Emmerdale's Victoria Sugden exits as actress Isabel Hodgins takes maternity leave

Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins has spoken about Victoria Sugden’s future and confirmed she is taking a break from the soap, where she has played the role for 20 years, as she prepares to welcome her first child.

The Star’s Departure: “Ready to Rest” Before the Baby Comes

Actress Hodgins, who is 32, played Victoria in the hit ITV drama from 2006 and recently filmed her final scenes in December 2025. Speaking to the Sun, she said: ” I thought I would be really upset when I filmed my final scenes. It’s the only life I’ve known. The truth is pregnancy does funny things to you and the truth is I felt I needed a break.”

Living in Manchester and traveling to Yorkshire for work, she added: “It all began to feel a bit too much, I felt tired and I think at the end of it I knew it was time to have a rest before the baby arrives.”

Victoria’s Tumultuous Story: The Murder That Set the Scene for Exit

Hodgins’ character Victoria Sugden departed Emmerdale on February 12, 2026, after a shocking Corriedale murder storyline in a Coronation Street cross-over, during which Victoria murdered her own half-brother John Sugden, using a lethal injection. She was ultimately not charged with murder as his death was officially recorded as a suicide, but her guilt consumed her when Joe Tate threatened to expose her if she didn’t sign over Butler’s Farm to him.

The blackmailed duo of Victoria and Robert were forced to comply with his demands, and he even pinned the murder on Moira Dingle. Consumed by guilt over the impact it would have on Moira, Victoria made the decision to go and see the police and confess her involvement to them, but changed her mind in a last minute dash to get as far away as possible with her son Harry Sugden ending up in Portugal.

“Biggest Role”: Hodgins on Becoming a Mother

The Emmerdale actress described motherhood as “the biggest role I’ve ever had”. On the podcast You Don’t Know You’re Born, Hodgins revealed that producers gave her control over the length of her maternity leave: “They did make it up to me how long I wanted to have off.”

She confirmed: “I will be back in time, but for now it’s time for me and Adam to have our baby and just be together. I can’t wait to be a Mum and Dad!”

Will Victoria Make a Return to Emmerdale?

Don’t get too anxious, this is just a temporary break for Victoria and Hodgins is expected to return. However, in April 2026 it was revealed by Robert on a telephone call to Victoria in Portugal that his wife was finding things “tough”.

The departure leaves Victoria’s husband Robert and his niece Sarah as the only other members of the Sugden family living in the village of Emmerdale. This is a considerable gap as Victoria is one of Emmerdale’s longest serving characters, having first appeared in the soap in 1994.