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An Emmerdale star has been left ‘devastated’ after getting brutally axed from the soap amid ongoing ITV budget cuts.
Susan Cookson, who plays Wendy Posner, was given the chop following seven years starring in the show and has already filmed her last scenes.
The reported announcement follows Dean Andrews’ axing after his character was brutally killed in a gruesome Christmas Day plot twist. He is best known for his role as Will Taylor.
Revealing Susan’s departure, a source told The Sun: ‘Susan was devastated at the decision. She loves the show and loves being part of it.
‘She’s really well liked in the cast but unfortunately budget cuts mean hard decisions need to be made and that resulted in Susan being one of a number of cast leaving.
‘ITV is going through a cash crisis with the soaps and the money just isn’t there to pay for everyone any more. Ultimately if the character isn’t inspiring a lot of story from producers then there’s no space for them in the show anymore.’
MailOnline have contacted ITV for a comment.
Susan Cookson, who plays Wendy Posner, was given the chop following seven years starring in the show and has already filmed her last scenes
The actress has been left ‘devastated’ after getting brutally axed from the soap amid ongoing ITV budget cuts
Susan previously admitted she was ready to give up acting altogether to become a nurse after caring for her husband Malcolm Scates through his final months.
The tragedy of her husband’s death in 2016 had inspired Susan at the time to quit acting to become a nurse and help others.
However, as Susan was driving to meet a nursing manager for advice on how to retrain, she then received a phone call out of the blue offering her a role as nurse Wendy in Emmerdale.
Susan told The Mirror in 2023: ‘I was at a bit of a crossroads in my life through one thing and another and I decided that I wanted a more regular job.
‘I started to think about changing careers and going into nursing. My husband, who is sadly no longer with us, had been very poorly and I’d nursed him.’
‘And I’d played a lot of doctors and nurses over the years, so it was a career I knew a bit about.’
‘I was in my car, about 10 minutes away from this meeting, when my phone went. It was Emmerdale producer Jane Hudson. I worked with her many moons ago on Casualty, but I’d not spoken to her for years.’
The actress lives in Sheffield and is mother to sons Ruari, 27, and Dan, 21.
The announcement follows Dean Andrews’ (pictured) axing after his character was brutally killed in a gruesome Christmas Day plot twist. He is best known for his role as Will Taylor
Susan previously admitted she was ready to give up acting altogether to become a nurse after caring for her husband Malcolm Scates through his final months before he died in 2016
Susan’s debut came in 1993 and since then she’s appeared as two different police officers, DC Fallon in 1997 and DI Judy Dove in 2002
Her husband Malcolm, who was a familiar face on Shameless, Holby City, Waterloo Road, The Bill and Doctors, tragically passed away in 2016 and the couple had shared a fairytale romance since their marriage in 1993.
Susan, who is best known for playing Maggie Coldwell in Casualty from 2005-2009, has now been playing the role of devoted mum Wendy in Emmerdale for seven years.
Susan’s debut came in 1993 and since then she’s appeared as two different police officers, DC Fallon in 1997 and DI Judy Dove in 2002.
Susan has also made two appearances in Coronation Street over the years as Callum Logan’s mum Marion who went to war with the Platts.
In three episodes of Hollyoaks in 2017, she portrayed a lawyer involved in Amy Barnes’ murder trial.
Additionally, she has showcased her talent on Doctors, portraying five different characters over the years.