Emmerdale is preparing to bid farewell — at least for now — to one of its most enduring figures, and viewers are not taking it lightly. After nearly two decades in the heart of

the Yorkshire drama, Victoria Sugden’s decision to leave the village has left fans reeling, emotional, and bracing for a painful goodbye. In her penultimate episode,

Victoria confirmed that she and her young son Harry would be heading to Portugal, seeking refuge with Diane Sugden. What should feel like the promise of a fresh start instead landed like

a quiet tragedy, the culmination of guilt, sacrifice, and a family pushed beyond its limits.

For actress Isabel Hodgins, who has portrayed Victoria since 2006, the exit marks a temporary step away as she begins maternity leave ahead of welcoming her first child with husband Adam. But for audiences who have watched Victoria grow from a headstrong child into a woman shaped by trauma and resilience, the moment feels monumental.

Victoria visited Moira to get her to sign over the land to Joe Tate

Twenty Years of History

Being a Sugden has never been simple. The name carries legacy, expectation, and an almost mythic connection to the land itself. Over the years, Victoria has endured loss, violence, betrayal, and heartbreak — yet she has always remained tethered to the village.

That is precisely why her choice to leave feels so seismic.

Speaking recently about filming her final scenes, Hodgins admitted she expected to be overwhelmed. “Emmerdale is all I have ever known,” she reflected. Yet pregnancy, she said, shifted her perspective. Instead of devastation, she felt ready for a pause, ready to step outside the relentless rhythm of production and into a new chapter of her own life.

Still, readiness does not soften what unfolded onscreen.

Haunted by What She’s Done

Victoria’s departure is inseparable from the chain of events that led her here — a spiral of violence that began with John Sugden’s deadly return. After being injected and left for dead, Victoria fought her way back to consciousness and rushed to find her brother amid chaos.

When she confronted John again, he begged her to run away with him, to abandon the village and start over. But Emmerdale has never allowed easy escapes. Their confrontation turned physical, and in a cruel twist of fate, Victoria used the same lethal method John had employed on others.

John died at her hand.

The act may have saved lives, but it shattered hers. Since that moment, Victoria has been drowning in remorse, replaying the horror again and again.

Joe Holds the Power

Just as she began to crumble under the weight of it, Joe Tate delivered another blow: he had video evidence of the incident. With the truth dangling like a blade above her, Victoria prepared to confess.

Robert, however, refused to let his sister destroy herself.

In a move that will haunt him, he struck a deal with Joe — planting evidence that led to Moira Dingle being accused of murders she did not commit. The bargain bought Victoria freedom but at a devastating moral cost.

A Prison Visit That Broke Hearts

Wednesday’s episode delivered one of the week’s most emotional scenes as Victoria visited Moira behind bars to reveal she would be selling the land to Joe. Moira, heartbroken yet perceptive, understood why.

There was no anger left — only exhaustion and sorrow.

Fans watching at home described themselves as shattered, many praising the raw performances and the unbearable sense that everyone involved was losing something precious.

Robert Can’t Let Go

Afterward, Victoria told Robert the next part of her plan: flights were booked. Portugal awaited. Diane would help her rebuild.

Robert tried — desperately — to change her mind. For him, Victoria leaving is another fracture in a family already splintered. He has sacrificed his own integrity to keep her safe, and now she is walking away anyway.

But Victoria’s resolve has hardened. Staying, she believes, will only deepen the damage. Leaving might be the only way she can breathe again.

She promised she would go the very next day.

Graham’s Influence

Her decision did not come in isolation. Graham Foster had earlier urged her to consider whether distance from the village’s poisonous secrets might be the healthiest choice. Survival sometimes means stepping away, he suggested.

In the end, Victoria listened.

Victoria Sugden was confirmed as John’s killer on Emmerdale

Fans in Mourning

Online, viewers poured out grief in real time. Some called the prison farewell unbearable. Others lamented that Victoria and Robert, despite everything, still seemed to carry unresolved resentment beneath their love.

“I lose Victoria Anne Sugden tomorrow,” one fan wrote simply, capturing the ache many feel.

Even critics who admit Victoria can be difficult wished for a gentler ending between the siblings — a clean emotional slate rather than wounds left half-healed.

Not Goodbye Forever

Importantly, this is not a permanent farewell. Isabel Hodgins will return after her maternity leave, and the door remains wide open for Victoria’s eventual homecoming. Yet soaps thrive on the present tense, and right now, the absence looms large.

Victoria has been a constant through changing eras, new villains, and shifting alliances. Removing her, even temporarily, alters the village’s emotional architecture.

The Weight of Departure

What makes the exit resonate is that Victoria is not leaving in triumph. She is fleeing under the burden of secrets, protected by lies, and separated from the brother who would burn the world to save her.

Portugal offers sunshine, family, perhaps peace — but peace purchased at this price is complicated.

A Legacy Endures

As the episode faded, one truth remained undeniable: Victoria Sugden’s story is woven into Emmerdale’s DNA. Whether across an ocean or back in the Woolpack, her presence will continue to shape those she leaves behind.

For now, though, the village must learn how to carry on without her.

And judging by the tears already flowing, that may be the hardest storyline of all.