Emmerdale has announced that Victoria Sugden, brought to life by Isabel Hodgins, will be departing the ITV soap.
Isabel, aged 32, has embodied the beloved character since 2006 and has recently spoken candidly about her choice to take a break from the role.
Victoria, who was born on screen in 1994, has remained a fixture in the village for decades. This week, however, news broke that she would be saying goodbye to Emmerdale.
Fans needn’t panic; both the actress and her character are expected to return eventually; this departure isn’t permanent.
Her concluding scenes are scheduled to broadcast during Thursday’s instalment (February 12), which can be streamed now on ITVX before airing on ITV1 on Thursday night, reports the Daily Star.
So what’s behind Victoria’s exit, and why has Isabel decided to step back from the role?
Last August, the actress revealed she was pregnant with her first child, according to the Mirror.
She disclosed that her baby was due in early 2026, hinting to viewers that Victoria’s time away was approaching. Isabel completed filming several weeks ago and is presently on maternity leave.
Whilst there’s been no official word on her return date, she’ll be taking maternity leave, meaning fans shouldn’t expect to see her back on screen in the immediate future.
Isabel hasn’t yet shared news of her baby’s arrival, though well-wishers have been flooding in since her final scenes were confirmed. Victoria’s departure storyline takes a dramatic twist.
Fans will remember the shocking turn of events at the start of January when Victoria found herself becoming a killer.
After her evil brother John Sugden tried to harm her, Victoria retaliated in self-defence with a syringe. Unaware of what it contained, she unintentionally caused her brother’s death.
In the aftermath, she covered up the crime with help from her brother Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and his partner Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller).
However, they were eventually discovered by villain Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), who had video evidence of Victoria killing John (Oliver Farnworth), staging it as a suicide, before fleeing the scene.
Victoria’s world has been turned upside down following these events, as she grapples with guilt while being blackmailed by Joe.
He’s forced the Sugdens to give up their farmland, while also manipulating Robert into framing Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) so he can take over her property too.
The stress of Moira being framed and John’s death, coupled with her young son Harry’s questions about him, has all become too much, leading to her exit.
But as we’ve mentioned, this isn’t a permanent goodbye, and Victoria will return at some point.