Ash Palmisciano is set to walk down the aisle during Wednesday’s episode of Emmerdale as the soap’s first ever transgender groom.

The actor, 34, will be seen as character Matty Barton as he marries his childhood sweetheart Amy Wyatt, played by Natalie Ann Jamieson.

Soap star Ash is delighted to be part of the storyline, grateful he’s able to give hope to transgender teens who believe they will never find love.

He told the Mirror: ‘I am so grateful for the storyline. To be that person that shows this beautiful love story where one of the characters happens to be trans.

‘It’s just it’s everything I set out to do in this role. I can look back on this job and go, “I’m so proud of that”.

‘A lot of trans people grow up thinking no one is going to love them. We all have insecurities as a teenager, but if you’re trans, these are huge. There was that fear that, “Is anyone going to get me, is anyone going to understand me?”

‘When you’re a younger trans person, you think, “I’ll never find anyone”. I understand what Matty’s been through. I’ve lived it. I’ve felt it.’

Ash has been on the receiving end of a lot of real-life transphobia and was once beaten so badly he ‘couldn’t stand or see’.

But he has had a lot of positive feedback since joining ITV serial Emmerdale in 2018.

He said he has received moving letters from mothers and grandmothers of trans children, with the family members expressing their gratitude for his trans visibility, insisting it has helped them.

Ash’s mother Michelle, who died in 2022, was especially proud of her son, delighted he was able to turn his past difficulties into something positive.

He said: ‘She was proud that I could transform what had been a real challenge in my life into something that could help so many people.’

During an episode of Lorraine, he said: ‘If you put yourself out there you’ll always attract a troll online.’

However, he said he also received a lot of positive feedback, adding: ‘The letters I’ve received and the comments from people have been overwhelming.

‘That’s why I wanted to play this character.’

He said: ‘It sparks conversation. That’s what soaps are really good about. It makes it seem usual and not something to be scared of. There is that storyline with Matty, but he is just a regular guy.’