Former Emmerdale star Verity Rushworth, who played Donna Windsor in the long-running ITV soap, has opened up about her real reason for leaving the show as she embarks on an exciting new chapter in her life, which will see one lucky person win a new home thanks to the star and her partner. The now 40-year-old mum starred in the soap from the age of 12 and appeared for 11 years in total, across two stints. However, her character ultimately died by suicide on 14 August 2014, and she made her final appearance on 15 August 2014.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, she admits it was "scary" being killed off but said: "I had a burning passion to do musicals, and I had to tick that box, so I took the risk, because I had done three years of musical theatre training and achieved a diploma while I was filming Emmerdale full time.

"I was driving to Studio College, and I did a lot of training as a kid. After 11 years of filming, it was just something inside me...and I was lucky enough to walk straight into Hairspray in the West End with Michael Ball, and that was at 23. I had to move to London on my own and rent a flat," she recalled.

She continued: "I did lots of touring, and I really was very fortunate to fulfil that side of my career. But then, as you get older and you have a family, it's like, 'Oh, I really want to get back into TV', because it's eight shows a week, and commuting to London with kids is really difficult," she ponders.

This has led the star to a new chapter of her life, running a successful property development business with her partner, Anthony Martin, called MartinRushworth. The couple met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend and clicked right away thanks to their shared interests - including property. While it may seem like a huge departure, Verity still acts, and this is just another string to her bow.

Her first forays into property came in her soap days. "I've always had a passion for property she says. At 21, I bought my first home in Leeds, and then I was flipping properties from quite young with my Emmerdale money, so I've always been really intrigued by it, and it just all came together.

"I retrained, and I did a qualification in bookkeeping, so I'm now the financial director of the company, and I do all the books and accounts and the payroll and everything, and it works alongside my acting and auditions and self tapes and the kids. So it's just all fit into place, really," she smiled.

The couple are now giving one lucky person the opportunity to win a £600,000 detached family home in Kent. The aim is not only to offer someone the chance to win a mortgage-free home, but also to give back, as the profits will support a children’s heart charity called ECHO (Evelina Children’s Heart Organisation), which is close to their hearts after Anthony’s daughter, now a happy and thriving seven-year-old, underwent life-saving surgery at 18 months.

"The reason we're doing the raffle is that Anthony has built five four-bed detached houses, beautiful houses, and he could just put them through his estate agency and make a bit of commission. It's a successful business. But he was so aware of how difficult it is at the moment for people to get on the property ladder nowadays

"He thought, what if we tried to raffle one, and if it worked, that could be like a new thing - then we're actually giving back. If we actually make enough ticket sales this way, we're going to be able to give a percentage to charity as well. And if it works, then it's going to be a whole new thing that he can offer as part of his company.

"It's £3 a ticket. We tried to make it as affordable as possible. If we sell the 300,000 tickets, then somebody will win the house, and we will be able to donate a massive percentage to the heart charity," she said.

Tickets for the draw to win the £600,000 home are available from Raffall. The draw closes on May 29 2026.