Is Vanessa Woodfield going to die off-screen in Emmerdale?

EMMERDALE confirmed Vanessa Woodfield’s departure from the village last week when Charity revealed she’d gone to stay with her mother.

Fans of the ITV soap have been fearing that show bosses will kill off Vanessa amid her bowel cancer storyline ever since actress Michelle Hardwick announced she was pregnant back in April. So will Vanessa still be leaving the soap in a body bag off-screen? Here’s the lowdown…

• Visit our Emmerdale page for the latest gossip
• Find all Emmerdale spoilers here

Charity revealed that Vanessa had left Emmerdale village to stay with her mother

Has Vanessa Woodfield left Emmerdale for good in Emmerdale?

Vanessa’s absence from our screens was explained last week as Charity casually revealed Vanessa had already left the Dales to stay with her mum.

And with Michelle Hardwick and her wife Kate Brooks expecting their first baby in October, this departure storyline for Vanessa is likely to mark the actress’s maternity leave.

So if Vanessa does ever return to Emmerdale village, fans will have to wait a little while for her comeback.

Michelle Hardwick and her wife Kate Brooks are expecting their first baby in October

Is Vanessa going to die off-screen in Emmerdale?

Emmerdale are yet to confirm the outcome of Vanessa’s cancer storyline. 

But given that Michelle has reached the seven month mark in her pregnancy, a death off screen could be possible in order to facilitate the star’s maternity leave.

And Michelle hardly reassured viewers back in April when she made the ominous remark that she had always known what the ending for Vanessa’s cancer storyline would be. 

She told Radio Times: “I won’t say which way it goes, but I was told straight away.

“As soon as [Emmerdale’s executive producer] Jane Hudson brought me up, she told me the storyline and the outcome.

“I didn’t even have time to think about it one way or another. As soon as I was told the story, I was told the outcome.

“It wasn’t a case of ‘here’s the story but we don’t know yet’. So I’ve always known what happens in the storyline but my lips are sealed…”

Vanessa Woodfield is battling bowel cancer in Emmerdale

Is Charity going to manage to adopt Johnny in Vanessa’s absence?

Emmerdale bosses are yet to confirm whether Charity is successful on her mission to track down Vanessa’s ex Kirin Kotecha. 

But that hasn’t stopped fans hoping she’ll be able to go ahead with her plan to adopt Johnny.

One fan tweeted: “#Emmerdale Also Kirin LITERALLY SHOOK THE CHILD. Why is it such a problem to have Charity adopt him?”

Another said: “If Kirin cannot be found then surely Vanessa doesn’t need his signature for Charity to adopt Johnny?”

Michelle recently addressed how her exit from the soap will impact the adoption storyline.

She said: “Charity adopting Johnny is a massive step in their relationship.

“Obviously with me not being onscreen for the foreseeable due to my pregnancy, the story will continue going forward as Charity navigates her life and parenthood in the absence of Vanessa.”