Donohoe plans long post-'Emmerdale' break

Emmerdale star Amanda Donohoe has said that she plans to take a "long break" following her departure from the soap.

Donohoe, who has portrayed Natasha Wylde since 2008, announced that she would be leaving the Yorkshire-based show in July.

The actress told PA: "I'm going to take a long break now. I turned down some theatre - I usually hate turning down work - but I just need a break for a while. You can only do so much and then you have to stop."

She continued: "I'm being very domestic. I'm going to do all the things I should have been doing for those two years - clearing the wilderness that the garden has become.

"It's funny, as an actor you work very intensely and then you stop and if you don't enjoy the life in between you don't have a life."

Reflecting on her time on the soap, Donohoe said: "What I didn't really expect going into the job was how intense it would be. If your storyline is going well, they want to use you and your character.

"It might have been easier if I lived in Leeds but I was basically on location for two years. That became quite stressful for my family and me. Commuting from Suffolk is no mean feat! I couldn't see my family much and at some point something has to give."

The 48-year-old actress has previously said that she took the decision to leave Emmerdale in order to spend more time with her family.