Emmerdale star Susan Cookson has played Wendy Posner in the ITV soap for six years but her time in the Dales came to an end on Friday night’s episode as the character was forced to flee

Emmerdale’s Wendy Posner, portrayed by Susan Cookson, bid farewell to the village after six years in Friday’s (January 17) episode, now available on ITVX.

Wendy first came to the village in search of Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins), who was carrying her grandchild, but ended up settling in the Dales with new partner Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw).

However, it was revealed in December that Susan had been cut from the ITV soap. Her exit storyline involved Wendy getting entangled in a blackmail situation with a journalist, following an article about her dark past and suggesting her involvement in April Windsor’s disappearance.

Susan Cookson as Wendy Posner in Emmerdale (Image: ITV)

Susan joined Emmerdale in 2019, after a challenging period in her personal life. The actress lost her husband, actor Malcolm Scates, to a brain tumour in 2016.

He was known for his roles in shows like Shameless, Holby City, Waterloo Road, The Bill and Doctors. After caring for him during his illness, Susan, who married Malcolm in 1993 and had two children with him, considered leaving acting for nursing.

However, a call from Emmerdale altered her career trajectory, reports Leeds Live.

Susan Cookson, who’s graced our screens in Emmerdale, opened up to The Mirror about a major life decision: “I was at a bit of a crossroads in my life through one thing and another and I decided that I wanted a more regular job. I started to think about changing careers and going into nursing. My husband, who is sadly no longer with us, had been very poorly and I’d nursed him.”

Wendy arrived in Emmerdale in 2019(Image: ITV)

She continued, revealing the twist of fate that kept her acting: “And I’d played a lot of doctors and nurses over the years, so it was a career I knew a bit about.

“I was in my car, about 10 minutes away from this meeting, when my phone went. It was Emmerdale producer Jane Hudson. I worked with her many moons ago on Casualty, but I’d not spoken to her for years.”

Besides her stint in Emmerdale, Susan has made her mark as Maggie Coldwell in BBC’s Casualty and Kath Wylie in Doctors, not to mention her roles as Tanya in Early Doors and Janice Piper in Clocking Off.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm. Episodes are also available to stream via ITVX