Emmerdale actress Michelle Hardwick has hinted at a possible return to the soap after taking maternity leave to welcome her baby boy, Teddy, with wife Kate Brooks. The 44-year-old, who plays Vanessa Woodfield, responded to a tweet from co-star Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy Kirk, about struggling to remember scripts after time off. Hardwick replied: 'I’m already having anxiety dreams,' sparking speculation among fans.
One follower asked: 'I was thinking while I was watching tonight’s #emmerdale when your coming back Tracy needs her sister.' Another gushed: 'ridiculously excited for you to make your return, Michelle!!' A third added: 'Yes!! That means you’re coming back?! Can’t wait for your return now.'
Hardwick and Brooks, an Emmerdale producer, became parents for the first time in October 2020 after one round of IVF treatment. The actress shared her IVF journey on Instagram to raise awareness for National Fertility Week, posting a series of photographs tracking the process. She wrote: 'From the initial injections, to the transfer of Kate’s egg to me, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, but one we wouldn’t change for the whole world!'
Vanessa Woodfield has been absent from the soap since summer 2020. Her character was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. She has been organising for girlfriend Charity to adopt son Johnny in the worst-case scenario. Meanwhile, Vanessa's sister Tracy Metcalfe is battling post-natal depression after welcoming a baby with boyfriend Nate Robinson.
