Emmerdale’s Isabel Hodgins says she was left ‘exhausted’ filming her final scenes as she reveals why she is leaving the soap after 20 years

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Isabel Hodgins, who plays a character on Emmerdale, has said she felt incredibly tired while filming her last scenes, as she’s getting ready to become a mother.

Isabel Hodgins, the 32-year-old actress who plays Victoria Sugden on the popular soap opera, revealed in August of last year that she and her husband, Adam Whitehead, are expecting their first child. She originally joined the show at age 12.

You know, I was chatting with Isabel recently, and it’s interesting how feelings can change. She’d initially thought leaving the show for maternity leave would be incredibly emotional, but she actually told me she felt completely ready for the next chapter. It just goes to show, sometimes what we think we’ll feel isn’t quite what happens when the time comes!

She told The Sun: ‘I thought I would be really emotional when I filmed my final scenes.

Emmerdale has been my entire life, but being pregnant changed how I felt. Honestly, I was actually relieved to not have to be on set filming anymore!

I’m based in Manchester, but I’ve been traveling to Leeds for filming. After a while, I was really tired and realized I needed to rest up before the baby is born.

Isabel filmed her final scenes in December and added she is ‘excited’ for motherhood.

She shared that she felt sick at the start of her pregnancy, but that feeling quickly passed and she mainly dealt with strong food cravings instead.

Isabel, who is expecting her baby any day now, shared with The Mirror that while they’d been hoping for a baby, it still feels surreal that it’s actually happening.

The actress was stunned when she saw the positive pregnancy test, so she and her partner, a PE teacher named Adam, immediately bought three more to confirm the result.

We initially planned our wedding for 2026, but I decided I wanted to have a family sooner. Since I also wanted to be married before starting a family, I kept adjusting our timeline, though this was always the underlying idea.

Let me tell you, the first three months of pregnancy weren’t always easy for me! I definitely had my share of exhaustion and, honestly, my emotions were all over the place. It’s totally normal, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing, that’s for sure!

I wasn’t sure what this would be like, but it’s turned out to be more challenging than I anticipated, with a lot of ups and downs. Thankfully, I’ve managed to stay relatively healthy throughout, which is a good thing.

I was so thrilled to see the actress announce on Instagram that she and her husband are expecting! Her post was adorable – she wrote, ‘First comes love, Then comes marriage, Then comes… Baby Whitehead!’ It’s just the sweetest news and I couldn’t be happier for them.

Fans and her famous soap co-stars were quick to rush to the comments to congratulate the couple.

Bradley Riches, who plays Lewis Barton, said: ‘AHHH CONGRATS XOXO’.

Lisa Riley, who plays Mandy Dingle, shared her congratulations, saying she was ‘absolutely thrilled’ for the couple.

Daisy Campbell, who played Amelia Spencer, shared her excitement, writing: ‘Oh my gosh, amazing! Congratulations to you both!’

Eden Taylor Draper, who plays Belle Dingle, affectionately called her ‘a mommy, mamacita,’ and Charley Webb simply said she was ‘cute’.

Isabel and Adam got married in April 2025 at the stylish Castlefield Rooms in Manchester, with their loved ones there to celebrate.

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2026-02-09 00:48