[Marsh.]

Over on DS they've found an article in the independent confirming that Emmett Scanlan finishes filming in January (onscreen March exit) before he goes to LA for "some meetings".

As for Mercedes trial, apart from Nana McQueen's sudden outburst which did make me laugh, I thought it was an insult to the intelligence.

Not just because it wasn't true to life (it's a soap, they hardly ever are) but they had to make characters act out of character and change direction in the process.
There's no way Myra and Jacqui after everything would allow Mercedes to get away with it, even with her supposed mental state.