Emmerdale’s Alicia Metcalfe may have waved goodbye to the village in last night’s episode, but it won’t be her final appearance in the soap.
Natalie Anderson announced earlier this week that she was planning on exiting the ITV drama after five years, leaving many fans wondering if she was already making her last goodbye when her character left for Portugal, but show insiders promised that wasn’t the case.
Natalie Anderson plays Alicia Metcalfe (ITV)
According to Digital Spy, a soap source said: “Natalie’s departure will air much later in the year, but viewers will have to wait and see what twists and turns lie ahead for the Metcalfes and what brings them back to the village.”
Alicia left for Portugal with husband David (Matthew Wolfenden) and her adopted son Jacob, where they are hoping to start a new life, but Matthew had already teased that David would be back.
The actor, who is expecting his second baby with co-star Charley Webb, told This Morning yesterday: “It’s goodbye for now, but there’s a possibility that David will be back. He has his dad and daughter in the village – so yeah, I don’t want to give too much away, but I will be back!”
