ITV Emmerdale makes major announcement over future of soap

Emmerdale has announced that Sophie Roper will be stepping into the role of producer, taking over from Kate Brooks. She'll be overseeing the beloved soap's storytelling, casting, and production.

Sophie is transitioning from her position as Story Producer, a role she's held since joining the ITV soap set, in Yorkshire, in July 2016. On her promotion, Sophie said: "As a lifelong soap fan, I feel privileged to be part of such an iconic and well-loved programme and I'm thrilled to be taking the show forward as Producer, alongside an incredibly talented and dedicated team."

She added, "Emmerdale truly is a special place both on and off screen and as we embark on this next chapter, I look forward to bringing more bold and groundbreaking drama to the Dales."

Iain MacLeod, Emmerdale's Executive Producer, praised Sophie's abilities: "Sophie is a real talent and has a natural eye for a big, bold story so she is the perfect person to maintain Emmerdale's tradition of challenging, exciting narratives.", reports the Express. He continued: "I am thrilled that she has made the well-deserved step up into her new role and with her as a more senior part of the very talented team in Leeds, viewers will be in for an engrossing, exhilarating and emotional ride."

Sophie has been instrumental in shaping some of the soap's most unforgettable storylines. These include Pierce Harris' (Jonathan Wrather) coercive control over Rhona Ghoskirk (Zoe Henry), Charity Dingle's (Emma Atkins) flashback episode, Faith Dingle's (Sally Dexter) highly praised cancer storyline and Meena Jutla's (Paige Sandhu) arrival in the Village and subsequent killing spree.

She also lent her talents to rival soap Coronation Street, where she kick-started her career as a trainee location manager. After two years in this role, she transitioned into the editorial department as a storyliner. While at Coronation Street, Roper was part of the team that crafted the storylines for the September 2015 live episode, produced to commemorate ITV's 60th anniversary as the UK's top commercial broadcaster.

The thrilling episode saw drug dealer Callum Logan (Sean Ward), Kylie Platt's (Paula Lane) ex-partner who had been terrorising the Platt family, bludgeoned from behind just as he was about to attack Sarah (Tina O'Brien). His body was subsequently buried in the foundations of the garage at 8 Coronation Street, where it remained undiscovered for nearly a year. Unbeknownst to the Platt matriarch Gail (Helen Worth), she was sleeping in the extension where Callum's body lay hidden.