Tonight on Emmerdale, fans were treated to the unexpected return of Michelle Hardwick’s beloved character Vanessa Woodfield, who was approached by a frantic Rhona (Zoe Henry) in need of assistance.
For the past 14 months, Vanessa and her son Johnny (Jack Jennings) have been on sabbatical in Canada where they are working on a marmot conservation project on Vancouver Island.
After taking baby Ivy from the village, Rhona became frightened and holed up in a secluded cottage in the episode, fearing that she would have to move to France with her ex-husband Gus (Alan McKenna).
Knowing that Gus was scheduled to return to pick up Ivy, Marlon (Mark Charnock) and Mary (Louise Jameson) frantically searched the village and tried to contact Rhona so they could properly say goodbye.
Mary and Marlon knew the game was up when Gus showed up at Smithy Cottage, and before he even knew what had happened, Mary ripped into him.
“You only have yourself to blame,” Mary firmly informed him. “This is what happened, you could have given her weeks to prepare, but oh no, you had to rip off the plaster!”
Marlon had to confess to a puzzled Gus that they didn’t know Rhona’s whereabouts and that she had vanished along with Ivy.
When Gus discovered that this had been going on since yesterday, he became enraged and threatened to call the police. However, Mary quickly reminded him that he and his late wife Lucy had committed fraud by using Rhona’s frozen embryos for Ivy’s conception in the first place.
In response, Gus stated that while he was willing to acknowledge it, Ivy still has legal status and Rhona, her biological mother, is without legal status.
Gus promised not to call the police right away, but he did threaten to storm out if they didn’t get Rhona back.
A knock on the door startled Rhona at the cottage in the meantime.
“Hey, it’s me!” A few more knocks were followed by the familiar voice calling out.
As Rhona pulled back the curtain to reveal Vanessa and Johnny waiting outside the door, she answered with relief, “Of course it’s you.”
“I’m grateful,” Rhona said. “You were bound to come!”
Vanessa joked with Rhona, telling her to get to the point, saying they had just flown all the way around the world for her.
However, she was taken aback upon entering the cottage and discovering Ivy unconscious in a cot.
“What the devil have you done, Rona?” Vanessa yelled.
When Marlon and Mary returned to the village, they saw Gus outside grabbing for his phone and became alarmed. Is he going to put Rhona in serious trouble?
Actor Michelle Hardwick’s maternity leave came to an end with Vanessa’s return. Hardwick and her spouse, Emmerdale producer Kate Brooks, welcomed their second child, a girl named Betty, in November.
Michelle informs us, “Vanessa just received a call from Rhona stating she truly needed help.” Vanessa, though, didn’t feel like she had enough time to ask any questions. She literally just grabbed a quick bag for herself and another for Johnny, boarded a plane, flew halfway around the globe, and arrived at her house.
“Vanessa is aware of Ivy, as they have obviously communicated, but she was unaware that Rhona had taken the baby and abducted it.”
“Vanessa is incredibly shocked,” Michelle adds. She’s thinking, ‘What the heck are you doing?’ at first, and then she’s like, ‘Hang on, I’m here now. I feel like I’m complicit in this. “So, will I also finish, and what will happen to Johnny?”
“She wants to support her best friend even though she has all that going through her mind.”
Vanessa understands Rhona’s perspective, even though she will continue to attempt to persuade her to make the right decision and go back to the village.
Michelle says, “It breaks Vanessa’s heart; she can totally understand it. Vanessa is a mother.” Vanessa, however, is also arguing that Leo and April, who are at home, depend on you just as much as little Ivy does. Thus, you must consider the wider picture.
Given Rhona’s situation and the fact that her half-sister Tracy (Amy Walsh) is likewise going through a difficult moment, Vanessa determines it’s time to make a permanent return to the village.
She decides to cut it a little shorter than she would have because she believes, “Well, I’ve been gone for over a year, I’m coming home soon anyway.” She is needed by Rhona and Tracy, and she should be here. Vanessa returns to Canada to finalize matters and retrieve their belongings before making a permanent visit.
What can we anticipate from Vanessa when she gets back?
Michelle reminds us that “where we left it, relationship-wise, was on a very positive note with Suzy.” Although they weren’t together when she departed, they shared a quick kiss, which was adorable. However, Vanessa is completely oblivious to the possibility of Suzy and Mary dating.
Because Vanessa views Mary as a mother figure and is completely unaware of this, I believe Vanessa will make an effort to mend her relationship with Susie. We’ll have to wait and see if Susie wants to or not!
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