Emmerdale's Jimmy King star Nick Miles reveals he was nearly killed off YEARS before wedding stunt

Emmerdale spoilers for Thursday's (27 August) episode follow.

With Emmerdale fans in mourning for Jimmy King after this week's horrifying wedding carnage, actor Nick Miles - who played the role for 22 years - has revealed that he was initially nearly killed off two decades ago.

Heartbreaking scenes saw the character succumb to his injuries after a car crash, passing away in the company of beloved wife Nicola (Nicola Wheeler).

It marks the end of a remarkable tenure for Miles, but in a new interview with Metro, he revealed that this isn't the first time bosses considered giving him a permanent exit.

Related: Emmerdale – why Jimmy King has been killed off after 22 years

"I took time off to go and do a play in Edinburgh," he said, the play being Meeting Joe Strummer back in 2006. "It was the time of the collapse of the Kings’ house. The writers decided it would be better if Jimmy was killed.

"I didn’t find this out until about three years later, but the producer told me that she had to jump up and down, kicking and screaming. She said: 'I promised him he could come back. I’m not gonna kill him off while he’s away,' so that was close!"

In the same chat, Miles also paid tribute to co-star Wheeler, saying of their final scenes together: "We both broke down. It’s the end of a long relationship that we made together. I sent her a letter telling her that I’ve been so lucky to have the best onscreen partner. But we will always be mates."

There's more to come from this week's bedlam, with Joe Tate the focus of the latest cliffhanger. Is he also set to be killed-off?

Related: Emmerdale fans baffled by one key detail after Jimmy King's crash

Whatever happens, it seems Miles won't be sharing the screen again with Patsy Kensit's Sadie King, Jimmy's ex-wife, who is imminently returning to the show.

Kensit has been filming for two months, and in a new interview on Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast, she teased: "I'm only back for six months but the storylines are fantastic, it's written really well. It's a hell of a ride, and I'm right in the middle of it at the moment.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

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