ITV Emmerdale legend sparks exit fears as character remains ‘missing’
An Emmerdale legend has sparked exit fears as their character remains “missing”.
Eric Pollard, played by Chris Chittell, has been a fixture on the popular ITV soap since 1986 and has recently faced a series of personal challenges.
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Last year, his relationship with Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop) ended disastrously when Eric squandered her life savings on a failed cryptocurrency venture, leading Brenda to depart the village for a global cruise with Cathy Hope (Gabrielle Dowling).
In June, Eric’s health deteriorated following a severe fall at home, resulting in hospitalisation and the need for a carer upon his return.
After rejecting an unsuitable carer, Eric reluctantly agreed to let Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) look after him in exchange for payment, reports the Daily Star.
Adding to his woes, Eric soon received a heartbreaking letter from Brenda on his 80th birthday.
“Well, it would have been [nice] if a Dear John letter hadn’t been attached as well. She’s not coming back,” Eric disclosed.
“She’s rediscovered herself, new lease of life and unfortunately, I’m not included in it. And who can blame her after the way that I’ve treated her so badly. Thank you, Brenda, for letting me know on my birthday.”
Despite his heartache, Eric expressed his hope that Brenda would find happiness, stating, “She deserves it”.
Now, several Emmerdale fans have voiced their concerns for the soap’s longest-serving actor, who has been noticeably absent from the screen for some time. A flurry of worried viewers have taken to social media to express their worry.
“Can someone refresh me on what’s happened to Eric Pollard?” one individual queried on a Facebook fan page.
Another chimed in: “Ikr I’ve been wondering where he’s been lately, hopefully his Parkinson’s hasn’t got worse,” while a third exclaimed: “Omg I hope he’s not leaving!”
A fourth viewer echoed these sentiments, stating: “Yeah no one has seen him for ages. He better not leave like Brenda did,” with another similarly expressing: “I’m concerned we’ll next see him in a hospital bed.”
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Eric isn’t the only long-standing character currently “missing” from the ITV soap, as fans have recently observed that Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) has also been absent from recent episodes.
Cain was last seen on October 22 when he assisted Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) in encouraging the locals to get their prostate checked following the GP’s recent cancer scare.