Emmerdale star Charley Webb has opened up about the real reason behind her departure from the soap, following claims that she left because of a pay dispute. The 38-year-old last appeared on screen as Debbie Dingle in the Yorkshire village in 2021, two years after announcing her exit.

When quizzed by fans about her departure in 2022, the actress explained that she had deliberately chosen not to make a big announcement about leaving.

She wrote on Instagram: "This is always my most asked question but I’ve never answered it before because I’ve never wanted to make a big deal of it.

"I left to have [son] Ace 2 years ago. I went back at the end of last year for 10 weeks to complete a storyline. So, I guess officially it’s been a year. I never felt the need to announce it which is why we didn’t."

Four years on, Charley has made a rare appearance on Luke Hamnett's Live, Laugh and Luke podcast, where she answered several questions about her time on the ITV soap.

During the interview, she was asked about rumours that she left Emmerdale due to a pay dispute.

"No, absolutely not," the actress told the presenter. "That's the biggest pile of s**t I've ever heard. I didn't even know that was out there, but no that's not true."

Asked whether she would ever return to the Dales, Charley explained why a comeback is not on the cards at the moment.

"Not at the moment, no," she said. "There's no plans for me to go back, just because I think it wouldn't be the right time and having three kids is a lot and also working there is a lot."

Charley shares three sons - Buster, 16, Bowie, 10, and Ace, six - with her ex-husband and former co-star Matthew Wolfenden.

Opening up about co-parenting during the same podcast appearance, she said they do it "well" and revealed that they take turns caring for their children, with a week-on, week-off arrangement.

She went on to tell Luke that she is currently not dating anybody. Charley and Matthew split in 2023 following five years of marriage and 15 years together.

Meanwhile, during the interview, Charley revealed the one thing she always disliked about her time on the soap.

After being introduced as Debbie Dingle, she said: "I hate that name by the way, it's the worst name!".

Asked if she still gets called her soap moniker by fans, Charley explained: "It's not even the Debbie that offends me, it's the double D, like why would you do that? Why would you come up with that for me?"

After Luke suggested she didn't look like a Debbie, she agreed, adding: "Maybe they got the name wrong. There are all these biblical names aren't there, when you're a Dingle, you have to have a biblical name, so yeah I'm not a fan of that name."