Emmerdale actress Isabel Hodgins has revealed she is expecting her first child with husband Adam Whitehead, just months after their Manchester wedding.
The 31-year-old, who has portrayed Victoria Sugden on the ITV soap for 19 years, is nearly four months pregnant.
The couple married earlier this year after bringing forward their original 2026 wedding date.
“I didn’t want to wait that long to start a family. But I also wanted to be married first, so I kept changing the goal posts, but this was always the plan!” Hodgins told OK! magazine.
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The actress and her 28-year-old husband, a PE teacher, have been together for three years after meeting at a gym.
The pregnancy discovery came as a surprise to both partners. “He actually told me!” Hodgins laughed when asked how she broke the news to Whitehead.
The PE teacher explained: “Isabel was late by a few days, so she did a test. But then, she just threw it on the floor and it was upside down just lying there.”
Hodgins admitted she avoided looking at the result. “I didn’t want to look at it, as I felt it would make time go slower to stare. But Mr Impatient comes along to look at it and sees that it’s positive.”
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Doubting the accuracy due to the test being upside down, the couple immediately purchased three additional tests. “We rushed to Boots to buy three more, and they were all positive too, so we thought it must be right!” Hodgins said.
The first trimester has proved challenging for the soap star. “It’s hard to know how to feel because you’re so excited, but also, for me there’s been so much fatigue. So I’m like, ‘I’m so happy but please let me nap!'” she revealed.
Hodgins described the experience as more difficult than anticipated. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I think it has been tougher than I thought because it’s been a bit of a roller-coaster. But luckily, I haven’t been very sick, so that’s a plus.”
Whitehead has taken on additional household responsibilities during this period. “I’ve been cooking the tea and helping out around the house as much as I can,” he confirmed.
“And dealing with my mood swings!” Hodgins interjected, prompting her husband to laugh: “Yeah, that’s been tough.”
The actress plans to take maternity leave when their baby arrives early next year.
“I will miss it. I love the people there, but I’ve worked there for 19 years, so I feel like I’ve done what I’ve wanted to do and been selfish with my career.
“Now, it’s time to devote my life to being a mum, that feels right to me. But there’s still FaceTime, so they won’t forget me!” she said.
The expectant parents have already begun preparing their nursery with neutral colours, having decided against discovering the baby’s gender before birth.
When asked about their hopes for parenthood, Hodgins said: “I think, seeing what we’ve created and meeting this little person.”