Emmerdale fans are thrilled after realising that the return of a show favourite may be on the horizon, with the actress sharing pictures from the set.
Actress Georgia Jay took to Instagram to share a selfie in the sun, announcing that ‘Spring is here’, and her followers couldn’t help but notice that the backdrop appeared to be the Emmerdale village.
Georgia’s Dales character Steph Miligan departed the eponymous village almost a year ago as part of a major storyline.
At the beginning of 2025, Steph was blissfully unaware that mum Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly) was dealing with some severe childhood trauma, as a result of dad Anthony Fox re-entering her life.
Ruby revealed to husband Caleb Miligan (William Ash) that she had been sexually abused by Anthony and had fallen pregnant with Steph as a result.
The storyline reached a dramatic peak when Ruby killed her dad, and a number of villagers banded together to cover it up.
However, Steph was suspicious of Anthony’s sudden disappearance, and it wasn’t long before the truth about his death and Ruby’s abuse were revealed to her.
In the weeks that followed, Steph suffered an identity crisis and even attempted to alter her appearance. Eventually, she decided to leave the village for a fresh start.
Steph’s exit was written into the show to accommodate Georgia’s maternity leave, after she fell pregnant with her first child.
She announced the happy news in a TikTok video with co-stars Beth and Bradley Riches.
Over the 2025 Christmas period, she revealed that she had secretly given birth in the summer, welcoming a baby girl called Nora.
Her comments were filled with support from co-stars and fans alike as she shared an adorable picture to her Instagram feed.
As well as spending time with her new baby, Georgia has used her time away from the Dales to accept new opportunities, including shooting for a new folk horror movie.
She shared a carousel of selfies from a location shoot alongside her co-stars from the film, which is called Turn Back and is inspired by the East Anglian legend of the Black Shuck.
The story of the film, which is scheduled for release later this year, will be told entirely in reverse chronology, and Georgia will be playing the role of Delilah.
Now, fans are expressing their hopes that her return to the Emmerdale village will be soon.
‘Hope that’s a new pic and you’re back on the Emmerdale set,’ one wrote in the comments of her recent post, while another said: ‘Why does it look like you’re in the village? Here’s hoping. You look amazing by the way.’
‘Come back to the dales gorgeous,’ a third added.
It is unclear exactly when this photo was taken, but the fact Georgia chose to share this specific Emmerdale picture certainly seems to hint that a return is on the horizon.
And it’s not the only clue she’s shared in recent weeks. Earlier this month, she shared a throwback selfie with Beth from the set.
It also comes just weeks after fans spotted another clue hinting to Georgia’s return in a selfie from a hair salon.
They spotted a script on the table and shared their hopes in the comments that it was for an upcoming Emmerdale episode.
