After two decades growing up in front of the nation, Isabel Hodgins is preparing for the most emotional scene change of her life — and, in a twist that

may surprise loyal viewers, she admits she felt a profound sense of relief when the cameras finally stopped rolling. Best known as Victoria Sugden,

one of Emmerdale’s most enduring figures, Hodgins has been a fixture in the Yorkshire village since she was just 12 years old. Audiences have watched her mature

from a headstrong child into a woman shaped by trauma, resilience and, most recently, a devastating secret that has pushed her to the brink.

But while Victoria’s future hangs in agonising uncertainty on screen, Isabel’s off-screen story is filled with anticipation, hope and the imminent arrival of her first child.

And as the actress looks ahead to motherhood, she is candid about why stepping away — even temporarily — felt not tragic, but necessary.

A Heroine Crushed by Guilt

Victoria’s recent journey has been nothing short of operatic. Ever since the explosive Corriedale event, she has carried a truth that threatens to swallow her whole: she killed her half-brother, John.

Yes, the authorities may have delivered a formal verdict of suicide. The village may be attempting to move on. But Victoria knows what happened in those woods. She knows whose hand pushed the syringe. And that knowledge has infected every waking moment.

If the emotional burden weren’t heavy enough, Joe Tate has tightened the noose, wielding video evidence that could destroy her. Instead of going to the police, he has used it as leverage, forcing Victoria into an impossible moral trap — persuading Moira, a woman who has loved her like family, to sign away the farm while she herself faces wrongful accusations of murder and trafficking.

It is blackmail layered upon grief, guilt compounded by betrayal.

Small wonder Victoria begins to ask herself whether she deserves escape at all.

“She’s ready to lay on her sword,” Hodgins reveals. “She is bogged down with guilt. Moira has been like a mother to her, and she’s in a total mess. Does she run and try to build a new life, or does she do the honourable thing and confess?”

It is the kind of dilemma that defines soap at its most powerful — and the kind of material that leaves an actor wrung out.

Filming the Farewell

Given her history with the show, Hodgins expected tears when she filmed her departure scenes late last year. Emmerdale has been her classroom, her community, her professional home. It is where she learned the craft, built lifelong friendships and carried some of the most demanding storylines of modern soap.

Instead, what she felt was something quieter — and, in many ways, more telling.

“I thought I’d be really emotional,” she says. “But pregnancy does funny things. The truth is, I felt ready not to have to film.”

The daily commute from Manchester to Leeds had grown more exhausting as her due date crept closer. Long hours, intense material, winter travel — all of it added up. By December, her body was sending a clear message.

It was time to pause.

“I knew I needed a rest before the baby arrives,” she explains.

For an actor who has rarely stepped off the treadmill in 20 years, that admission speaks volumes.

Trading Drama for a Different Role

If Victoria’s world is chaos, Isabel’s is nesting.

The 32-year-old, who married teacher Adam Whitehead in 2025, discovered she was pregnant shortly after the wedding — a whirlwind of joy that reoriented everything. Scripts, call times and plot twists suddenly had competition from scan photos, cravings and nursery plans.

“This will be, by far and away, the biggest role I’ve ever had,” she says, glowing at the thought of becoming a mum. “Adam is going to be a great dad. We feel so lucky.”

There were the familiar early waves of nausea, but overall she has felt well — energetic enough to keep up her beloved gym routine, which she calls her “medicine.” And yes, there have been cravings.

“Mashed potato at the minute!” she laughs.

The couple have chosen not to discover the baby’s sex in advance, preferring the surprise on the day — a rare mystery in a life usually dictated by scripts.

Brothers On and Off Screen

One of the hardest parts of stepping away has been leaving behind the extended family she built at work. Ryan Hawley and Danny Miller, who play Robert and Aaron, have been particularly protective.

“They’ve been so sweet,” Hodgins says. “Always making sure I had somewhere to sit, bringing snacks. Danny once fetched me toast when I missed breakfast.”

She describes them fondly as naughty brothers — mischievous, hilarious, but endlessly supportive. Their presence helped steady her through Victoria’s darkest material, including the harrowing climax of John’s reign.

Working opposite Oliver Farnworth, who portrayed the troubled sibling, was another highlight. His generosity in those final scenes stayed with her.

“He told me he wouldn’t want anyone else to kill him,” she recalls, still moved.

Growing Up in the Village

When Hodgins joined Emmerdale, she was a child with no roadmap. Everything she knows about television, she learned there — from the relentless pace to the extraordinary work ethic that keeps the machine running.

Over the years, Victoria has survived a catalogue of trauma: serious illness, sexual assault, heartbreak, single motherhood. Each chapter demanded courage from both character and performer.

Hodgins looks back with gratitude. To be trusted with such material, to remain central to the show’s evolution, is something she never takes for granted.

The recent Corriedale triumph, she believes, reaffirmed the unique place soaps hold in British culture — communal storytelling, passed from generation to generation.

---

Not Goodbye, But For Now

Crucially, the door is open.

Producers have made it clear that Victoria Sugden remains part of Emmerdale’s fabric, and that whenever Hodgins is ready, the village will be waiting. That knowledge brings enormous comfort.

For now, though, priorities are beautifully simple.

“I’m in my baby bubble,” she says. “I’ll be back in time. But right now it’s about being with Adam and our little one.”

After twenty years of high drama, kidnappings, secrets and sorrow, relief may be the most radical plot twist of all.

For Isabel Hodgins, the next chapter won’t be written in a script.

It will be written at home, with a newborn in her arms.