The departures and returns are continuing in Emmerdale as 2026 races by. It has been quite the start to the year for the ITV soap, as three of the village's most evil residents—John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths), and Ray Walters (Joe Absolom)—all faced their ends via horrific murders. We also said temporary goodbyes to Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) and Tracy Shankley (Amy Walsh), with both actors heading off on maternity leave. While the departure of Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) is imminent, the returns of bonkers baddie Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill) and femme fatale Sadie King (Patsy Kensit) are also on the horizon. With plenty of changes afoot, here is the lowdown on who is returning, leaving, and arriving in the ITV soap.
Emmerdale Cast Returns
Sadie King
Former queen bee of Home Farm and a character who could easily give Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) and Kim Tate (Claire King) a run for their money in the 'baddest bitch of the Yorkshire Dales' stakes, Sadie King will be returning to the village she previously ran roughshod over. While we are unsure how or why Sadie is coming back, producer Laura Shaw has confirmed that much drama will follow: 'We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Patsy Kensit back to the cast and crucially to see the iconic Sadie King storm back into the village. Her return will be explosive and guaranteed to shock.' When is Sadie King returning to Emmerdale? Currently unknown.
Kev Townsend
Robert's psychopathic but oddly endearing ex-prison husband, Kev Townsend, will be returning to the village, with Chris Coghill reprising the role 'by popular demand.' Discussing the return, producer Laura Shaw said: 'Both Chris and the character of Kev made a massive impact on the show last year, so Chris is most definitely back by popular demand.' Kev will have to deal with being in such close proximity to his ex-husband and ex-love rival, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), while deciding whether or not to tell Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches) that he is his biological father. When is Kev Townsend returning to Emmerdale? Currently unknown.
Cathy Hope
Gabrielle Dowling has also left the soap, but she will be back. Recent storylines have included Cathy Hope coming to terms with a PMDD diagnosis and dealing with the horrific death of twin brother Heath, played by Gabrielle's brother Sebastian, who passed away following a car accident. Metro understands that the star is just taking a short break and will return down the line. When is Cathy Hope returning to Emmerdale? Currently unknown.
Victoria Sugden
Victoria Sugden left the Emmerdale village in February to tie in with Isabel Hodgins' maternity leave. The actress announced on her Instagram last month that she has given birth to her first baby, called Georgie Grace. Vic's exit saw her leave for a new life in Portugal. She told Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) that she would return, though when exactly this will be remains to be seen. When is Victoria Sugden returning to Emmerdale? Currently unknown.
Tracy Shankley
Amy Walsh recently left her role as Tracy Shankley, with the exit story facilitating Amy's maternity leave. The star, who is married to Toby-Alexander Smith, recently gave birth to her second child. Tracy moved out of the village following a difficult year adjusting to life as a single mum, but she will return when her maternity leave comes to an end. When is Tracy Shankley returning to Emmerdale? Currently unknown.
Emmerdale Cast Departures
Dawn Taylor
It was recently revealed that Olivia Bromley will be departing from her role as Dawn Taylor after eight years. Her axing is believed to be a result of ITV's cost-cutting measures, with both Emmerdale and Coronation Street reducing the amount of screen time some actors have and losing others. Dawn's life is set to spectacularly fall apart in upcoming scenes when she reveals the true extent of boyfriend Joe Tate's (Ned Porteous) cruelty. Metro understands that a final explosive story will play out for Dawn in the summer, with Olivia still currently filming. When is Olivia leaving Emmerdale? Later this year.
Who Is in the Emmerdale 2026 Cast?
The present cast of Emmerdale is made up of regular and recurring characters. Regular cast members include Ryan Hawley as Robert Sugden, Chris Chittell as Eric Pollard, Claire King as Kim Tate, Isabel Hodgins as Victoria Sugden, James Hooton as Sam Dingle, Ned Porteous as Joe Tate, Lisa Riley as Mandy Dingle, Mark Charnock as Marlon Dingle, Dominic Brunt as Paddy Kirk, Eden Taylor-Draper as Belle Dingle, Emma Atkins as Charity Dingle, Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle, Tony Audenshaw as Bob Hope, Patrick Mower as Rodney Blackstock, Nicola Wheeler as Nicola King, Zoe Henry as Rhona Goskirk, Rosie Bentham as Gabby Thomas, Charlotte Bellamy as Laurel Thomas, Lucy Pargeter as Chas Dingle, Danny Miller as Aaron Dingle, Nick Miles as Jimmy King, Jack Downham as Noah Dingle, Katie Hill as Sarah Sugden, Gabrielle Dowling as Cathy Hope, Alfie Clarke as Arthur Thomas, Natalie J. Robb as Moira Dingle, Ash Palmisciano as Matty Barton, Chris Bisson as Jai Sharma, Joe-Warren Plant as Jacob Gallagher, Laura Norton as Kerry Wyatt, Michelle Hardwick as Vanessa Woodfield, Michael Parr as Ross Barton, Jonny McPherson as Liam Cavanagh, Amelia Flanagan as April Windsor, Amy Walsh as Tracy Shankley, Karen Blick as Lydia Dingle, Andrew Scarborough as Graham Foster, Olivia Bromley as Dawn Taylor, James Moore as Ryan Stocks, Rebecca Sarker as Manpreet Sharma, Jay Kontzle as Billy Fletcher, Bradley Johnson as Vinny Dingle, Joshua Richards as Bear Wolf, Lawrence Robb as Mackenzie Boyd, Kevin Mathurin as Charles Anderson, Louise Jameson as Mary Goskirk, William Ash as Caleb Milligan, Flo Wilson as Claudette Anderson, Beth Cordingly as Ruby Fox-Milligan, Caroline Harker as Caitlin Todd, Fred Kettle as Dylan Penders, Shebz Miah as Kammy Hadiq, and Bradley Riches as Lewis Barton. Recurring cast members include Andy Moore as Mike Swirling, Harvey Rogerson as Leo Goskirk, Huey Quinn as Kyle Winchester, Kai Assi as Archie Breckle, Charlie Munro Joyce as Carl Holliday, Arthur Cockroft as Moses Dingle, Jack Jennings as Johnny Woodfield, Tilly-Rue Foster as Dotty Thomas, Bobby Dunsmoir as Isaac Dingle, Noah Ryan Aspinall as Lucas Taylor, Bella James as Eve Dingle, Adam Pryor as Harry Sugden, Eden Ratcliffe-Knights as Frankie Robinson, Bertie Brotherton as Thomas Tate, Mabel Addison as Clemmie Reed, Alice Mauve as Ivy Malcoms, and Malachi McKenzie as Evan Fletcher.
This article was first published on October 25, 2024 and has since been updated. Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8:00pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.
