Emmerdale’s biggest behind-the-scenes controversies: From Matthew Wolfenden to Shila Iqbal

While Emmerdale is best known for its dramatic storylines and compelling characters, the drama has not always been confined to the screen. Over the years, the soap has seen its fair share of off-screen drama. Several cast members have found themselves at the centre of major controversies, ranging from allegations of racism to violent altercations and offensive social media posts.

Some of these incidents resulted in actors being suspended or even fired from the show, causing waves in the entertainment industry. Although Emmerdale has continued to thrive, these off-screen moments remind us that not everything is always rainbows and roses.

Here, we take a closer look at some of the most shocking controversies that have unfolded behind-the-scenes.

Matthew Wolfenden and Isabel Hodgins’ race row

In 2021, Emmerdale stars Matthew Wolfenden and Isabel Hodgins were embroiled in a race row controversy. As reported by Mail Online, the two actors, known for playing David Metcalfe and Victoria Sugden, reportedly found themselves at the centre of an ITV investigation following accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards a mixed-race actress on set.

According to The Sun, the controversy stemmed from an incident where 'the accent of a mixed-race actress was mimicked' during a conversation. This reportedly led to an inquiry. ITV executives eventually accepted Matthew and Isabel's explanation that the alleged comment and mimicry were ‘misheard,’ and decided not to take any formal action against them.

The actors were never formally suspended but they were absent from the show for a few months. A source shared:

ITV have conducted a rigorous enquiry into the allegations made, with witness statements taken. Bosses accepted Matthew and Isabel's explanation and agreed they can return to work.

However, it has been made very clear that racism and bullying will not be tolerated by ITV. They have also offered the subject of their alleged remarks guidance about how to deal with the pair's return.

An insider said that 'emotions ran high' on the set since the incident, with the cast unsure 'what to believe'. This emerged particularly after co-star Aaron Anthony allegedly had a fallout with Matthew over the incident.

Eventually Matthew decided to leave the soap in 2023. He cited a lack of strong storylines as his reason for leaving. A source told The Sun:

Matthew has had an amazing time on the soap but feels ready for a change. He hasn’t been getting any gritty storylines recently so wants to see what else is out there.

Asan N'Jie fired over clash with Hollyoaks star

Asan N'Jie was one of Emmerdale’s rising stars before he was dismissed in September 2019 following an altercation at the TV Choice Awards. The actor, who played Ellis Chapman, was caught on tape allegedly threatening and attempting to physically attack Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas.

The incident saw Asan throwing punches and making threats. He reportedly told Jamie, as quoted by LeedsLive:

I'm going to f**king kill you...I'm going to f**king knife you.

Following this, ITV executives met with him and immediately terminated his contract. The actor later issued an apology, stating:

My behaviour at the TV Choice Awards was completely unacceptable. I sincerely apologise to everybody who has been affected especially Jamie Lomas, the whole Emmerdale team, our audience, ITV, my family, and the organisers of the TV Choice Awards.

I am devastated, accept full responsibility for my actions and I am determined to learn from this.

Despite this controversy, Asan has managed to revive his career. Metro reported in May 2024 that he was seen filming for Giant, a boxing biopic starring Pierce Brosnan, marking a significant comeback for the actor.

Luke Tittensor scaled for violence

Luke Tittensor, who played Daz Eden on Emmerdale, was sacked in 2009 after being convicted of grievous bodily harm. The actor was found guilty of attacking a 16-year-old, leaving the victim with a fractured jaw that required surgery, reports MailOnline. Following the conviction, ITV swiftly ended his contract, stating:

As Luke has pleaded guilty to the serious charge of GBH and we cannot condone criminal behaviour, we have met with Luke and his agent to explain that his contract with Emmerdale will be terminated.

Luke regrets his behaviour and understands this situation.

Luke, who was 19 at the time, was given a nine-month suspended sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay ‘£1,100 costs plus £1,000 compensation’ to the victim, as per The Sun. Despite his legal troubles, he later went on to star in Waterloo Road and more recently appeared in House of the Dragon as Ser Arryk Cargyll.

Shila Iqbal's offensive tweets

Shila Iqbal, who played Aiesha Richards, was fired from Emmerdale in April 2019 after offensive tweets resurfaced from her past. The tweets, posted in 2013 when she was 19, reportedly included racist and homophobic language, reports Yahoo!.

Once the tweets were discovered, ITV acted swiftly, with an Emmerdale spokesperson stating:

As a consequence of historic social media posts, Shila Iqbal has left her role as Aiesha Richards on Emmerdale.

In one tweet, she used ‘gay’ in a derogatory way. In another, she used the n-word. Shila later apologised and said:

I am terribly sorry and take full responsibility for my use of such inappropriate language. I have paid the price and can no longer continue the job I loved the most at Emmerdale.

Although I was young when I made the tweets, it was still completely wrong of me to do so and I sincerely apologise.

The actress later argued that she should have been suspended rather than fired. She said in an interview with ITV’s This Morning that ‘people shouldn't be judged on what they'd posted on social media as teenagers.’ She claimed the remarks were 'banter' influenced by hip-hop culture, though she admitted regret for her past actions, reports BBC. Emphasising there was no ‘malicious intent’ she explained:

It was influenced by the hip-hop music we were listening to. It did determine the language we used.

I didn't understand the true meanings behind them, the implications and the hurt those words could cause.

This article has been created with the help of AI.

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Sources used:

LeedsLive: 'Emmerdale's biggest off-screen scandals - from racist tweets to threatening to stab Hollyoaks star'

Daily Mail: 'Matthew Wolfenden & Isabel Hodgins return to Emmerdale after race row enquiry'

The Sun: 'Emmerdale legend quits soap after 17 years after race-row probe'

BBC: 'Sacked Emmerdale actor "devastated" at being fired over awards clash'

Metro: 'Emmerdale star sacked for stab threat lands big new role'

Daily Mail: 'Emmerdale star Luke Tittensor axed from show after pleading guilty to assault'

The Sun: Who is Luke Tittensor and why was he sacked from Emmerdale?

BBC: Shila Iqbal: Emmerdale actress fired over old tweets

BBC: Shila Iqbal: 'Emmerdale shouldn't have fired me over tweets'

Yahoo!: 'The tweets that got Shila Iqbal fired from Emmerdale have been revealed'