Former Emmerdale star Roxy Shahidi has shared a candid post on Instagram, reflecting on how difficult it was to leave the ITV soap after her character was killed off earlier this year.

Her character Leyla Harding was killed in the shocking limo crash in February, dying in the ambulance on her way to the hospital. Shahidi first appeared in the Dales as Leyla in 2008, and played her until 2011, before returning again in 2013.

 

 

Opening up in an Instagram post on Friday, Shahidi has revealed what it was like to say goodbye to her character, and to Emmerdale.

“This time last year, I was coming to terms with having to leave this lot behind. Not just colleagues, but friends and family,” she wrote over photos of her time on the soap.

 

 

“Playing Layla wasn’t just a job; she was a huge part of my identity, and some days I spent more time being her than being myself.”

“Losing that sense of identity was hard,” she continued, adding that long walks with her dog, Mr Cooper, gave her “space to breathe, reflect and stay hopeful”.

 

 

Shahidi is now a yoga teacher, and credited the practice with helping her through those early days.

“Yoga once again became my anchor on the hardest days, moving my body helped me move through grief, loss and uncertainty,” she said, adding that her company YogaRox “has grown into a new home, a new family, and a new sense of self”.

 

 

“I don’t know exactly how I’ll get there, but I know where I’m going. Thank you to everyone who’s supported me through a year of challenge, growth, and transformation; here’s to 2026,” she concluded.

Her followers took to the comments to show their support, including her former Emmerdale co-stars. Kerry Wyatt actor Laura Norton wrote: “You’re amazing. You are very missed. Sky is the limit.”

Isabel Hodgins, who plays Victoria Sugden, and Coronation Street’s Claire Sweeney sent her love heart emojis.

The dramatic limo crash cliffhanger in February left fans fearing for their favourite characters, as 17 villagers were involved in the shocking double crash incident. Emmerdale viewers are in for another exciting episode coming up in January, as the crossover special with Coronation Street will involve another multi-vehicle road crash.