Producers to leave the Dales

Emmerdale is to lose its Executive Producer and Series Producer as Keith Richardson and Anita Turner announce their respective departures from the Yorkshire based soap. Anita Turner has only been in the role of Series Producer for a year but it’s a year marked with reports of low morale on set and high-profile cast departures.

In something of a shock announcement it’s been revealed that Emmerdale is set to lose two of its producers. Executive Producer Keith Richardson, who has been in the role for 24 years, is to step down from Emmerdale and hand over his Executive Producer duties to Steve Frost, ITV’s head of continuing drama. However, while Richardson may be stepping down from Emmerdale he’ll still retain his head of drama role at Yorkshire Television. Steve Frost is no stranger to the Yorkshire soap having been a producer of the soap between 2003 and 2005 before leaving and taking over the reins at fellow ITV soap Coronation Street.

Meanwhile it’s been announced that Series Producer Anita Turner is also to step down despite only being with the soap, in that role, for a year. Since Anita Turner became Series Producer at Emmerdale the soap has been plagued by tabloid reports of low morale at the soap’s studio’s in Leeds. Tabloid stories claimed that the stars of the soap were unimpressed with storylines being given to them by Anita Turner and were unhappy about changes to the filming scheduling meaning they had to work longer. While Yorkshire Television was quick to deny such reports they continually appeared in the tabloid press. During Turner’s brief time on the soap a number of high-profile stars have also quit their roles on the soap adding fuel to fire in regards to low morale rumours. Amongst the stars to quit during Turners reign were Matthew Bose, Roxanne Pallet and Matt Healy. A replacement for Anita Turner has yet to be announced.