An Emmerdale star has quit the ITV soap after 'changing focus in life' - and her final scenes have already aired. 

Actress Georgia Jay, 34, joined the show back in November 2024 as Ruby and Caleb's daughter Steph Miligan. 

Her alter-ego left the village in 2025 after booking a flight to Rome and that was because she was pregnant in real life and went on maternity leave in August last year. 

Georgia gave birth to her daughter Noa at the start of this year. 

The soap star had plans to return to the programme, and her character even told family and friends that she would be back, but now Georgia has decided not to. 

A source has told The Sun: 'Georgia loved her time at Emmerdale but she has no plans to return now. 

'She’s loving being a mum and that’s her focus for now.

'Obviously she’s open to opportunities but returning to a full-on soap schedule full-time is just not something she can do at the moment.'

Daily Mail have contacted ITV for comment. 

Emmerdale isn't the only show that Georgia has starred in over the years. 

Before her stint on Emmerdale, she starred in films such as Lake Placid vs. Anaconda, The Devil Sits on Both Shoulders and Charity. 

She also played Diane Vickers in Giri/Haji and Clare Favarone in Glow & Darkness.  

Since being in Emmerdale, she's played Camila in Silent Witness and Sienna Miller in The Hack. 

This isn't the only change going on in Emmerdale. 

Coronation Street and Emmerdale viewers are reportedly bracing for a bleak summer as the 2026 World Cup threatens to wreak havoc on soap schedules.

The Fifa World Cup 2026, set to take place across Canada, Mexico and the US, kicks off in June, with ITV expected to prioritise live match coverage.

However, the beloved soaps are set to be forced out of their usual slots for some matches, after ITV bosses introduced a 'soap power hour' from 8pm to 9pm each night. 

A source told The Sun: 'It’s proving quite the headache behind the scenes.

'Soap fans have already had to get used to the new slots, which came in at the beginning of the year, so with more changes coming there’s a real fear they could lose more viewers.

'Airing the episodes on a Sunday just does not work and now with the new schedule it’s very unlikely they’ll be able to run before these big World Cup matches start.'

According to insiders, 'lots of discussions' are ongoing as bosses scramble to minimise the impact. 

Daily Mail has contacted ITV for comment.  

In recent months, sporting clashes have already forced episodes off air entirely, while others have been pushed to less popular Sunday evening slots, a move that has frustrated loyal viewers.  

Earlier this week, both soaps were pulled from their usual schedule, with episodes shifted to a one-hour Sunday broadcast instead. 

ITV previously attempted to ease disruption by releasing episodes early on ITVX, but the strategy reportedly left audiences confused. 

Despite the scheduling chaos, the broadcaster claims that the changes have increased digital viewing. 

Streaming figures for the soaps are up 48 per cent year-on-year, with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale recording their highest ever monthly figures. 

The shows pulled in a combined 65 million streams in January 2026, 10 million more than any previous record, with Coronation Street reaching an audience of 5.9 million across TV and streaming. 

Emmerdale airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.