The actress left the Dales earlier this year in the Valentine’s limo crash
Emmerdale star Roxy Shahidi admits that losing Leyla Harding in her ITV exit was “hard” as she looks forward to 2026.
Leyla Harding first joined Emmerdale in 2008 part-time before taking on the role permanently in 2014, and quickly became a fan favourite in the village.
However, during the Valentine’s Day limo crash Leyla was killed off after being impaled from a piece of glass during the accident. She became the second confirmed death after her Take a Vow colleague Suzy Merton was the first to go after a fatal head injury led to her instant death upon impact.
Leyla refused to let the others know about her injury while in the limo after she spotted the blood coming from her stomach. She waited until it was just her and Kerry left before she admitted that she couldn’t move.
Kerry managed to drag her out of the limo before it submerged under the water, but as medics rushed to the scene, Leyla was declared dead before she reached the hospital.
Her son Jacob was on shift at the time, and broke down in tears when he learned that he hadn’t had the chance to bid his mum a final goodbye.
Speaking about her exit at the time, Roxy shared: “It was bittersweet. Getting the push was a mix of emotions. It was a sense of relief, because you think: ‘Now I’ve got to get out there and do some new things’.
“But it was also really sad because you love the character, you love the job, you love your friends. It feels like a family on the show.”
Taking to Instagram, Roxy reflected on 2025 and her exit from the ITV soap. Sharing a carousel of pictures from her time in the Dales she wrote: “This year changed me. Loss, letting go, growth, and unexpected beginnings.
“Thank you to everyone who’s walked this path with me especially all the beautiful people who took a chance and joined me at Yoga Rox Here’s to continuing forward, together”.
She added: “This time last year, I was coming to terms with having to leave this lot behind not just colleagues, but friends and family. Playing Leyla wasn’t just a job; it was part of my identity, and some days I spent more time being her than being myself.
“Losing that sense of identity was hard, but long walks with Mr Cooper gave me space to breathe, reflect, and stay hopeful.” The actress then took to the comments and continued: “I know @joewarren_plant was incredible”.
Emmerdale star Laura Norton who filmed some of Roxy’s last films with her at the scene of the limo crash, also added: “You’re amazing. You are very missed. Sky is the limit”.
