Things aren’t going great for David (Picture ITV)

With the news that Matthew Wolfenden has decided to leave Emmerdale, speculation naturally turned to how his character will make his exit from the village. 

Matthew has played David Metcalfe on Emmerdale for 17 years and even when the character isn’t on screen we’re constantly reminded of him as almost every villager can be seen at some point carrying a bag bearing the name David – from the shop that he runs that’s one of the focal points of village life. 

It was in this shop that David got some news that appeared to leave him unsettled in Wednesday (September 13)’s episode. His former partner Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) was in the shop chatting to Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) and Mary (Louise Jameson) about an upcoming food-tasting event at the Hide.

She kept being distracted by texts, which she revealed were from an old school friend who’d recently got back in touch. 

The significant things about this old school friend were that he was male and also ‘drop dead gorgeous,’ the boy that almost every girl in the school had been after.

He’d never really noticed Victoria before, but now he was asking her for a date. 

‘I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 15,’ she revealed. ‘I feel dead giddy! I fancied the pants off him at school.’  

Mary was encouraging but David commented that it was a ‘minefield’ meeting people on line. ‘You should know,’ he said to Mary, which was an unnecessarily cruel remark given how her relationship with Faye (Jane Gurnett) ended so traumatically.  

Mary was briefly thrown but gathered herself and said she was still hopeful she’d meet someone one day. Jacob pointed out that Victoria knew this person so he wasn’t a stranger. 

‘That’s if he is who he says he is,’ David said, still determined to burst Victoria’s bubble. 

David is determined to burst Victoria’s bubble (Picture: ITV)

‘I’d never forget a face that handsome,’ she said and Mary urged her to meet him. Frankly, we all need to meet him if he’s that beautiful.  

But David wasn’t happy, and it’s clear that he still has feelings for Victoria. The couple split up after David tried to pass a driving offence off on Victoria last year.

More: Trending

Despite various attempts from David to make amends and get the relationship back on track, Victoria was clear that she’d had enough.

It seems that David hasn’t entirely given up hope, though. 

Could this be leading up to his exit storyline? Matthew Wolfenden has confirmed that the door will be left open for David’s return, so possibly he decides to leave the village after having his heart broken by Victoria getting involved with a new man? 

MORE : Inside Emmerdale’s Gabby star Rosie Bentham’s family life – from late dad to boyfriend

MORE : Emmerdale’s Joe-Warren Plant pays tribute as much loved star quits after decades

As Matthew Wolfenden gets set to say goodbye, there’s pain as David makes a discovery.