Emmerdale icon returning to TV a whopping 26 years on from explosive exit and quitting showbiz to become a teacher

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

Former Emmerdale star Glenda McKay is making a return to acting - 26 years after her character was dramatically killed off and she walked away from showbiz to become a schoolteacher.
The actress, now 54, famously played Rachel Hughes, the mother of Joe Tate, in the ITV soap for over a decade from 1988 to 1999.
Glenda, who joined the cast at just 17 alongside her real-life brother Craig McKay, 52, stepped away from the spotlight shortly after her character's shocking death.
But now, she's set to return to TV screens - this time swapping the Yorkshire Dales for the cobbles of Coronation Street.
A source told The Sun: 'Glenda is making an acting comeback 13 years after she was last on TV.
They continued: 'She'll be playing a social worker called Alison Hale who deals with Tim and Sally.
'Just as she arrives to tell them they're set to foster the Michealis children, a shocking incident happens that throws everything into chaos.'
ITV confirmed to the Daily Mail that Glenda will make a guest appearance in one episode as a visiting artist.
Glenda's Emmerdale exit remains one of the soap's most unforgettable moments.
Her character Rachel was pushed off a cliff by her abusive partner, schoolteacher Graham Clark (played by Kevin Pallister), during a chilling confrontation.
Reflecting on her departure at the time, Glenda said: 'I've been at Emmerdale for 11 years, so it is a big change, but there comes a time when you have to go.
'I have other strings to my bow, and now seems like the right time to put them to the test.'
After stepping away from acting, Glenda retrained as a teacher and largely stayed out of the spotlight.
More than a decade later, she returned to the Emmerdale set - not as a cast member, but as a visitor, bringing her class along for a behind-the-scenes tour.
She told the Ilkley Gazette at the time: 'The children were delighted to meet Chris Chittell, who answered all their questions about what it is like to be famous and what is involved in being a soap actor.
She continued: 'It really was quite a trip for the class and I was delighted that they all behaved well and represented their school with pride.
'They also all appreciated how fortunate they were and were genuinely bowled over by their experience.'
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1.