Isabel Hodgins, the actress behind Emmerdale's Victoria Sugden, has confirmed she is returning to the ITV soap after taking maternity leave, with new Instagram posts teasing her imminent comeback. The character left the Dales in February after killing her half-brother John Sugden in self-defence, but fans can now expect her back on screen sooner than anticipated.
Victoria's dramatic exit and return teaser
Victoria Sugden departed Emmerdale in February 2026 after a deadly confrontation in the woods with her twisted serial killer half-brother John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth). She killed him with his own syringe in self-defence, tried to make it look like a suicide, and fled the scene. The truth was uncovered by Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), who blackmailed Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into framing Moira Dingle with an incriminating video. Wrestling with guilt, Victoria took her son Harry and fled to Portugal to stay with her former stepmother Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen).
Hodgins announced she was taking maternity leave, departing after almost two decades on the show. She gave birth to her first child, Georgia, with husband Adam Whitehead in February. Now, Hodgins has posted two photos on Instagram showing her posing with the Emmerdale sign in the sunshine, with flowers in full bloom, and a video of her pushing baby Georgia around the village in a stroller, showing her the church, the garage, and the grave of her on-screen father Jack Sugden. Adam even took a ride on the roundabout in the village playground.
Fan and co-star reactions
Hodgins wrote on Instagram: 'For the first time, I got to show Georgie (and Adam) around the village that's been such a huge part of my life. I've been lucky enough to call this place work since I was 12 years old, so sharing it with my little family meant so much. GG's verdict? She'd quite happily move in.' The post quickly excited fans, with one commenting: 'Are you going to be back on our screens very soon?' Another said: 'Come back!' A third added: 'Already? Wow! Fantastic news.'
Co-star Chris Coghill, who plays newcomer Kev Townsend, joked: 'Just so you know, I've alerted security.'
Cast shake-up and upcoming storylines
Isabel's rumoured return comes amid the shocking exit of Jack Downham (Noah Tate), announced after 17 years on the show. This is part of a major cast shake-up where four other actors are set to leave the ITV soap: Jimmy King (Nick Miles), Olivia Bromley (Dawn Taylor), Bradley Johnson (Vinnie Dingle), and Caroline Harker, whose character Doctor Todd has already been killed off.
Victoria's return is sure to stir up drama, especially with the new addition to the Sugden clan, Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy), who showed a strange interest in John Sugden upon arriving in the village. Recently revealed to be a police officer, this could spell trouble for Victoria.
