‘It was difficult to top my Corrie exit, but we did!’ Emmerdale’s Reece Dinsdale bids farewell to Paul Ashdale as the villain meets a grisly end after horror crash
Emmerdale has revealed the victim of horrific van crash, as the villainous Paul Ashdale met his maker after months of terrorising his son Vinny.
Crushed by the debris from Jimmy’s van crashing into the barn, Paul died in a hospital bed after being caught in a terrifying explosion, leaving his fiancée Mandy Dingle utterly distraught.
Speaking after his exit scenes, actor Reece Dinsdale admitted it was ‘difficult’ to top his exit from Coronation Street with his farewell scenes from the Dales, but bosses managed the mean feat with their first socially-distanced stunt.
RIP: Emmerdale has revealed the victim of horrific van crash, as the villainous Paul Ashdale met his maker after months of terrorising his son Vinny
After being trapped in the barn, Paul’s was killed when a tank of petrol exploded sending the entire site up in flames, despite fears that Liv Flaherty or Jimmy King could be the victims of the farm disaster.
It was an exit that no doubt delighted viewers after Paul spent months abusing his own son Vinny in an attempt to keep his dark past a secret, even attempting to silence his girlfriend Liv before the crash put an end to his wicked ways.
Speaking after his departure, Reece said he was glad his exit scenes had finally aired as he’d struggled to keep the storyline a secret.
Distraught: His fiancé Mandy Dingle was left devastated as her husband-to-be died in hospital after being caught in the explosion following the horrific crash
Praise: Speaking after his exit scenes, actor Reece Dinsdale admitted it was ‘difficult’ to top his exit from Coronation Street with his farewell scenes from the Dales
He said: ‘I’m thrilled if I’m honest. It has been hugely difficult doing scores of interviews with press, TV and radio for the past month whilst trying not to let the cat out of the bag. Phew!’
The soap star also praised soap bosses for being able to top his Coronation Street exit in 2010, when his character Joe McIntyre drowned in a lake followed a failed attempt to fake his death to claim a life insurance policy.
He added: ‘Definitely. I thought it might be difficult to top my exit from Corrie where I drowned in Lake Windermere… but maybe we did! I’d say far better than leaving in a taxi.’
The dramatic explosion was Emmerdale’s first big stunt since the Covid pandemic began, with all cast members continuing to follow social distancing guidelines during filming.
Reflecting on filming, Reece said: ‘It was painstaking, both in its attention to detail and safety and also adhering to Covid rules at all times.
‘But it was great fun though, too. More than your average day at the office!’
But despite his character’s departure, Reece confirmed he won’t be going far from the Emmerdale village, as he is set to work as a director on the soap.
Discussing his final day on set, Reece said: ‘It was actually filmed in sequence, for once, and was my death day in the hospital.
‘It was very moving… and kind things were said to me that shall remain with me forever. What a fabulous big family the Emmerdale team are!’