ITV Emmerdale star rushed to A&E as actress shares candid social media photo

Olivia Gantzer
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:04:08 +0000

Emmerdale actress Michelle Hardwick found herself making an unexpected trip to accident and emergency over the Easter weekend after sustaining a painful eye injury.

The 50-year-old, best known for portraying Vanessa Woodfield on the ITV soap, developed a scratched cornea on Saturday evening, prompting her hospital visit the following morning.

On Tuesday, the star shared a selfie on her Instagram Stories revealing her visibly red and swollen left eye.

"Anyone else had a scratched cornea? This happened Saturday night... little trip to A+E Sunday morning to be checked over," she wrote alongside the image.

The cornea is the protective outer layer situated at the front of the eye, and damage to it can cause significant discomfort and visual disturbance.

Ms Hardwick revealed she was prescribed antibiotic cream to treat the injury over a five-day period, expressing her appreciation for the medical professionals who attended to her.

"Good job I'm not back in work til Friday! Thank you to our amazing NHS," she added in her social media post.

The timing of the incident has raised questions about whether her eye will recover sufficiently before she is due back on the Emmerdale set at the end of the week.

Should the injury fail to heal properly, production schedules for the long-running Yorkshire-based drama could potentially be affected.

Ms Hardwick was not the only soap star requiring medical attention during the bank holiday period, with several of her colleagues also finding themselves in need of hospital care.

EastEnders actress Michelle Collins suffered a similar misfortune over the holiday weekend, injuring her knee in a fall at a friend's home in Norfolk.

The incident occurred when Ms Collins attempted to prevent her dog Peggy from running out of the door, resulting in cuts, bruises and damage to her knee that has left her reliant on crutches and wearing a leg brace.

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The 62-year-old was treated at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, where she praised staff for their efficiency and kindness despite the facility's reportedly low position in hospital league tables.

"Seems so unfair to label a hospital like this, not great for morale as one of the lovely nurses said," Ms Collins remarked on Instagram.

The Cindy Beale actress has since informed BBC bosses that she will require seated scenes this week.

Isabel Hodgins, who plays Victoria Sugden on Emmerdale and is currently on maternity leave, also required urgent medical attention over the weekend alongside her partner Adam Whitehead.

The new mother, who recently gave birth to daughter Georgie Grace, shared an emotional update on Instagram Stories revealing an unexpected visit to an urgent care facility.

"Today didn't go to plan. There were tears...and a fear hours spent at urgent care getting checked over. The staff were so lovely and caring," she wrote, adding: "There are some things they don't tell you about postpartum recovery."

Ms Hodgins later reassured concerned fans that medication was helping her condition improve, posting a photograph of herself with her newborn daughter.

"Postpartum recovery was going well... until now, but taking it one day at a time," she explained.