Who was Holly Barton in Emmerdale, how did she die and why didn’t Matty go to the funeral?
She died of a drug overdose in 2016 after a long battle with heroin addiction
HOLLY Barton met a tragic end in Emmerdale when she lost her battle with drug addiction in 2016.
Here's everything you need to know about her and why her brother Matty didn't go to the funeral...
Who was Holly Barton in Emmerdale?
Holly Barton first appeared in Emmerdale in 2009.
She was the daughter of Moira and John Barton, the sister of (now Matty) and the half sister of Adam.
While at art college she started to experiment with cocaine and ketamine and got a steady supply from her friend Roz Fielding.
Her addiction worsened when she turned to heroin - she got expelled from college, lied, stole, cheated and at her lowest point had sex with a stranger so she could get money for drugs.
Holly managed to recover after going on a methadone programme and getting a job at the factory.
Despite relapsing after her dad John was killed in a car accident, she sought recovery and got help from a drugs counsellor.
How did Holly Barton die in Emmerdale?
Holly was sober when she left Emmerdale in 2012 to move to London with her friend and former dealer Roz and her younger sister Hannah.
However in 2016 she returned and relapsed.
She tried to steal Cain's car to cover up her £2,000 debt to her drug dealer Dean.
Moira covered up for her which led to her brief split from Cain but Holly tried to get them back together.
Holly recovered again and pursued a career in photography and a relationship with Jai.
Her shock death at the age of 25 came in September 2016 - she took a heroin overdose after returning from a friend's wedding and Moira discovered her body.
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Why didn't Matty Barton go to his sister Holly's funeral in Emmerdale?
When Holly died Matty was doing charity work abroad and said he was too upset to come to the funeral - instead he sent a holly wreath.
In June 2018 Matty returned and revealed that he had undergone gender reassignment surgery to become a man.
Moira struggled to accept his new appearance and was still reeling from the fact that he didn't attend Holly's funeral, especially when he revealed that he'd actually been living in Manchester.
She said: "The Hannah I knew wouldn't have lied, and wouldn't have cheated me out of all these years without telling me why.
"I'm trying really but all I can think is how awful you've been.
"You missed Holly's funeral, I had to come to you when Adam was on the run. You knew I really needed you and you still stayed away when you were so close."
