Emmerdale star was brought almost a decade after her character was killed off
An Emmerdale actress has left fans moved with an emotional update following the filming of her final scenes on the popular ITV soap. Sophie Powles made a dramatic return to the Dales for a one-time special episode, eight years after viewers mourned her character Holly Barton’s tragic exit due to a drug overdose storyline.
In a mind-bending twist, Holly appeared as a hallucination to her mother Moira during a critical brain surgery while Moira’s husband Cain was caught up in a fiery affair with his sister-in-law Ruby. The latest episodes delivered poignant moments as mother and daughter were visually reconciled, yet it wasn’t just on the show where emotions ran high. Off-screen, Sophie had a touching reunion with Natalie J. Robb who portrays Moira, reports the Express.
Sharing a series of affectionate pictures with her ex-colleagues on Instagram, Sophie expressed her heartfelt thanks to the audience and reflected on her journey with the soap. Her caption read: “Thank you for all the lovely messages and the amazing response to last week’s episode of @emmerdale a show that will always hold a really special place in my heart.”
“Forever grateful to have worked with the best cast and crew and had so many incredible opportunities. The best thing though is the friends I met that are genuinely my family. Heart is full.”
Not to be left out of the sweet exchange, Natalie also shared her delight: “What a very special day filming these scenes with my on-screen daughter Holly. It was like she had never left – wish it had been for longer! Love you Sophie.”
In response, Sophie conveyed her admiration: “I adore you. Forever grateful to you Nate. Learnt from the best on that show.”
Viewers were thrilled by Holly’s surprise comeback, with fans taking to social media to discuss her return and speculate on future ones. One excitedly guessed: “September – Emma appeared. October – Ross returned. November – Holly appeared. And on Christmas Day Pete Barton is returning.”
Another fan praised the scene’s cinematography on Twitter, commenting: “Wasn’t that camera shot great when it pulled away from Moira sitting on the haystack and Holly was beside her? ” While a third remarked on the show’s unpredictability: “Emmerdale is that bonkers they could bring back Holly Barton permanently! “.
