Gemma Merna asked to be killed off in 'Hollyoaks'.
Gemma Merna
The 32-year-old actress bowed out of the Channel 4 soap two years ago when her alter-ego Carmel McQueen was killed off in a dramatic train crash but she has admitted it was actually her decision to leave in the horrific collision.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, she said: "I did the same storylines two times in two years so it was just time to go. I hit 30 years old, and you do have those doubts that when you hit 30, you think about your life. I had the best time on one of the best soaps in my 20s, but it is a teen soap. It was fantastic when you're new and that's what it's all about! It's not brilliant for characters that have been there for a long time if you repeat story lines."
The blonde bombshell feared viewers would get bored with of the character that she had spent eight years developing.
She explained: "I didn't want people to start hating or getting bored of my character. I discussed it with the producers and we just decided to give her the best ending. I left in 2014 and that episode had the best rating since 2011. It was just wonderful to be a part of it. We did discuss how I would leave and I was like, let's go for it!"
Meanwhile, Gemma's acting career may have been put on the backburner since her departure but she has admitted she doesn't regret her decision to leave because it's allowed her to train as a qualified yoga teacher.
She said: "If I had never have left, I would never have been doing what I'm doing now."
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