Emmerdale's Gabrielle Dowling is set to take a hiatus from the popular ITV soap after 18 years.
Reports suggest that Gabrielle, who portrays Cathy Hope in the beloved series, will be absent from our screens this summer.
Cathy has been at the centre of some major plotlines, including the heartbreaking death of her on-screen brother Heath Hope, played by her real-life sibling Sebastian Dowling. The storyline saw Heath tragically killed in a car crash, with Cathy initially held responsible until it was revealed that Angelica King was actually driving the vehicle.
Having been part of Emmerdale since infancy, Gabrielle has portrayed Cathy intermittently for 18 years. However, she plans to take a break this summer to focus on her important school exams, before making a comeback.
A source told The Sun: "Gabrielle has been working solidly on the show for her entire life but with her A levels coming up thought it was best to take a break to focus on them."
"She will be gone for a matter of months and will return later in the year once exam season is over. Her exit storyline is being kept quiet until it plays out on screen but it's only going to be a temporary one," the insider added, reports the Mirror.
Kicking off 2024 with an emotional goodbye, Gabrielle waved her twin off as he stepped away from his role as Heath. Reflecting on Heath's departure, Emmerdale veteran Tony Audenshaw, known to viewers as Bob Hope, cherished the time spent working with the twins.
"It's been brilliant because they're the kids that were here since they were born. I remember, and it doesn't seem that long ago since we shot up on the moors the babies being born. It just doesn't seem that long ago and obviously it's nearly 17 years now," he previously said.
"And for those two, it has been totally part of their life. It's been their lives since they were babies. We come into a show after 30, 40 years or whatever of our lives - but it has always been their lives."
Tony concluded: "And I think it's quite extraordinary that they're real twins and the playing real twins. They're fabulous kids, the two of them; they're absolutely brilliant. They're lovely."
Cathy became entangled in a pivotal health storyline when she struggled with mood swings and focus, leading to a Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) diagnosis.
Jane Hudson, then executive producer, previously hinted at significant narratives ahead: "A lot of the youngsters have big stories coming up. You'll see a really big story for Cathy, Bob's daughter, which is really emotional. It's her first big story and a challenging one, and I think one a lot of parents will connect with and one I haven't seen a soap do before so Cathy has a big story coming up."
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX
