Emmerdale actor Chris Coghill has confirmed that his final scenes as Kev Townsend have already aired, although fans (and his fellow cast members) are hoping that he comes back.

Kev originally departed the village shortly after arriving, when he realised that he couldn’t break Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle up. However, he came back over the festive period alongside Aaron’s evil ex John, with the two seemingly teaming up for a frosty alliance.

He didn’t follow through with John’s latest plan, and instead warned Aaron about the danger he was in.

Kev also went to see his son Lewis Barton, who remains unaware of his parentage. Nicola King gave him one final ultimatum, telling Kev he had to be a proper dad to Lewis or leave for good.

Kev seemingly decided Lewis would be better off without him and walked away from his son, with Lewis remaining in the dark.

Coghill has now confirmed that his time on Emmerdale is done, writing on Instagram: “Right. In a bit Emmerdale. Been an absolute joy. Thanks for all the love for Kev”, adding “#kevout”.

In the comments section, fans let it be known that they are really hoping Kev gets to come back once again, and not just because of the potential storylines with Lewis.

“Please come back Chris,” wrote one viewer. “Kev was the best thing to happen in Emmerdale for years. Complete nutcase, but bloody hilarious xx.”

“You turned Kev from an unlikable character into a fan favourite. If you ever get the opportunity to come back, please do it for the viewers who love you,” commented another.

“So wished they were keeping Kev,” a third said, while a fourth wrote: “Nooooooo I absolutely love Kev and I need him to know his son.”

Lewis actor Bradley Riches also chimed in, commenting: “MISS YOU DAD XX.” While Danny Miller, who plays Aaron, wrote: “I’m gonna start a petition.”

If one of Emmerdale‘s biggest stars has publicly called for Kev to come back, does that mean it’s only a matter of time before he does?