Emmerdale has announced that Victoria Sugden, portrayed by Isabel Hodgins, is departing the ITV soap.

Isabel, 32, has brought the beloved character to life since 2006 and has recently discussed her choice to take a break from the part.

Victoria, a character introduced on the programme in 1994, has remained a fixture in the village. Nevertheless, this week saw confirmation that she would be exiting Emmerdale.

Soap fans can rest assured, however, as both the actress and her character are expected to return eventually; this departure is not permanent.

Her concluding scenes will air during Thursday's instalment (February 12), which is currently available on ITVX and will air on ITV1 on Thursday night, reports The Mirror.

So, what triggered Victoria's exit, and why has Isabel decided to temporarily step down from the role? Last August, the actress disclosed she was expecting her first child.

She mentioned that her expected delivery was early 2026, indicating to viewers that Victoria's departure was approaching. Isabel completed filming several weeks ago and is presently on maternity leave.

Whilst there's no official word on when she'll rejoin the programme, she will be taking maternity leave, so supporters shouldn't expect her comeback in the near future.

Isabel has not yet revealed the birth of her baby, but admirers have been expressing their congratulations following confirmation of her final scenes. As for Victoria, her departure plot takes a dramatic twist.

Fans will remember that her life was thrown into chaos at the beginning of January when she unexpectedly became a murderer.

After her evil brother John Sugden tried to harm her, Victoria retaliated in self-defence with a syringe. She was entirely oblivious to what it contained and unintentionally caused her brother's demise.

In the aftermath, she covered up the crime with help from her brother, Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley), and Robert's partner, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller).

Predictably, they were eventually discovered by antagonist Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), who had video evidence of Victoria killing John (Oliver Farnworth), staging it as a suicide, before fleeing the scene.

Victoria's world has utterly collapsed following these events, as she grapples with guilt while being blackmailed by Joe.

He's forced the Sugdens to give up their farmland, whilst also manipulating Robert into framing Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) so he can seize her property too.

The strain of Moira being framed and John's death, coupled with her young son Harry's questions about him, has all become too much, and it's this that triggers her exit to start fresh elsewhere. As we've noted, the departure isn't permanent, so Victoria will return at some point.

Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX