Rakesh Kotecha has left Emmerdale for good, it’s been confirmed.
His final scenes aired last night after he fled the village leaving estranged wife Priya to pick up the pieces.
Read more: Emmerdale viewers seriously unimpressed with Priya and Pete affair
Long-suffering Priya had had enough of her husband’s antics, which over the course of his time in the Dales have included faking Vanessa Woodfield’s baby son Johnny’s DNA results, started a fire at The Mill for insurance money, leaving Nicola with life-changing injuries, and almost committing suicide after his bid to raise the cash failed.
Now facing court for the fire, he spent last night’s episode trying to extort money out of anyone he could to get away.
First he tried to blackmail the Sharmas, threatening to incriminate his own wife if Jai didn’t pay up.
But Jai wasn’t playing ball and gave him 50 quid before laughing him out of the factory.
A desperate Rakesh then burst into Home Farm to threaten Lawrence White and Ronnie Hale for cash. He insisted he’d tell the court all about Ronnie helping him cover up the fire, and how Lawrence and Chrissie had blackmailed him to help frame Andy for Lawrence’s shooting.
But they practically laughed him out of the place.
Losing it completely, Rakesh went for Lawrence, but was pushed away by Ronnie. As Rakesh told them it wasn’t over, Lawrence responded: “It really is.”
But Rakesh wasn’t giving up and returned later, where he attacked Lachlan White and ordered him to open the safe.
Blackmailing him over the prostitute Lachlan had snuck in upstairs, Rakesh waited for the cash to come his way and then punched Lachlan to the floor – just as Priya walked in.
She wanted to call an ambulance, but Lachlan just threw them both out and Rakesh took his cue to leave immediately.
As Priya followed him outside, they stood by his car arguing.
“I’m leaving,” he told her. “I’m due in court in about nine minutes, I’m not going, I never was.
“Come with me, please?”
Priya couldn’t believe it and begged him to do the right thing and turn himself in.
But Rakesh was insistent, whatever it took he wouldn’t go to prison.
“Just go,” Priya eventually told him. He got in his car and sped off.
But unfortunately, it’s Priya who’s set to suffer for his exit. Even though she’s not too sad to see the back of him, when Chrissie found out what happened, she immediately called the police.
Read more: Rhona in crisis in Emmerdale as news of her attack spreads
And as Priya was called over to Home Farm, she found herself arrested for assisting an offender.
Following the end of the episode, actor Pasha Bocarie tweeted his thanks to the fans for all their “love and support”.
Metro.co.uk have confirmed these were his final scenes on the show, but will he somehow find a way to save Priya off-screen?