Emmerdale spoilers follow from Wednesday's episode (11 June), which is available to watch now on streaming service ITVX but hasn't yet aired on ITV1.
Emmerdale has given fans closure on Brenda Walker after her open-ended departure from the village.
Lesley Dunlop's final scenes in the role aired two months ago, but in the fictional world of the show, Brenda's loved ones have been expecting her to return soon. Until now, that is.
In Wednesday's episode, Eric Pollard's birthday takes an upsetting turn when he receives a card and letter from Brenda.
He later tells Kerry Wyatt: "She's not coming back. She's rediscovered herself – a new lease of life. And unfortunately, I'm not included in it.
"Who can blame her? With the way that I treated her so badly."
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In a subsequent chat, Eric adds: "I don't know why I'm so upset. I mean, I gambled away her life savings. I was hoping that she was going to come back refreshed and we'd start a new chapter in our lives. Alas, not to be."
Earlier in the year, Brenda headed off on a three-month cruise after winning a magazine competition.
Brenda had entered the contest when she and Eric were still a couple. As life had changed drastically by the time the winner was announced, she invited her former stepdaughter Cathy Hope to be her plus-one.
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As Brenda made plans for the trip, she looked forward to stopping off in Toronto and spending time with her 12-year-old granddaughter Molly.
Jacob Gallagher encouraged her to return to Canada once the cruise was over and enjoy even more time with Molly, although Brenda was unsure whether it was right to turn her back on Eric when he might need her support.
Lesley Dunlop's departure from Emmerdale was first revealed in November 2024. She'd played the role of Brenda for 16 years.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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