EMMERDALE star Sam Hall has been axed from the ITV soap after 15 years.
The actor, 20, has played Samson Dingle since he was five but has been told by producers that his character was being killed off.
Fellow cast members including his on-screen dad James Hooton, 50, have rallied to offer support.
A TV source said: “Sam had a meeting with bosses earlier this month where they broke the news.
“He has been left devastated. He’s grown up with his on-screen Dingle clan and they are all very protective of him.
“Some of the cast even went to talk to bosses about their decision.”
“As news of his axing swept through the building there were quite a lot of angry Dingles.
“The fact that they are planning on killing him off means there’ll be no way back for him either.
“He’s absolutely gutted.”
Sam has tackled tough storylines on the soap including being a teen dad after a fling.
He once said: “I’ve enjoyed every minute. I love being a Dingle.”
An Emmerdale spokesman declined to comment.