Ben Freeman axed from 'Emmerdale'

[inkyskin]

I think he should be able to go back,I think it's unfair that because a silly little girl played big girls games and because of that an innocent person suffers.

Yes,apparently mud sticks,but it shouldn't.

He should be able to return to the soap with his head held high.

[Perdita]

Former Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman could still make a return to the Yorkshire soap, despite a recent tabloid report.

The 28-year-old, who played mechanic Scott Windsor for nine years, was axed from the ITV1 show in 2007 after being charged with rape in Barbados. He was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing after facing trial in October last year.

At the end of last year, Freeman met with soap chiefs to discuss a possible return, but a weekend tabloid claimed that producers had concluded that there was 'no room' for him to make a comeback to the show as 'storylines had moved on'.

However, a spokesperson for the soap today told DS: "There are no current plans for Ben to return to Emmerdale but it has not been ruled out in the future."

Freeman recently signed up to tour with the Bill Kenwright-produced musical Dreamboats and Petticoats.

There is plenty of room for him to return imo

[tammyy2j]

Does he still own the garage and the house or did he sell to Carl King?

[Abbie]

Why would we want him to come back?

[*-Rooney-*]

no its debbies garage, thats how she owes money to carl - i think?

[Perdita]

Yes, I think he lent her the money to buy Scott's half. He could come back and pay off Carl and get his half back and work with Debbie again

[Perdita]

BEN Freeman last night told of his longing to return to Emmerdale — saying: “I’ve got unfinished business.”

Ben, 28, was suspended from the soap by ITV chiefs immediately after being charged with rape in Barbados two years ago.

The actor — who played mechanic Scott Windsor — was devastated when soap bosses failed to renew his contract before his case came to court.

The actor was cleared by a jury — who took just 90 minutes to find him not guilty of raping a 16-year-old British tourist.

But last night Ben said he was in talks to return to Emmerdale.

He said: “There has been talk of me going back in August. I’d love to go back. Scott’s a great character.

“Ironically, I was thinking of leaving anyway because I’d been playing the character for such a long time.

“But because I didn’t get to leave on my own terms, I’d like to go back, finish off the story properly and say goodbye to Scott like that.”

He said scriptwriters are considering merging his comeback with the return of Deena Payne (his on-screen mum Viv Hope) after her year-long sabbatical ends in August.

He said: “I miss Yorkshire and I miss Emmerdale. When I visit the set everybody is amazing.

They’re one big family and have been incredibly supportive.” But Ben revealed to TV Biz how he had battled to rebuild his life and career after his ordeal.

He said: “It was a nightmare. It has been awful, but I want to rebuild my career. I want to be back on telly.

“I want people to say, ‘Let’s forget about that, let him get on with his work,’ because I’m pretty good.

“I was worried that nobody would want to employ me, but that has not been the case.”

He told how he had struggled to have a relationship after the false rape claim.

Ben — who had a long-term relationship with former Emmerdale beauty Amy Nuttall — has been dating actress Sophie Ladds, 32, for the past six months.

He said he no longer has the same care-free approach to life — and doesn’t enjoy flirting with women.

Ben said: “Sophie and I are happy. We’ve been together now for six months.

“It’s not that I’ve found it hard to trust women again — I’m just not interested in going out there and meeting lots of different girls. It’s made me realise how blinkered I was before with women.

“I didn’t realise that women went after men, or if I did, I didn’t see it as a problem. I’m growing older and things change.

“I want a career now and family is more important to me than ever.

“My whole outlook has changed a lot. But I’m positive about the future.”

BEN stars in Dreamboats and Petticoats at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley, South East London, from Thursday February 19.

Yes I would love it if he came back

From The Sun

[Perdita]

Emmerdale star Ben Freeman will NOT return to the soap despite being cleared of rape.

The actor had hinted at a comeback in an interview this week.

But a spokeswoman for the ITV show yesterday said they have “absolutely no plans” to bring him back.

The news is a crushing blow to heart-throb Ben, 28 – who played mechanic Scott Windsor.

He was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl on a sun lounger on holiday in Barbados in 2006.

Ben stepped down from the show pending the outcome of the case and a year later Emmerdale chiefs didn’t renew his contract claiming his upcoming court case would make it too difficult to plan storylines.

Ben was found not guilty last October after a six-week trial. Days later soap bosses said they would be “happy to meet” with the £100,000-a-year actor.

Ben saw producers at the Emmerdale studios but no further discussion took place.

An insider said: “Storylines are already in place until the summer and there is no mention of Scott Windsor. If I was a betting man I would not put money on the likelihood of Ben coming back.”

Ben, now dating actress Sophie Ladds, 32, is starring in a musical, Dreamboats and Petticoats, in Bromley, SE London.

Ben’s spokeswoman said last night: “I am bemused. We were led to believe the door was still open.”

From The Mirror

[Abbie]

Good, I hope he doesnt come back

[Abigail]

I hope this has nothing to do with the allegation. I understand that it may be bad for ITV's image to employ somebody who was charged with a serious crime but he was aquitted. He sould be able to get on with his life now and build a career that isn't based around, or affected by, the allegation.