Victoria Sugden

Victoria Anne Barton (née Sugden) is a fictional character in the British soap opera Emmerdale, played since 2006 by Isabel Hodgins. The character as a young child was played by Jessica Heywood, then Hannah Midgley. Victoria is currently the longest serving female character on the show.

Storylines

1994–2007

Victoria is born in March 1994 to Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) and Sarah Connolly (Alyson Spiro). When she is only days old, her crying brings her grandmother, Annie (Sheila Mercier), out of the coma she has been in after being injured in the plane crash. In May, Jack and Sarah marry. Weeks later, Victoria stops breathing, due to a hole in her heart and needs an operation but makes a full recovery.

Andy Hopwood (Kelvin Fletcher) visits the farm with other children from a care home and becomes friendly with Victoria's brother, Robert (Christopher Smith) and the Sugdens eventually adopt him. The Sugdens struggle financially so Richie Carter (Glenn Lamont) becomes their new lodger. Sarah and Richie begin an affair and she left Jack for him, moving into Pear Tree Cottage together. Jack and Sarah battle for custody of the children and Sarah wins custody of Victoria. Sarah later dies in a barn fire started by Andy for insurance reasons. Jack is in the frame for arson and murder but is cleared.