emmerdale legend could be killed in an explosive storyline.
Emmerdale fans have seen villain Meena Jutla, played by Paige Sandhu, wreak havoc in the village in recent weeks and the Express claim she could bump off an iconic character from the ITV soap.
Meena is currently away in Ibiza after her niece suffered a nasty accident that has left her in a coma.
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And it is being claimed she might kill Diane Sugden when she returns to Emmerdale. She is being suggested after Elizabeth Estensen, 72, announced she is retiring from the role.
On her decision to retire from, Elisabeth said: “For the past 22 years I have loved playing Diane Sugden - she’s kind, reliable and fiercely loyal. However, I now feel the time has come to say goodbye.
"Emmerdale will always remain special to me. I’ve been treated with respect and kindness and I’ve had the very best friends and colleagues, both past and present. I’ll miss everyone dearly.”
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Diane has been at the heart of Emmerdale for all these years, she has been married and widowed, and at the helm as landlady of the Woolpack for seventeen years.
Past storylines have seen her ripped off by her conman lover Charlie, and stabbed in the dark by Chas Dingle. Throughout all this, Diane has been a supportive mother, sister, stepmother and grandmother to her fictional family.
Diane has undergone treatment for cancer twice and been trapped at gun point in a siege. She was lost in a mirror maze which ultimately killed her sister Val, and more recently helped ex lover Eric Pollard run the village B&B.
John Whiston, managing director of continuing drama and head of ITV in the north, said: “For 22 years, Liz has shone through the screen and into our living rooms as the natural heart and centre of the Sugden family.
"It's a role she has made so totally her own, bringing compassion, humour and credibility to her portrayal of Diane.
"Whenever she's on-screen, as a viewer, you just let out a contented sigh and say to yourself 'The Queen is on her throne and all is well with the world'."
"And off-screen, you don't get to stay in a soap that long unless you are a truly professional actor and really, really lovely person. Liz is both.”
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