Hannah Matty Barton

[Perdita]

Grace Cassidy is leaving Emmerdale, it has been confirmed.

The actress, who joined the ITV1 soap as Hannah Barton three years ago, will depart later in 2012 to pursue new projects.

''Working on Emmerdale has been one of the best periods of my life," she told ITV. "After three years I have made so many friends here and I am going to miss them so much.

"However, I felt the time was right to move on as I still have so much to learn. I can't thank Stuart and the team enough for making me feel so welcome. I will never forget the opportunity I was given."

Sophie Powles, who plays Holly Barton, will leave Emmerdale in June.

"When I first started I never thought I'd be there for that long. I don't like the thought of doing anything for that long, never mind a job. But I fell in love with it and had the time of my life. It didn't feel right to leave until now," Powles said of her exit.

[sarah c]

guess Hannah takes up that Uni place then...

[TheBillFan]

Thank god.. I hate her so much (both the character and the actress)

[lizann]

Good hopefully Adam is next to go

[Glen1]

Yeh, followed by Holly and her annoying voice, be hopes Brenda won't be far behind . Time they sodded off into the sunset.

[tammyy2j]

The rest of the family Adam and Moira should also go

[Chloe O'brien]

The rest of the family Adam and Moira should also go

They could take Ali & Ruby with them.

[Glen1]

Whenever the departure bus leaves if it could stop at the Woolpack pick up Diane she's always interfering .also that annoying kid Sean and his dad Dan.

[Serena Williams]

Hannah had to leave she had NO STORYLINE for a long time. Why do these actors lie and say they WANT to leave? I don't get it? It is obvious that the Emmerdale writers decided to fire Hannah and Holly because they see no use for their characters any more. Holly is leaving too the Emmerdale producers are cleaning house with the Bartons. I imagine that Moira and Adam might leave as well? It is sad James was the star of the Barton family and without him I can't really see the rest of the cast staying.

[lizann]

some talk on line the role of hannah recast character returning

[lizann]

returning as a trans dude, new son for moira

[heydrich39]

Omg this has got to be the most ridiculous story ever in a soap, I don't even know what to day it's stupid

[Perdita]

Emmerdale bosses have announced that a former character is making a return to the soap, having transitioned during his years away from the village.

Ash Palmisciano has been cast in the role of Matty Barton, who was previously known as Hannah Barton. Ash has already started filming with the ITV show, with his first episode airing later this month.

Matty's arrival is full of drama from the beginning, as Cain Dingle goes on the attack when he thinks that Butler's Farm has been broken into.

Mistaking Matty for an intruder, Cain punches him and knocks him out cold. However, when Moira arrives, she instantly recognises Matty.

http://digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/18/23/768x1037/gallery-1528302572-soaps-emmerdale-matty-moira-nh5ymnpkdwsn5vwnoup1.jpg
Matty Barton and Moira Dingle in Emmerdale
© ITV

Emmerdale's producer Kate Brooks commented: "The character of Matty certainly knows how to make an impact: cheeky, effervescent, quick-witted and headstrong, it's not long before he's charmed his way into the affections of all those who meet him.

"His tale of a man trying to shake off his past and find acceptance in the present is full of emotion, humour and ultimately hope as he settles back into rural village life, turning Moira's world upside down in the process.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Ash on board to play this role. A skilful actor of great talent, he exudes charisma and there's an unflinching honesty to his performance that adds real depth to this complex character.

"Ash has already proven himself to be a brilliant addition to the cast and we look forward to charting his journey as he reconnects with old friends and forges new relationships along the way."

New arrival Ash is Emmerdale's first regular trans cast member and has previously appeared in Boy Meets Girl and Mum.

Speaking about the role, Ash commented: "I'm very excited to be joining the very welcoming Emmerdale family. From nervous auditions to now working alongside the team daily has been truly amazing.

"Matty's a groundbreaking character to play and I can't wait to see what's ahead for him."

Previously played by Grace Cassidy between 2009 and 2012, Matty left the village for a fresh start in London.


Digital Spy

[lansineva]

http://www.itv.com/emmerdale/casting-news-meet-matty-barton

[mrfreeman]

Why is this character being described to us? Isn't it just a girl Hannah? This is really an odd direction to go in - I guess that's the problem of Soap Storytelling, characters are flexible and can do or be anything, but that can lead to very odd decisions that don't seem too logical or that foreshadowed.

[hward]

First saw this in the paper today and can't get my head round it. Why not just introduce a completely new character as Trans,but no, instead this as it's so that it involves Moira and Cain. Well I get why they're doing it, but really seems a bit weird.

[heydrich39]

I don't get it, just shows how writer's are running out of ideas for some characters and anything interesting in emmerdale now days is always given to Aaron,Liv, Debbie,charity the story will be laughed at and not in a good way

[lizann]

did moira visit her recently so would know she is living as a he, also why another thread for hannah / matty?

[tammyy2j]

First saw this in the paper today and can't get my head round it. Why not just introduce a completely new character as Trans,but no, instead this as it's so that it involves Moira and Cain. Well I get why they're doing it, but really seems a bit weird.

The new character could still be connected to Moira, give her a niece or nephew instead of making Hannah Matty

I hope the character is used better than Kyle was in Eastenders

[lizann]

im enjoying hanmatty, good character

[tammyy2j]

I liked him at the start but now find him annoying and am not keen on a romance between him and Victoria

[Perdita]

I liked him at the start but now find him annoying and am not keen on a romance between him and Victoria

Think it is as it was with Stella and Michelle on Corrie ... too much rammed down viewer's throats to introduce them and show as much of their character as possible in the shortest time rather than letting the viewers slowly used to their character .. did not work for Corrie, cannot see it work here unless they stop it sooner rather than later with his character

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Matty Barton is subjected to a disturbing attack on New Year's Eve after coming face-to-face with his ex-boyfriend Isaac.

Matty hasn't seen Isaac since transitioning and their unexpected reunion takes a horrifying turn when Isaac becomes violent, wanting to impress his thuggish friends.

At a recent Emmerdale press day, Digital Spy caught up with Ash Palmisciano – who plays Matty – to hear more about the tough new storyline.

How does this storyline begin?

"Matty bumps into Isaac on New Year’s Eve. Straight away, he wonders: 'How is this going to go down? A boyfriend from the past is seeing me as Matty'. Isaac doesn’t take it too well at all."

Does Isaac know who Matty is straight away?

"It takes a while for him to figure out. It’s one of those situations where Isaac recognises the face and thinks: 'Do I know this person?' Then Isaac finds out who it is and he feels really embarrassed in front of his lad mates, who are all saying: 'Hey, you got with a boy’.

"What happens is that Matty tries to calm the situation down. He's supposed to be having a good time at the New Year party, but he's got this guy calling him a freak. Matty leaves feeling a little bit upset and says goodnight.

"Unfortunately, Matty bumps into Isaac again on the way home with his mates and that’s when it all gets a bit nasty."

Does Isaac get really violent?

"Yeah, he pulls Matty to one side on the walk home. Matty doesn't want any trouble and asks him to leave it, but Isaac is so embarrassed in front of his lad mates so he tries to prove a point.

"They grab Matty and they actually strip him by taking his top off. This is the worst thing in the world that could ever happen to Matty. He is so embarrassed of his body anyway and is trying his best to fit back into the village. He’s desperate for surgery, he’s humiliated, and they pin him down to the point where he can’t move.

"They take his top off and of course what he has been wearing underneath is a compression vest – a binder is what they call it. They say: ‘There you go, you’re still a woman aren’t you?’ That knocks Matty’s head for a long time – it really, really disturbs him.

"The whole village sees it and Matty has no choice but to run away. The problem is, he wakes up the next day and he won’t talk about it. He’s so humiliated and embarrassed."

What happens with Cain?

"Cain susses that Matty’s not right and pulls him to one side. They have this beautiful male-bonding relationship happening. Matty ends up explaining what happened and asks Cain to teach him how to defend himself. He’s worried that it might happen again. Matty hasn’t been nurtured in that way and doesn’t know what to do in those situations.

"Cain says: 'No, I’m not going to teach you how to fight, but I think we should tell your mum'. But of course, Matty is so humiliated that he doesn't want to tell Moira.

"Then on the other side you have Victoria, who was there and witnessed it all. She wants Matty to go to the police, but Cain doesn’t want him to. If Matty does that and the police come to the house, they might start questioning Cain about everything else.

"Cain takes it into his own hands and goes to beat up these guys. Matty didn’t ask him to, but that’s how Cain deals with problems. So Cain goes to sort them out, but actually he really shouldn’t because of what happened with Joe. It triggers something for him and he actually ends up being beaten up by Isaac and the gang too."

Does Matty find that out?

"Yeah, Cain is missing overnight so Matty starts to wonder what is happening. Then Cain comes in the door absolutely battered. He looks awful. Moira can’t believe it either – this isn’t like Cain. Matty is questioning it too and then he decides to go to the police, even though Cain tells him not to. He lets Cain down a little bit there.

"Matty is unaware of the Joe situation, he just thinks this is Cain protecting his family. So when PC Swirling comes to the house, obviously he wants to know why Cain looks like that. It sets Cain on edge, as he doesn’t want the police sniffing round him."

Does it make Matty feel better that Cain has been beaten up as well?

"I think it makes him feel quite guilty, but it also makes him feel a little less embarrassed and empowers him to try to sort it out himself."

What was it like to film such hard-hitting scenes?

"It was a fantastic scene to film from an actor’s perspective because it was really gritty and quite full-on. We had a fight coordinator there to choreograph it. They were amazing and had it planned out.

"It's really important to play as well. It's going to show how uncomfortable it is for someone like Matty, who is trying so hard to transition and does not want to show people that. It shows what trans people do face and what they have to go through – the fact that people don’t get it and want to make it an oddity rather than understanding it."

Matty starts training with Ellis afterwards, doesn't he?

"Yes, Matty decides that he's going to build himself up now. He decides to start exercising with Ellis, who puts him through his paces. They go running around the village and they do lots of different workouts. We had to do about 15 different takes of us running up a hill – so I think the director was having us on there, as I think we did get it on the first one!

"But the awkward thing is that Matty is really struggling – with this binder, he is struggling to breathe. He doesn’t want to ask the lads if they can take it easy, so it is really uncomfortable for him."

Is there any hope for Matty and Victoria?

"I think Matty is now seeing her with Ellis and realises that he might not be able to compete with a guy like him. Ellis is a personal trainer, he’s good-looking, he is 6ft so Matty is taking a step back. But secretly, I think he’s hoping that maybe down the line, something might happen. Who knows? Matty might start pursuing other things, I don’t know."

Are people rooting for them?

"I think it's a mixed bag. Some people are saying: 'You’re her husband’s brother – that’s a bit wrong isn’t it?' They are also nice mates. Victoria is the only close friend Matty has and he is himself with, so maybe a relationship might ruin that? Although some of the best relationships do come from friendships, so there is still everything to play for – I'm not really sure myself."

What would you like to see in 2019 for Matty?

"I think Matty needs to have some wins. He’s lost the girl to Ellis and he’s had this awful attack, so I think he is going to gain some new confidence next year and stop trying to please everyone. Maybe there'll be a potential new love interest? I think he’s going to start finding what he wants to be in the village job-wise and what he really wants to do.

"He’s working at the shop, he’s working at the pub, so I think he is going to start coming into himself. Also I think he went through a stage where he thought he had to be a stereotypical guy and that might include fighting – but I think he is going to figure out who he really actually is, which is exciting."

What are you doing for Christmas?

"This year, I'm going back to my home town Leamington Spa and spending it with my family. I think we are maybe going to go to Wales for a couple of days and get all the families together with my nieces and nephews.

"As a jobbing actor, it's so nice that we get time off at Christmas, as usually I’m an elf at this time of year – being a short cheeky chappie – and I'm working right up to it. So I'm just going to have some time off, watch some films and eat chocolate, that sort of thing."


Digital Spy

[lizann]

Emmerdale has confirmed that Matty Barton will be sent to prison next week following Samson Dingle's false allegations.

Matty is held on remand after being formally charged over Samson's stabbing incident at The Hide.

[lizann]

i feel something bad will happen matty in prison, sexual assault?

[ccahill2]

Sadly I'm getting the same feeling.

[Perdita]

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a61249439/emmerdale-matty-barton-cellmate-prison-ordeal/

Emmerdale's Matty Barton will choose to confide in his new cellmate Les next week, as his prison ordeal continues.

Matty was sent to prison earlier this month after an altercation with Samson Dingle and troublesome newcomer Josh Cope, which resulted in Samson being accidentally stabbed by a knife Matty was holding after Josh pushed Samson.

With a terrified Matty now in jail awaiting trial for stabbing Samson, he is trying to adjust to prison life and sharing a cell with hardman Les.

In scenes that will air next week, menacing prisoner Robbo tries to get the lowdown on Matty, but fails to get much response. Thankfully, Les stares Robbo down and makes him move along, but Matty is left more worried than ever about what might happen to him.

Later on, Les starts coaching Matty on how he should act while in prison. Concerned about how he is being perceived by his fellow inmates, Matty asks Les what sort of questions he might face from other prisoners.

After he tests out the advice that Les has given him, Matty decides to risk opening up to his cellmate and he nervously tells Les that he's transgender.

Les questions Matty, asking about his decision to be sent to a male prison. He then confirms that he will mind his own business when it comes to Matty, but he warns that other prisoners might not be so kind.

Has Matty made an alliance with Les, or could there be more trouble to come for him as he continues to struggle with prison life?

Matty will be left further upset later this week over advice from his stepdad Cain Dingle, who encourages him to use violence against anyone who threatens him in prison.

Actor Ash Palmisciano, who plays Matty, has spoken about the importance of the soap tackling transphobia in the plot, explaining that the show is aiming to portray "how vulnerable Matty can be in a situation like [Josh's taunts]".

"Not everyone is super accepting," he said, adding: "It is great Matty's got that support. It's lovely to tell, we showed the wedding recently, it was an exciting joyous moment. It looked so incredible on screen.

"But sometimes we need to show the flip side of that, how it could go the other way and could be quite cruel for someone like Matty. It shows the bigger picture of what it is like to be him. I was really excited, and it's fantastic we get to mirror that and to tell that story."