AN EMMERDALE star has revealed that he regrets telling bosses to kill his character off and admitted it’s ‘terrifying’ trying to find work after the soap.

The former EastEnders legend was brought in by bosses last year as twisted Ray Walters.

Joe Absolom, who plays the dastardly Ray, revealed: “I’ve started to think ‘why did I say kill me off?’ That said, Ray had to get his comeuppance.

“I think the audience is happy. He couldn’t stay in the soap. There has to be a moving on but as an actor, I have loved it and I could easily stay forever.”

Viewers recently saw Ray sensationally killed in a huge whodunnit ahead of the Coronation Street crossover.

Villain Ray’s body was seen on a tarpaulin being dragged through the village – but who killed him?

Several characters were seen looking shifty with April Windsor, Rhona Goskirk, Marlon Dingle and Laurel Thomas all being put in the frame.

Viewers watched Ray kill his own adopted mother Celia Daniels on New Year’s Day so she is ruled out of the running, and she said she had killed Bear Wolf meaning he couldn’t have done it.

Joe told The Mirror: ““It’s been very good and I’ve definitely got the blues. It’s a compliment to Emmerdale.

“It’s been such a nice, positive place to work and I am going to miss it. When you are a jobbing actor, the reality of that fear of finding a new role also steps in. It can be terrifying wondering what is next.

“But, as I have got older, I feel like I have got a bit of karma and I know I will be alright.“

The Sun revealed last month how Joe had filmed his final scenes in November.

He had been central to the soap’s darkest ever storyline that saw Ray groom young April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) into drug dealing and sex work – but after finding love with vicar’s widow Lauren Thomas, there were hopes that Ray could be redeemed.

However, viewers will have to wait to see who killed him.

Joe said: “It is a great twist and it is very fitting. He is not a popular guy and it could be one of many characters who murdered him.”

That’s because Ray is evil and fans have even told Joe that personally.

He said: “I’ve loved playing Ray and it’s been nice when people have come up to me to tell me they didn’t like him.

“It means I’ve hopefully got it right. I tend to prefer playing the horrible characters. I can be quite fearful when it’s natural, love stuff.”

Joe shot to fame as Matthew Rose in EastEnders in the late 1990s alongside Martin Kemp. The pair were involved in the murder of Saskia Duncan.

Since then he’s gone on to star in a string of dramas including, A Confession, The Bay, Doc Martin and of course Emmerdale.