EXCLUSIVE While a string of exits have hit Emmerdale including character axes, one cast member feared she was next to leave after being dealt worrying news by soap producer Sophie Roper10:38, 25 Aug 2026Updated 10:40, 25 Aug 2026One Emmerdale star thought their time was up on the ITV soap after a meeting with bosses, amid a string of cast changes.‌With multiple exits this year alone, Katie Hill thought she might be next. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, the Sarah Sugden actress said how some news from soap bosses left her worried that she was going to have to the leave the ITV soap after nearly a decade in the role.‌Confirmed exits so far have included Dr Todd, the villain who Sarah accidentally killed in a recent episode. It was this news that Sarah would turn killer that sparked fears for Katie that her time on the show was over.‌She told us: "Straight away I was like, 'Do I go to prison?' and Sophie Roper [Emmerdale producer] just said, 'No, you don't go to prison.' I was like, phew. Sophie then she explained the situation, it's accidental."But it was definitely a thought that, 'Oh gosh, am I going off the show?'." Katie confessed she was stunned to find out her character would be the one to kill Todd, who had blackmailed and raped Sarah's grandmother Charity Dingle weeks prior.‌Katie said: "I was a bit speechless in the meeting when Sophie first told me, because it was a lot to take in. It was just one thing after another, I was like, 'Oh my gosh!'"But I was so excited when I got told that it was coming up. Every actor wants to be challenged, and it was certainly massively challenging. But luckily, I had Emma Atkins [Charity] by my side, I had Casey Al-Shaqsy [Serena Sugden], and our lovely director."So, we had a good team of people around us that made it feel less daunting." Teasing what is ahead for Sarah with spoilers hinting she could confess to police, Katie warned of "hurdles" and "grief".‌She explained: "She's going to really struggle. We'll see her go on a journey of grief after what she's done. There's more things coming along the way, more twists and turns. I mean it's Emmerdale!"You'll definitely see her struggling, because she's just not that person. She doesn't have that in her to kill. It's something that's happened accidentally. It's a difficult time for her."‌On whether it could lead to a split for Sarah and her husband Jacob Sugden, she said: "I hope not, because I think Sarah and Jacob are really well suited for each other. I think they've already been through so much together."So I'm hoping that they can get through this last hurdle, hopefully. But it won't be the last hurdle, because it's Emmerdale, so they're going to have many more hurdles to come!"Katie also teased Sarah's reaction to the fact that her baby daughter Leyla is in fact Charity's daughter, not her own. She teased: "Leyla is everything to Sarah, so it would be a massive moment for her finding out that she's not hers. I don't think we can say too much about it, but I can't imagine it's going to go well at first."Article continues belowEmmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .