Emmerdale star admits leaving ITV soap was ‘best thing she’s ever done’
Fiona Wade, who played Priya Sharma on Emmerdale for 11 years, left the ITV soap in 2022 but since then Wade's career has gone from strength to strength as she looks back
One of Emmerdale’s beloved actresses has said that leaving the show was the “best thing she has ever done”.
Fiona Wade, 44, was a mainstay on the show for 11 years, playing the role of Priya Sharma. During her time on the show, her character was involved in a number of different storylines including a battle with anorexia, affairs and ongoing feuds galore.
But in 2022, Fiona decided to hang her acting hat on the soap up, with her character being given a contract for a job in London. Since then, Priya has not been seen on the show, as Wade takes on a wave of new working opportunities.
Now, Fiona is set to hit the stage of theatres up and down the country as she takes on the chilling story of supernatural thriller 2:22, A Ghost Story. In the play, the actress takes on the role of Jenny, a woman who has just moved into a supposedly ‘haunted’ house with her husband.
The latest production of the show kicked off last month and is set to go around the UK until June 15. The tour will see the show set up shop in cities including Liverpool, Bradford and Cambridge, to name but a few.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Fiona reflected on how important it was for her to feel comfortable on the production: “I knew that my first job out of Emmerdale had to be the right one, and then this came up, it’s honestly been the best decision ever.
“When you leave a soap, I think some people think you made the decision yesterday, but these decisions are taken over years,” she added. “It was a scary decision but it was the right one.”
Fiona also said that acting on screen and acting on a stage are different, due to the stage being live and shown to hundreds of people. She confessed whilst she felt “comfortable” on the ITV soap, she wanted to challenge herself and grow as an actor.
Revealing the news earlier this year, she beamed with joy as she took to her social media channels to share the news that she had landed the part. Posting her headshot from the play, Wade penned: “I am so excited to be joining the cast of 2:22 : A Ghost Story! Playing the role of Jenny in the UK Tour 2024.”
She added that being able to be a part of the show was “an absolute dream”. She finished off by thanking those who let her join the cast and praised the “amazing team” behind the production.
Emmerdale airs every weekday at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
