Emmerdale’s Gabrielle Dowling is reportedly set to take a break from her role as Cathy Hope.
The actress, who is 19, has played the soap character since 2007.
In recent years, Cathy has come to terms with her PMDD diagnosis and also dealt with the traumatic death of her twin brother Heath, played by Gabrielle’s brother Sebastian.
After everything she’s been through, it’s no wonder Cathy is looking for a break. It’s alleged that upcoming episodes will see her depart the village temporarily, so Gabrielle can focus on her exams.
‘Gabrielle has been working solidly on the show for her entire life but with her A levels coming up thought it was best to take a break to focus on them’, a source told The Sun.
‘She will be gone for a matter of months and will return later in the year once exam season is over.’
‘Her exit storyline is being kept quiet until it plays out on screen but it’s only going to be a temporary one.’
Also in real-life, Gabrielle is continuing to develop her dog training skills.
At the start of this month, she took part in Crufts with her chocolate working cocker spaniel called Fizz.
Gabrielle regularly competes at competitions around the UK with her dogs Flo and Fizz. She fits this in around studying for her A Levels, as well as working at Emmerdale.
The young actress only began agility training three years ago with Flo after being approached by a trainer, who spoke to Gabrielle about developing her skill.
