Emmerdale star Katie Hill has confirmed her character Sarah Sugden will not be leaving the ITV soap following the accidental killing of Dr Caitlin Todd. The actress, speaking at a recent press event in Leeds, revealed that Sarah's future in the village is secure, despite the dramatic events that unfolded earlier this month.
Sarah has been at the centre of several major storylines recently, including a cervical cancer diagnosis last year and her subsequent decision to become a mother. Alongside her husband Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant), Sarah pursued surrogacy, with her grandmother Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) agreeing to carry their baby. However, the couple were unaware that their daughter Leyla is not biologically theirs, but rather the product of Charity's one-night stand with Ross Barton (Michael Parr).
Death of Dr Todd
Charity was being blackmailed over Leyla's parentage by Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker), who was accidentally killed by Sarah earlier this month. After learning that the doctor had sexually assaulted her grandmother, Sarah pushed Dr Todd towards the front door at Jacobs Fold. Todd tripped on a rug and hit her head on the corner of a table, dying from a head wound.
Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) walked in shortly after the accident and helped Charity fabricate physical evidence of a struggle to support a self-defence claim.
Katie Hill's reaction
In an exclusive interview, Katie Hill shared her initial reaction to the storyline: "I was speechless at first. I couldn't believe that it was going to be Sarah that was the one to kill. You know, I never had this on the cards for her."
She added: "It was exciting to hear that was what we had coming up. My first thought, honestly, was, 'Oh gosh, am I going to prison and [am I] going to be out of the show?' But Sophie [Roper, producer] quickly sort of said, 'Don't worry, that's not going to happen.' And then from that moment on, I was just really excited to get started with it."
Future storylines
Katie expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, saying: "I was just honoured to be trusted with this storyline. This is the biggest storyline I've had. It's transitioning Sarah from being this innocent, happy, young mum with Jacob to then this massive moment in her life that will change her forever. So yeah, [I'm] just so excited and grateful to have been given the storyline."
Dr Todd's death is now being investigated by newcomer DS Thea Ramsden (Chelsea Edge), who shares a secret friendship with Serena. DS Ramsden also has undisclosed reasons for wanting to take down Kim Tate (Claire King). How Sarah copes going forward and whether DS Ramsden uncovers the truth about Dr Todd's murder remains to be seen. Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
