Emmerdale spoilers follow.

Emmerdale star Joe Absolom is reportedly exiting the soap this week, having already filmed his final scenes as villain Ray Walters. But after wreaking havoc on the village for months, will Ray get his comeuppance or manage to slip away silently?

This year saw the arrival of Ray and his evil mother Celia Daniels, who moved their vast criminal enterprise to the Dales. It didn’t take them long to scout out new victims, with teenagers April Windsor and Dylan Penders being coerced into selling drugs for them.

The youngsters’ torment escalated as they tried to free themselves from Ray’s clutches, and April was later forced into sex work. However, when meeting with Ray and Celia’s ‘client’ Callum, a terrified April hit him over the head.

Believing she had killed Callum, April became further indebted to the villainous duo. But even after spilling the truth to her horrified parents, the family have been left at the mercy of Celia and Ray.

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According to The Sun, Ray’s sinister story will soon be coming to a close, ahead of the soap’s Corriedale crossover next week. Absolom reportedly filmed his final scenes in November. But how will Ray make his exit?

The news of Absolom’s departure comes after his co-star Jaye Griffiths (Celia) also reportedly filmed her last scenes on the soap. With Celia and Ray plotting to flee to Wrexham on New Years Day – will their great escape go to plan?

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In this week’s episodes, April discovers that the pair have been exploiting vulnerable people by forcing them to carry out manual labour in exchange for squalid housing. Among the victims is Bear Wolf, who his family believe is away in Ireland.

April sneaks onto Celia’s farm to free Bear but he refuses to leave with her. Unfortunately, her valiant rescue attempt is witnessed by Celia, who orders Ray to kill the teen.

Will Ray’s loyalty to his mother continue to waver, or will he carry out the evil deed before he leaves the village for good?