Inside Emmerdale star Sammy Winward's life seven years after leaving soap

8 February 2022, 09:24

Who did Sammy Winward play in Emmerdale and where is she now? Here’s what we know about the former Emmerdale star…

Emmerdale fans will remember Sammy Winward as the popular character Katie Sugden.

After making her debut in 2001, Katie was on the soap for an impressive 14 years, before saying goodbye in 2015.

But what happened to Sammy’s character and where is the actress now?

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Why did Sammy Winward leave Emmerdale?

Sammy Winward announced she was leaving Emmerdale in 2014, saying she wanted to pursue other projects and acting roles.

Her character was part of some huge storylines over the years, including her romance with Andy Sugden (Kelvin Fletcher).

She also had relationships with Adam Barton (Adam Thomas) and Declan Macey (Jason Merrells), and was involved in the big 2012 mineshaft accident.

The character was killed off in 2015 after she fell to her death during an argument with her ex Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley).

When she found out he was having a secret affair with Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), the pair got into a fight at Wylie's Farm and Robert pushed her to the ground forcefully.

The floor then gave way and Katie fell to her death.

What else has Sammy Winward been in?

After leaving her role in Emmerdale, Sammy has starred in a string of other TV shows ITV drama Prey, where she played Lucy, and 2017 crime series Fearless.

In December 2021, Sammy announced she would be starring in a new drama called The Saturday After.

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A post shared by Sammy winward (@sammy_winward1)

She also created her own acting workshops and has written a book for children.

Is Sammy Winward married?

Sammy Winward is married to husband Martyn Hardy and the pair tied the knot four years ago.

The pair often share sweet photos of one another on Instagram, with Sammy recently telling fans: "Six years today being engaged to the love of my life, four years married, 24 years of friendship and still going strong. Here's to 24 more."

The former Emmerdale star also shares daughter Mia, 16, with her former fiancé, footballer David Dunn.

Sammy and David were engaged when Mia was born in 2005, but they split three months later.