Emmerdale icon Sally Dexter has paid an emotional farewell to the soap – and to her beloved character Faith Dingle.

Faith died tonight in heartbreaking scenes, leaving fans in tears – but if that didn’t finish off your Kleenex box, then this new video will.

Reflecting on the unique character she played, Sally mused: ‘I think [viewers] love her lust for life and the fact she’ll give anybody a chance, at least once.

‘I think they will miss her mischief and her outrageous hairstyles and the clothes sense – and the fact she will have a crack at anything or anyone – she won’t back down!

‘It’s a funny thing when someone dies, isn’t it? Even if it’s expected, in fact sometimes more if it’s expected. When it’s expected, you wait for them to die, then they don’t. You then think you have them for years and then they die.

‘It’s obviously a little bit different for Faith, for various reasons.’

And she is going to miss her pals in the cast; not least of all Faith’s kids Cain and Chas (Jeff Hordley and Lucy Pargeter).

‘Oh I hope they’ll be all right, they’re so sweet!’ she smiled. ‘There are tricky times ahead for both of them, with what’s  going on with Chas and Moira, and what’s going on with Chas and Paddy and Al – well, goodness knows!

It’s been a ride! (Picture: ITV)

‘Yes, I think the proverbial will hit the proverbial pretty soon afterwards so I think it will be well worth watching afterwards to see what happens!’

Discussing the storyline itself, Sally reflected: ‘It’s an odd thing you know, but when you play somebody who’s not well, after a while you start to wonder if you’re not well yourself. 

‘My aim is to concentrate on a bit of fitness. I am starting to feel a little bit creaky, I am going to concentrate on being fit and well.’

So what has she loved most about Emmerdale?

‘A moment I forget every time I come to this village and leave it, and you go just before the very exit, you go over the brow of this hill and the whole countryside is laid out before you,’ she said wistfully.

‘It’s like an orchestra strikes up – that incredible view of the Yorkshire countryside. I love it and I shall miss that very, very much.

The episode marked the end of a wonderful character (Picture: ITV)

‘You have the hares, the deer, the rabbits – the actors, all running free! It’s been wonderful to be here.

‘I love it whenever she has to drive a car. They clear the road, shut them all down and they say “right, floor it!” That’s fantastic and I loved every moment doing that.

‘I don’t know if there’s a particular storyline that stands out, except maybe this last one as it brings her and Cain together.

‘It also gives her a closeness with Chas that she never had before; it brought them closer together in the way she always wanted.’

And she continued with some final words on the legend that is Faith. ‘She seemed to be there on the page, but when she came to life and I was allowed to slip into her shoes, it just took on a life and power of its own, sort of an unstoppable force.

‘She’s an amalgamation of a lot of my female family members, it has been a real pleasure to walk so closely with her, I’ve loved it, I really have.’

So have we, Sally!

MORE : King Charles pays tribute to Emmerdale for its 50th anniversary at the National Television Awards

MORE : Emmerdale fans in tears as ‘best ever character’ Faith dies in ‘beautiful’ episode

An emotional send off!