Former Emmerdale star Daisy Campbell has revealed the emotional toll of growing up on the ITV soap, describing how she “sacrificed” much of her childhood for the role of Amelia Spencer before being abruptly axed in 2024 after 13 years on the show.

A Childhood on Set

Daisy, now 22, joined Emmerdale at the age of seven and quickly became a familiar face in some of the soap’s most high-profile storylines. From a shocking teenage pregnancy to a turbulent romance with villain Tom King, Amelia Spencer’s journey mirrored Daisy’s life growing up on-screen.

Reflecting on her early years, Daisy admitted, “I feel like I did miss out a lot during my childhood with friends and stuff. I used to want to stay at school with my friends rather than be on set.” Despite describing her time on the show as “such a privilege,” the actress acknowledged the sacrifices she made to pursue her craft.

The Shock Exit

Daisy’s departure came unexpectedly when a new producer took charge of Emmerdale. “It wasn’t my choice to leave, and it was a shock at first,” she told The Mirror. “Being in Emmerdale is all I have ever known. I’ve spent the whole of my childhood growing up in the soap, and it felt daunting.”

She revealed the emotional impact of the decision: “When it’s been ripped away from you, because that’s what it genuinely felt like, it was so out of the blue, you do just get into a bit of a hole of, oh god, like, can I do this?” Only her closest co-stars, Rosie Bentham, Katie Hill, and Jack Downham, were informed immediately, and they were reportedly devastated but supportive.

Life After Emmerdale

Since leaving the soap, Daisy has found it challenging to secure acting work, despite a brief appearance in Casualty. She explained, “I found it hard, I love my acting, I do, but I wanted something stable for myself… I was like, ‘What can I do that’s gonna make me not just want to sit at home all the time?’”

Turning her focus to a new venture, Daisy is now opening a Pilates studio, That Pilates Place, in Pontefract using her earnings from Emmerdale. While she hasn’t ruled out a return to acting, the business is currently her main priority.

The Emotional Toll of Goodbye

The actress reflected on the difficulty of filming her final scenes. With Amelia Spencer’s storyline concluding and her on-screen parents already written out of the village, Daisy admitted it was an emotionally heavy time. “I needed time to grieve the part of Amelia,” she said. “They [co-stars] were upset for me but so supportive. I didn’t tell the rest of the cast my news initially as I wanted the time to process everything.”

Her experience highlights the intense pressures faced by young actors on long-running soaps, balancing professional expectations with the normal experiences of growing up.

Controversial Storylines Continue

Daisy’s exit follows a period of highly dramatic storylines on Emmerdale, including a violent pre-watershed death scene involving Mackenzie Boyd, which prompted 158 Ofcom complaints. Villain John Sugden brutally shot Mackenzie with an arrow and then struck him with a rock, leaving viewers shocked and heartbroken. The soap has faced criticism for its intense storylines, underlining the dramatic tone that Daisy was part of for over a decade.

Daisy Campbell’s candid reflections shed light on the personal cost of growing up in the public eye, the emotional impact of sudden career changes, and the resilience needed to move forward. While fans may miss Amelia Spencer, Daisy’s new chapter as a business owner promises fresh beginnings beyond the village of Emmerdale.