Natalie Anderson and Matthew Wolfenden are "overwhelmed" by fan support after her final 'Emmerdale' episode aired.
The 33-year-old actress recently quit the soap to spend more time with her husband James Shepherd and son Freddie, who was born in 2012, and after Thursday's episode showed her character Alicia Metcalfe splitting up with husband David (played by Matthew), both took to Twitter to thank viewers.
Natalie, whose character will move to Portugal with her son Jacob, wrote on Twitter: "Thank you so, so much for all of your lovely messages!! I'm so overwhelmed and grateful for all of the support you've show myself and Alicia over the years! I will miss playing her so much! Thank you again xx."
And David added: "Well, I am genuinely overwhelmed by the tweets I've had tonight for the episode, I'm so pleased you enjoyed/ cried. Thank you all x."
Natalie previously admitted she regretted going back to work so soon after giving birth Freddie, in 2012.
Speaking about her decision to quit playing Alicia in the ITV soap, she said: "The main thing was my little boy. I went back to work really soon after I had him. He was 11 weeks when I went back to work which was throwing myself in at the deep end.
"I didn't expect to feel the way that I felt as a mum. It really does change you and he just became, and is, my everything really.
"It was doing those hours you know? Starting at seven in the morning and then finishing at half past seven and prepping for the next day. I think a lot of people don't realise, you get home and there's 10 scenes to prep for the next day and if you're in a really heavy story I was easily going a week sometimes without seeing him and it just felt like I was missing out."
