Emmerdale airs surprise and unannounced return of legendary character eight months after exit in early ITVX release

Isabel Hodgins has reprised her Victoria Sugden role after eight months in a brief Emmerdale cameo.

Earlier this year, in a storyline that facilitated Hodgins's maternity leave, Vic left for a new life in Portugal. She was troubled after killing her own brother John (Oliver Farnworth) and came to the realisation that – although his death was ruled as suicide – life wouldn't ever be the same again for her.

To make matters worse, devious Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) held footage of the death and was blackmailing her brother Robert (Ryan Hawley) into planting evidence at Butler's Farm that framed Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) for modern slavery and double murder.

If he didn't comply, the incriminating video would be sent to the police. Joe also wanted the Sugdens' half of the farm, effectively pushing Robert into a point of no return.

Eventually, Joe came to a compromise. If she sold her half of the farm, she'd have enough money to flee and start afresh with her son Harry.

A lot has happened for the Sugden clan since then. Joe took control of Butler's and installed Robert as the tenant farmer, which was somewhat of a reward for his underhand behaviour.

Robert was overjoyed, given half of the land once belonged to the long-demolished farmhouse that his family resided in for decades. To mark the throwback, he even renamed the property and business as Emmerdale Farm.

In the last month, he's also acquired the former Hide Bistro, and now intends to transform the eatery and cook produce using meat he's farmed and vegetables that have been grown.

In today's episode, Robert told fiancé Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) and niece Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) that he wanted to get in touch with Vic and invite her back to the village to be part of his exciting news plans. She has experience of being a chef, and would be great for the reinvented Hide.

Later in the day, he dialled through to Portugal for a brief video call. Victoria said that it sounded exciting, though she was now settled on the other side of Europe and with everything that had happened, she couldn't see herself living in Yorkshire again.

Robert was naturally disappointed, and when Aaron chipped in, she reaffirmed her desire to stay away.

Will Victoria ever change her mind?

Read more:

• Emmerdale airs hostage situation for Liam Cavanagh as brute from Dylan Penders's past arrives in early ITVX release
• Emmerdale airs Vinny Dingle exit after 7 years with major sentencing twist in early ITVX release
• Emmerdale star teases "rocky road" for Sarah Sugden - and reveals hopes for Debbie Dingle return

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

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Authors

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.