Former Emmerdale star Paula Lane has confirmed that she has taken an unexpected new direction in her career. Nearly a year from her exit on the ITV soap, what has the actor chosen to do next?

The star made her debut as Ella Forster in the Dales in January 2024, appearing in several major storylines before her exit in April of the following year as the character was taken away by the police for drugging Chas Dingle.

Despite a year nearly passing since her on-screen exit, it’s been a busy time for Lane, with the actor giving birth to a baby boy last month as she welcomed another child with husband Tom Shaw.

That isn’t the only change in her personal life, with the star revealing via Instagram that she was currently studying. She wrote: “A whole year has passed since leaving Emmerdale…so much has happened in that time!

“Got a maths qualification – some people thought I was mad but I went and did it anyway! Still studying [Spanish]. Continue to watch my business grow and thrive. Had a baby (a true blessing from above). Got the writing bug.”