Emmerdale actress returns to soap – after ITV show axes five stars in two months amid brutal cast cull
AN Emmerdale actress is gearing up to return to the soap, following ITV axing five of her co-stars.
The TV star has been away from the show for a while now while on maternity leave, but her latest Instagram post has heavily teased that she’s making a return.
In a duo of snaps Isabel Hodgins, who has played the role of Victoria Sugden on Emmerdale since 2006, struck a pose behind a sign that reads ‘Emmerdale’.
Isabel smiles with her hands under her chin in one photo then places a hand on the sign in another.
Penned in the post’s caption, Isabel simply said: “Back in the village,” followed by a red heart emoji.
The post sent fans into a frenzy, eagerly anticipating her return to the programme.
One user said: “Are you going to be back on our screens very soon?”
A second shared: “Come back!”
A third added: “Already? Wow! Fantastic news.”
Isabel’s rumoured return comes amid a major cast shake up where five other actors and actresses have been given the boot in the past two months.
The five axed stars include Jack Downham, Nick Mies, Olivia Bromley, Bradley Johnson and Caroline Harker.
The Sun exclusively announced Jack’s departure from the show, which he spent nearly two decades with before being culled.
He first joined the programme when he was only six year’s old, playing the role of Charity Dingle’s son Noah.
During Isabel’s time on Emmerdale she’s grappled with many major storylines including struggling with grief, giving birth after facing a traumatic assault, and surviving a bus crash.
The exit storyline ahead of Isabel’s maternity leave saw her character Victoria flee the village to go to Portugal after accidentally killing her half brother John in an act of self-defence.
She gave birth to her first child with her husband Adam Whitehead back in February.
