Isabel Hodgins leaves Emmerdale to focus on motherhood

Emmerdale’s long-serving star Isabel Hodgins takes a break from the ITV series to prepare for motherhood.

Isabel Hodgins Leaves Emmerdale to Focus on Pregnancy

Isabel Hodgins, 31, the longest-serving female star on Emmerdale, announced a break from the ITV soap to focus on her pregnancy. Hodgins joined the show in 2006 as Victoria Sugden and has become a central figure in the Sugdens’ storylines. She is four months pregnant with husband Adam Whitehead, whom she married in April 2025. In a post, Hodgins said she has spent 19 years on screen and felt it was time to shift focus to motherhood, adding that there will still be FaceTime so the cast will not forget her.

Her exit comes as Emmerdale continues to manage a large ensemble and evolving family plots. Co-star Lisa Riley congratulated Hodgins, calling the news wonderful. The article notes that a game show hosted by Hodgins’ former Emmerdale co-star Adam Thomas was canceled, with ITV saying it will not recommission.

Hodgins’ decision to pause a nearly two-decade run highlights how long-serving actors balance fame with family life. For a flagship soap, the move tests how producers navigate a beloved central character when real life steps in. It also underscores a broader industry pattern where personal milestones shape on-screen commitments, prompting narrative shifts rather than abrupt exits. The public response—warm congratulations from colleagues—illustrates the strong social bond surrounding long-running casts and how audiences form attachments to familiar faces.

The episode also reminds viewers that TV productions are networks of intertwined careers. While Hodgins pursues motherhood, others on the show and in related programs face their own career pivots, reminding readers that behind the scenes, decisions about cast and formats are constantly recalibrated to fit life events and business strategies.

Highlights

The village keeps moving, and audiences will watch how the absence reshapes the next chapter.