'Emmerdale' star Jeff Hordley, who has played rogue Cain Dingle for six years, is set to quit the soap.
Hordley will be written out in a dramatic storyline in the autumn, but will not be killed off.
He said he was keen to pursue other projects after his six years of playing Cain.
''I've had a great time on Emmerdale and feel privileged to have been given so many fantastic storylines," Hordley said.
Cain has been part of some of the show's biggest storylines over the past few years, including many seduction roles.
He had an affair with policewoman Angie Reynolds (Freya Copeland), seduced her daughter Ollie (Vicky Binns), and also has Sadie King (Patsy Kensit) among his conquests.
Cain has had numerous scrapes with the law including a spell behind bars. And he discovered he had a daughter, Debbie (Charley Webb), by Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).
Meanwhile, ex-Avengers actress Linda Thorson, who made a brief appearance last month as Alasdair's mother, is to return as Rosemary Sinclair.
She will become a permanent fixture in the Dales from August.
"I'm delighted to be returning as Rosemary on a more regular basis. She's a great character to play and I'm looking forward to seeing what the writers have got in store for her", Thorson said.
