With the usual outrageous drama kicking off in the village, it's no surprise to Emmerdale fans how shocking the latest stories can be when they hit the headlines.
However, it's never easy when we have to say goodbye to some of our favourite Emmerdale characters — and 2022 was a year full of emotional, dramatic and unexpected farewells.
Faith Dingle (Sally Dexter), Liv Flaherty (Isobel Steele), PC Harriet Finch (Katherine Dow-Blyton), Al Chapman (Michael Wildman) and Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu) all left the soap last year.
We also briefly welcomed back a number of familiar faces to the Dales, from Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) to Tracy Metcalfe (Amy Walsh).
However, as we prepare to say another heartbreaking goodbye to more characters in 2023, let's take a look at who is returning and the newcomers set to call Emmerdale their home...
Who is leaving Emmerdale in 2023?
A few residents have left the soap so far, but will we be saying goodbye to more much-loved characters this year?
Here is our roundup of each Emmerdale resident bidding farewell to the Dales...
Priya Sharma
Priya Sharma left Emmerdale after 11 years as she was offered a new job in London.
Prior to her exit, as she held a promotional event for Take A Vow, a veil caught fire and the single mum suffered flashbacks of the ‘maize maze’ fire caused by killer Meena Jutla that left her scarred for life. She had a breakdown and fled the event, but she was given the opportunity of a lifetime.
A business contact offered her a dream job in London, which Priya accepted and she bid an emotional farewell to her family, taking her young daughter Amba Metcalfe (Ava Jayasinghe) with her for a fresh start in the capital.
Marcus Dean
After one year, Marcus Dean left the village as he cheated on his boyfriend Ethan Anderson (Emile John).
He arrived in February 2022 as the long-lost son of evil Pierce Harris (Jonathan Wrather) and his entrance caused a stir amongst the residents — in particular, Pierce's victim and ex-wife Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry).
She initially found it difficult to see Marcus around Emmerdale, but he was eventually welcomed into the village after she realised that he wasn't like his abusive father.
Marcus soon began a relationship with lawyer Ethan, but their relationship broke down after Marcus wrongly assumed that Ethan was cheating on him. In reality, Ethan was planning to surprise Marcus with a house viewing he had secretly organised. However, it was too late as Marcus had already cheated on Ethan.
Marcus didn't ask for another chance and called Ethan boring, before Ethan threw his belongings out of the window — bye Marcus!
Naomi Walters
Emmerdale star Karene Peter, who plays Naomi Walters, is reportedly set to leave the soap after just one year.
Naomi first arrived in Emmerdale last year as the long-lost daughter of vicar Charles Anderson (Kevin Mathurin), but now she will be departing the Dales one year after reuniting with her father according to reports.
According to The Sun, an Emmerdale insider said: "Karene’s loved her time on the soap but it is time for her to go.
“Being on Emmerdale was a dream but she became an actor to play different roles and that’s exactly what she wants to do. The door isn’t being closed on Naomi so she could always make a return down the line.”
It is thought that Karene's final scenes will be filmed soon, meaning her exit storyline will air over the summer.
Most recently, she was left distraught after she was conned by drug dealer Alex Moore (Liam Boyle), who only started dating her as a way to steal the medicine from Manpreet Sharma's (Rebecca Sarker) GP surgery.
Cathy Hope
Teenager Cathy Hope (Gabrielle Dowling) moved away from the village to live with her brother Scott in the Lake District.
Young Cathy had been suffering with extreme mood swings and heavy painful periods after being diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, which led to Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) prescribing her the pill.
Struggling to cope with the symptoms, the teen spiralled out of control and had violent outbursts and ran away from home.
However, Cathy decided to take positive action and left to start afresh in the Lakes.
After Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop), Cathy's brother Heath (Sebastian Dowling) and others bid Cathy a tearful farewell, her dad Bob (Tony Audenshaw) drove his daughter to her new home in emotional scenes.
Cathy's return to the village is yet to be confirmed.
Who is returning to Emmerdale in 2023?
While we say goodbye to some beloved residents, we'll also be welcoming back some of our favorite Emmerdale characters...
Kerry Wyatt
Laura Norton is currently on maternity leave after it was revealed that she'd welcomed a second child into the world with partner Mark Jordon in October 2022. The couple now have a daughter called Ronnie and a son called Jessie.
Kerry Wyatt's exit was set in motion after she discovered her late fiancée Al Chapman had been having an affair with Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) in explosive scenes.
Following the revelation, Kerry took a job on a cruise ship, but she didn't go quietly... before she left Kerry dropped the bombshell that she was the mother of Chloe Harris (Jessie Elland), who gave birth to married Mackenzie Boyd's (Lawrence Robb) baby, Reuben.
It's possible that Kerry could be returning to the village later this year — but what chaos could she come back to?
Vanessa Woodfield
Michelle Hardwick also took a break from Emmerdale in 2022 as she went on maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter Betty with wife Kate Brooks in November 2022. The couple also have an older son called Teddy.
We'll potentially see village vet Vanessa Woodfield return to the soap later in 2023 after she took a dream job in Canada.
Before Vanessa's departure, she had a row with her best friend Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) and split up with her girlfriend Suzy Merton (Martine Edinborough).
However, Rhona and Vanessa made up and she later went to The Woolpack for her farewell party where Rhona, Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) all waved her off as she left the village with her son Johnny.
Tracy Metcalfe
Tracy Metcalfe (Amy Walsh) left the village in 2022 as actress Amy went on maternity leave following the birth of her baby with former EastEnders villain Toby Alexander-Smith over Christmas 2021.
Amy is due to return to the soap full time and has seemingly confirmed her return to the Dales after posting a picture with her co-star Roxy Shahidi, who plays Leyla Harding, on her Instagram Stories.
It has also been revealed that Tracy's explosive return will see her tie the knot this summer after Emmerdale executive producer Jane Hudson teased that a familiar face would return to the village for one of two mystery weddings this summer.
The Sun confirmed that one of these brides-to-be is Tracy, who is set to walk down the aisle in a lavish summer wedding to a mystery man.
Details of how the wedding will pan out — and even who the groom might be — are currently being kept under wraps so we'll have to wait and see if Tracy says I do to a future husband.
The build-up to her exit last year saw Tracy split up with her fiancée Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) after he cheated on her and lied about it. They were on the brink of reconciliation until she was offered a job in Nottingham to help other women with post-natal depression just like she had suffered with.
She said goodbye to her sister Vanessa and Nate and left the village with her baby daughter, Frankie.
Tracy briefly returned for Emmerdale's 50th anniversary and hooked up with Nate, before revealing that she was engaged to her boyfriend Ollie.
After having a change of heart, Tracy was hoping to rekindle their relationship, but she was left disappointed when she realised Nate still liked Naomi Walters (Karene Peter), leading her to leave the village again.
Tom King Jr
Tom King Jr (now played by James Chase) returned to Emmerdale 10 years since his exit.
Troubled teen Tom, who is the son of killer Carl King (Tom Lister), left the Dales in 2013 and moved to Saudi Arabia after stalking Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) following his dad's death.
He was originally set to run away with his girlfriend Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) but fled the village on his own.
His return saw him reunite with his childhood sweetheart Belle, attempt to reconnect with his estranged family, and discover some devastating information about his late dad's murderous past.
Executive producer Jane Hudson said of Tom's return: "Jimmy’s nephew, Tom King will be coming back into the show. He’s been living overseas for quite some time and then he’s come back to England.
"He’s qualified as a vet so I think we all probably know where he’s going to be working. Of course, Tom and Belle have a history, which they see each other and rekindle and we will be on a journey with Tom and Belle for quite some time as we play out the story."
Georgia Sharma
There's a familiar face in soapland heading to Emmerdale as Lin Blakley, better known as EastEnders favourite Pam Coker, joins the cast.
Lin will be taking on the role of Georgia Sharma, which has been re-cast after Trudie Goodwin originally played the character between 2011 and 2015.
Georgia is back in Emmerdale to ruffle feathers on the eve of her son Jai’s wedding to Laurel — and after huge Sharma family secrets were exposed, will Georgia be able to heal her fractured family?
Known for speaking her mind, both her ex-husband Rishi (Bhasker Patel) and the soon-to-be-married couple Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) and Jai (Chris Bisson) are set to be instantly at the mercy of her harsh opinions.
Lin Blakley said of the role: “How lucky am I to play such a strong character as Georgia. So different from the roles I’ve played of late. I have enjoyed every single minute. Gorgeous cast and crew!! And the gorgeous Dales. Thank you Emmerdale.”
Who is arriving in Emmerdale in 2023?
In exciting news, we'll also be welcoming some new faces to the Dales — but how will they get on amongst the drama of Emmerdale?
Claudette Anderson
Flo Wilson joined the cast of Emmerdale as vicar Charles Anderson's (Kevin Mathurin) mother, Claudette.
Claudette is a "force to be reckoned with" and is completely unafraid to speak her mind. She's very proud of Charles' position as a vicar and grandson Ethan's (Emile John) job as a lawyer.
She believes herself to be a loving matriarch, but her son Charles thinks otherwise and secretly finds her rather overbearing. But it's not long before the other Emmerdale residents will learn not to get on the wrong side of Claudette. But what brings Claudette back into Charles’ life?
She said of joining the soap: "I feel blessed that I was chosen to play Claudette and I hope to make the Emmerdale family proud of the work that I will do.”
Flo, who has had roles in Death in Paradise, Hollyoaks and Coronation Street, started filming this month and her first appearance is set for later this spring, where we'll see the impact she will have on vicar Charles and the rest of the village.
Victor Anderson
After the arrival of Claudette, Emmerdale welcomed Eddie Osei to the cast as the mysterious Victor Anderson, who has a dark past and deep connections within the village.
We saw vicar Charles acting shifty and having secret phone calls, but his tense behaviour came to a head when he paid a visit to a high-security prison and had an intense encounter with his father, Victor.
Victor has just been released from prison after serving a lengthy prison sentence. But why has been in prison for years and what does his release mean for his son Charles and ex wife Claudette? Could Victor’s arrival threaten Charles’ respected position in the village?
Emmerdale Producer, Hannah Cheers revealed: “Victor's arrival in Emmerdale turns life for the Andersons upside down. The brilliant addition of Eddie Osei as Victor has allowed us to learn more about who the Andersons are and we can't wait for the audience to watch as the drama unfolds. While Claudette is confronted by the husband she prayed she'd never see again, Charles has to face up to painful past traumas and he makes no secret of the fact that Victor is not welcome here. But who will win out?”
Eddie Osei said of getting the role: “I feel privileged to be joining such a great show and I am honoured to be working with the fantastic cast and crew. It is very exciting for me to be playing Victor who is such an enigmatic character and who causes the Anderson family so much trouble! “
Suni Sharma
Emmerdale bosses have announced a new love interest for Nicky Miligan (Lewis Cope) in the form of newcomer Suni — Jai Sharma's cousin.
The Sharma family are surprised by an unexpected visitor ahead of Jai and Laurel's wedding when cousin Suni, played by The Bay star Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana, turns up in the village.
Jai's relationship with his father, Rishi, is in tatters after he discovered he was adopted years ago and was never told.
But it isn't just the Sharma drama that Suni will be caught up in, because he is also set to have his sights on recently single Nicky, who was embroiled in a sham engagement with Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) as his dad Caleb (William Ash) tried to steal Kim Tate's (Claire King) cash.
Brahm commented: “I’m delighted, and having watched the show with my mum and dad growing up it feels surreal.
"I’m so grateful to everyone here for making me feel so welcome. Confident, magnetic and very fashion-conscious Suni looks forward to injecting some flair into the Emmerdale village. He’s not afraid to be his true self and go after what (and who) he wants!"
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30 pm on ITV1, with a hour-long episode on Thursdays — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on ITVX.
