Isabel Hodgins (Victoria Barton): Emmerdale’s New Sweetheart

Isabel Hodgins is the longest serving female Emmerdale star, having played Victoria Barton since she was 12 years old – she’s now 25!

Image Source/ The Sun

Her most recent storyline…

The character of Victoria Barton has recently hit the headlines after she was raped on a night out… and decided to keep the baby that resulted from the act!

This isn’t the first explosive storyline for Victoria, we have seen her live to tell the tale about the explosion at her family home – for which she needed psychiatric help; falling through ice and nearly drowning; slept with her step-brother; running over Ashley; the breakdown of her marriage after finding out Adam is infertile – and them deciding to give it another go; and kissing her husband’s brother , Matty, who used to be Hannah, her best friend at school!

Despite all of that, Isabel has admitted that this is her grittiest storyline on the show and is shocked by the amount of women who have reached out to her since the episodes were aired sharing their similar experiences with her.

However, she emphasises:

‘They’re so brave for telling me […] they would say it was exactly the same situation as Victoria or something very similar and I was like, well one, thank you, but I don’t know how to respond to this because I’m pretending and it actually happened to [them]’.

Her new hair…

When Victoria returned to our screens recently, one of the things fans noticed most is her new ‘do!

She has gone from a sleek and sophisticated bob to a cute yet chic pixie cut.

Speaking about it, Isabel has said;

‘I have got very thick, curly, unruly hair and I wanted it gone […] I’m not having a meltdown, I just don’t want hair anymore’. 

But what about her character of Victoria we hear you thinking! Well, she had to ask the producers at Emmerdale if the hair cut would be okay – can you imagine having to ask permission for a hair cut?! – she was surprised that the bosses were supportive. They reportedly said: ‘Oh that ties in with the story’!

Isabel recently showed off her new hairstyle at the British Soap Awards. She juxtaposed the ‘do with a hot pink, tutu inspired mini dress.

Image Source/ Celeb Mafia

Is it a post-break up chop?..

It would appear so! Michael Parr – AKA Ross Barton in Emmerdale – and Isabel may have kept their relationship on the down low, but it was recently revealed that the pair have split up… With him moving to America to kick start his career in the States!

Rumour has it that the pair started to drift apart and realised that they would be better as friends than partners.

No matter what the reason for her new hair do, we think she looks stunning!