'I was in Emmerdale but now boycott ITV soap over upsetting storyline'

Former Emmerdale actress Kelli Hollis, 49, has confessed to "boycotting" the ITV soap after her on-screen daughter's character was written out. The star, who portrayed Ali Spencer from 2011 to 2015, revealed she's been "dipping in and out" of watching the show since Amelia Spencer, played by Daisy Campbell, left the Dales.

She told Manchester Evening News: "I will be honest, I have been boycotting them a little while since they got rid of my daughter (Amelia Spencer).

"That is the Spencer clan gone now. But I do keep in touch because I still have loads of friends there so I do dip in and out but it is really hard to keep up with the soaps – I just don't have the time."

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Kelli, who returned to the UK in November after spending two-and-a-half years in Thailand, played the mother of Sean and Amelia Spencer. Daisy Campbell, who portrayed Amelia, spent an impressive 13 years on the show.

In a previous chat, the actress fondly recalled her time on Emmerdale, saying: "Do you know what? The best memories are being with the family.

"One of my favourite stories to tell is the day that I met Daisy who plays Amelia. She is as old as my son is now, in her 20s. I remember meeting her on that first day, she was six-years-old and she had this little hair and her two front teeth missing.

"And that was special just being part of her and working with Alicia Eyo (who played Ruby Haswell) too and just the Spencer gang and we still all speak regularly now. So my favourite memory is the family there. Definitely."

Daisy, who intends to launch her own pilates studio, recently revealed being "axed" from Emmerdale, explaining the abrupt decision plunged her into a "dark hole".

Speaking to The Sun, she said: "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?"

Regarding how it unfolded, she remembered: "It was at the beginning of the year, things were quiet. Obviously, we had the new producer come in. And then when it came to contracts, nothing came through, so I was like, 'oh'... and then obviously it happened.

"It was upsetting, because I loved it, and I loved the job. You always think selfishly, like, why is this happening? Like, why me?"

Despite feeling she'd sacrificed portions of her childhood for the role, she acknowledged it was an honour to feature in Emmerdale, and she wouldn't alter that experience.

Amelia also confided to RadioTimes it was "so sad" shooting her farewell scenes, with her character departing after relocating to Leicester with her daughter Esther following Tom King's (played by James Chase) conviction.