Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins has returned to the set of the ITV soap, five months after departing for maternity leave. The actress, who plays Victoria Sugden, shared a sunny snap of the Emmerdale village sign on Instagram, hinting at her comeback.
Maternity Leave and Birth of Daughter
Hodgins, who played Victoria for 20 years, left the show earlier this year to welcome her first child with husband Adam Whitehead. On February 11, 2026, at 1:02 a.m., she gave birth to daughter Georgie Grace Whitehead, weighing 8lbs 5oz. She shared a video of the birth on Instagram, captioned: "And then we heard you."
Storyline Exit
Her character Victoria departed the Dales after killing John Sugden in self-defence. The incident was filmed by Joe Tate, who blackmailed Robert Sugden. Victoria decided to leave for a fresh start, taking son Harry to Portugal to stay with Diane Sugden.
Hodgins previously said of her exit: "I thought I would be really emotional when I filmed my final scenes. Emmerdale is all I have ever known. But pregnancy does funny things to you and the truth is I felt ready not to have to film on Emmerdale! I live in Manchester and I’ve been driving over to Leeds to film. By the end, I felt exhausted and I knew it was time to have a rest before the baby arrives."
Return Tease
In a TikTok dance video earlier this year, a fan asked when she would return, and she replied: "later this year x." Her recent Instagram post of the village sign suggests her return is imminent. Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX and YouTube from 7am.
