Emmerdale legend of 20 years finally staging a dramatic return – and she’s already back filming

Emmerdale’s Isabel Hodgins left the ITV soap earlier this year when character Victoria Sugden fled to Portugal with son Harry.

Her departure came after a dramatic start to the year, which saw her kill brother John Sugden during the epic Corriedale crossover episode.

As if her guilt wasn’t enough on its own, Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) had proof of what she’d done, and used it to blackmail Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) into framing Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) for murder.

With all of that going on, it’s no wonder that Victoria wanted to get away, and opted to visit step-mum Diane for a while.

In real life, actress Isabel went on maternity leave, and welcomed her first child, a baby girl, in February.

Now, it seems that Isabel has returned to the role she has played for the last 20 years.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the star shared a picture of the stage door leading into the Emmerdale studios, suggesting that she is already back on set.

She previously got fans excited about her return when she visited the set with daughter Georgie and partner Adam last month.

‘For the first time, I got to show Georgie (and Adam) around the village that’s been such a huge part of my life.’ Isabel wrote in an Instagram post.

‘I’ve been lucky enough to call this place work since I was 12 years old, so sharing it with my little family meant so much.

‘GG’s verdict? She’d quite happily move in.’

A lot has happened in the Dales since Victoria’s exit, including the arrival of distant cousin Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy).

Show boss Laura Shaw has already made it clear that she is keen to keep the Sugden family at the centre of the show, and we’re sure Victoria will be no exception.