Anne Charleston departs Emmerdale

Actress Anne Charleston will be leaving ITV soap Emmerdale in the summer after two years playing Lilly Butterfield.

It’s been confirmed that Anne Charleston will be leaving ITV soap Emmerdale later this year after two years with the soap. Charleston plays Lilly Butterfield, sister of village busybody Edna Birch, in the ITV soap. The character first arrived in Emmerdale in 2006 for several episodes before returning as a full-time character in 2007.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed playing Lily for the past couple of years but we have agreed that the time is right for her to move on. I have a couple of new projects in the pipeline which I am looking forward to enormously.” – Anne Charleston

Actress Anne Charleston is no stranger to soap having played Madge Bishop in Aussie soap Neighbours for two long stints – originally between 1986 and 1992 and then between 1996 and 2001. The actress also played Betty Waddell in the 2003 version “glam” of Crossroads alongside fellow Emmerdale actress Lucy Pargeter. The actress also appeared in cult Australian serial Prisoner, better known in the UK as Prisoner Cell Block H.