Emmerdale’s Rishi star shows off striking new look just one week after ITV soap exit
EX-EMMERDALE star Bhasker Patel looks unrecognisable from his character Rishi Sharma – just one week after his soap exit.
The ITV soap said goodbye to actor Bhasker Patel as his character Rishi Sharma died in tragic circumstances, leaving fans devastated.
Bhasker joined the soap as Rishi, the head of the then new Sharma family in 2011.
But Rishi died alone after missing his son Jai’s wedding because he fell down the stairs.
Talking about his exit, Bhasker said: “I feel privileged to have been part of the show for 12 years.
“I have loved it and will miss it enormously, especially my friends and working in the beautiful village of Emmerdale. Thanks for watching Rishi over the years.”
But the actor, 67, looked worlds away from his soap character after he took to social media to post a snap with his beloved dog.
He captioned the snap: “Loving the long walk but not the strong L wind today. Bit pebbly underfoot.”
Beaming to the camera, Bhasker looked very different with a more rugged bushy grey beard look than clean-shaven Rishi.
Rishi was a fan favourite character since joining back in 2011.
His death came after Jai Sharma discovered that his brother was his biological father and not him.
Jai Sharma actor Chris Bisson revealed how he already misses his co-star after his permanent departure.
He said: “It does feel very strange without Bhasker. Every time I walk past what was his dressing room, I think about popping my head in to see how he’s doing.
“So it is strange when he isn’t there. Twelve years is a long time and over the years we’ve had some great stories and have had a lot of fun too.
“Bhasker and I got on really well personally so that makes a big difference and the loss even greater. We all miss him in the building.”
Last week, Rishi’s cause of death was finally confirmed on the soap.
The coroner confirmed the death was an “accidental fall”, giving the family some much-needed closure.
Laurel asked her new husband: “Oh Jai I know you thought it was his heart, so that’s a huge weight lifted isn’t it?”
Jai replied: “Yeah it is, and now I can concentrate on giving him the best send off that I can.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.