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Actress Roxy Shahidi’s final scenes aired earlier this year with fans heartbroken at the character’s exit, when she bid farewell to Leyla Harding after several years in the role

One Emmerdale star admits she lost her identity following her exit from the soap. Former Emmerdale actress Roxy Shahidi has spoken candidly about the emotional impact of leaving the ITV soap, admitting she struggled with her sense of identity after her character was written out.

Roxy played Leyla Harding, a long-standing and much-loved character on the show, first appearing in 2008 before returning full-time in 2013. After more than a decade on screen, Leyla met a tragic end earlier this year in dramatic scenes that saw several characters plunged into icy water following a limousine crash.

Although Leyla initially survived the accident, viewers later learned she died in an ambulance before reaching hospital, marking the end of Roxy’s 17-year journey on the soap.

Nearly a year on from leaving Emmerdale, Roxy has reflected on the transition and how it affected her personally. In an emotional Instagram post, she admitted stepping away from the role was far more challenging than she anticipated.

“This time last year, I was coming to terms with having to leave this lot behind. Not just colleagues, but friends and family,” she wrote.

She went on to explain how deeply intertwined her character had become with her own sense of self, adding:

“Playing Layla wasn’t just a job; she was a huge part of my identity, and some days I spent more time being her than being myself.

“Losing that sense of identity was hard, but long walks with Mr Cooper [her pet cockapoo] gave me space to breathe, reflect and stay hopeful.”

Since leaving the soap, Roxy has shifted her focus towards wellbeing and has been teaching yoga online. She revealed the practice helped her process the emotional fallout of the change.

“Yoga once again became my anchor on the hardest days, moving my body helped me move through grief, loss and uncertainty,” she continued.

Adding that her yoga platform has helped her build a new chapter in her life, she went on: “Now YogaRox has grown into a new home, a new family, and a new sense of self.

“I don’t know exactly how I’ll get there, but I know where I’m going. Thank you to everyone who’s supported me through a year of challenge, growth, and transformation; here’s to 2026.”

Her post was quickly flooded with supportive messages, including from former Emmerdale co-stars. Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt, commented: “You’re amazing. You are very missed. Sky is the limit.”

Fellow soap stars Claire Sweeney, Isobel Hodgins and Ross Adams also shared messages of love.

Fans echoed the sentiment, with one writing: “You are still so missed by us Emmerdale fans. But you are smashing it now with your new projects, you are amazing!! Xx”

Another added: “I miss seeing you shine on my screen every night but being able to see you absolutely smashing the yoga is everything, heres to an amazing 2026 and I hope the new year brings you nothing but happiness and big achievements.”

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Netflix’s Man vs Baby has been a hit with viewers and they can’t get enough of the picturesque village at the beginning of the series.

Man vs Baby, featuring Rowan Atkinson reprising his role as Trevor Bingley, has become a massive hit on Netflix. The festive comedy is a four-part sequel to Man vs Bee, and it sees Trevor taking up a new position as a school caretaker. Following his separation from his wife, Trevor leads a simple, somewhat solitary life in a quaint rural cottage that still relies on a coin meter for electricity. He was looking forward to his daughter’s Christmas visit, but a change of plans left him alone.

After a string of unexpected events, Trevor ends up house-sitting a luxury penthouse in London, where most of the story unfolds. However, viewers have been captivated by the idyllic village featured at the start of the series, which is currently topping the Netflix charts, and are eager to know its location.

The opening scenes of this Christmas comedy were shot in the charming village of Aldbury in Dacorum, Hertfordshire. Dacorum Borough Council proudly shared a snapshot of the film crew on their Facebook page, delighted to see their picturesque locale gaining recognition.

They explained: “The production, which includes Rowan Atkinson among its cast, brought a festive transformation to Aldbury last winter, complete with snow-covered streets, Christmas trees, and seasonal decorations. Working under the production code name St James, Aldbury Parish Council supported the Netflix team throughout the process, with local residents and businesses helping to ensure smooth filming.”

“Hertfordshire Film Office also assisted with traffic management. Many community members had the opportunity to observe filming, with several external scenes shot around the village. Thank you to everyone involved in supporting another production in Dacorum.”

The picturesque village of Aldbury, home to fewer than a thousand residents, centres around Aldbury Village Store. Viewers are also treated to glimpses of the village pond, the historic manor cottage, and the Greyhound Inn’s exterior, the beloved local pub.

The scenes depicting St Aldwyn’s Church of England Primary School were actually filmed at Longfield Hall, a Victorian community venue dating back to 1904 in Camberwell, South London. For the railway station sequence, whilst Tring Station was nearest, its contemporary appearance meant producers opted for Ongar railway station in Essex instead.

Enjoy Dacorum portrays Aldbury as a “pretty, traditional English village with a church, village pond, ancient whipping post and stocks and two pubs”. Thanks to its quintessentially charming character, the village has become a sought-after filming destination for major productions including Midsomer Murders and the second Bridget Jones film.

The 2023 film Lord of Misrule also featured scenes shot in Aldbury, with the Parish Council publishing a touching note from the production crew on their website. They said: “It has been an enormous privilege for us to shoot our movie in such a beautiful, characterful setting and I think we’ll all take a little piece of Hertfordshire away in our hearts as we leave.”

Actor Atkinson reflected on how the concept of a solitary Christmas formed the foundation of the series, explaining: “I certainly like Christmas, like most people. I was quite drawn to the idea of, without wishing to spoil the plot of Man Versus Baby, a lonely Christmas.

“Other than having the baby for company, Trevor’s alone because his daughter has booked a last-minute holiday to Barbados. He’s flat-sitting at Christmas without any of his family around him, and that can be hard.

“When we first see him, he’s got all these presents wrapped by a tiny tree decorated with Heroes wrappers, and he’s looking forward to it, and then he gets abandoned by his family, which is quite sad.”

The series has garnered glowing reviews from both viewers and critics, who have praised it as ideal family viewing. The Mr Bean star explained: “As long as people enjoy what I’ve put a lot of effort into producing, I’m happy. I’ve worked on this show every day of my life for the last year and a quarter, at the very least. I definitely put in the hours.

“I’m someone who does that. I don’t just turn up to act the role: I’m part of the writing and very much part of the post-production, so I’m in every sound mix and visual effects meeting. I’m there from the bitter beginning to the bitter end and so it’s a big commitment. If all of that effort ends up in something good that people like, that’s all you can hope for.”

Man vs Baby is available to stream on Netflix.

There is nowhere on Earth quite like Las Vegas, and when you add in the chaos of 200mph supercars whizzing down the Strip, it takes the mad place to another level

Whoever coined New York ‘the city that never sleeps’ had clearly never been to Las Vegas. Certainly not in Formula 1 week.

When the glitz and glamour of the world’s fastest sport meets the sheer chaos of the world’s craziest city – it takes it to another level. Las Vegas is like nowhere else on the planet. From the moment you touch down in this metropolis of Nevada after a lengthy 10-and-a-half-hour flight from the UK, any thoughts of jet lag are consigned to the back of your mind.

The sights and sounds of Sin City are quite literally designed to keep you awake and, more pertinently, keep you spending. From arriving at the mighty Caesars Palace, where the Nobu hotel provided my base for the stay, I was met with a countless array of gambling machines and tables, which are occupied 24 hours a day.

Numerous casinos on the world-famous Strip even have an artificial blue sky on the ceilings. With no clocks or open windows, gamblers could be forgiven for losing track of time, whether they are winning or losing.

And with an extra 150,000 people in the city for the Grand Prix, Vegas took on a new lease of life. This isn’t like visiting Silverstone or Brands Hatch. There is no purpose-built Formula 1 track. Instead, Las Vegas Boulevard shuts down to regular traffic for the weekend, meaning you need your walking boots to get around the hotels, casinos, bars, and restaurants.

Handily, with the main attractions all in close proximity, that is possible. But even so, I was walking up to 30,000 steps a day in order to experience everything this bustling hub of activity had to offer. I was lucky enough to be given a guided tour of the track two days before the race, ahead of the drivers heading out for their practice session.

It was an opportunity to get up close and personal with the sport’s biggest stars, their cars, and the thousands of staff in the pit lane, while being walked through the unique challenges each corner presents.

I witnessed a practice pit stop and gained a unique insight into the pressures on not only the drivers but also each staff member to execute the perfect race-day strategy.

It was then time to head to F1 Arcade to try my hand behind the wheel in a simulator. Thankfully, unlike those out on the track, I was able to select a setting more suitable to my level of expertise, and crashing the car into the barrier at top speeds meant simply hitting restart and having another go.

At the race itself, the adrenaline rush of seeing these supercars whizz past at speeds of over 200mph genuinely takes your breath away. And nowhere is it more fitting than with an incredible backdrop of the Vegas skyline, including the unmistakable Sphere.

Opening in September 2003 with a residency from Irish rockers U2, the Sphere is one of the world’s craziest and most novel entertainment venues and a must-see on any visit to Vegas. In addition to staging concerts, the venue also serves as a 360-degree, fully immersive cinema. I saw the 1930s classic, The Wizard of Oz, originally shot for a 4:3 movie screen.

To see this vintage piece of cinema being brought into the 21st century, complete with effects including fog, wind, and objects falling from the sky into your lap, is an experience to behold.

Another key pillar of the Las Vegas entertainment circuit is the various Cirque du Soleil shows available at numerous venues on the Strip. One such show is ‘O’ at the Bellagio – so named because ‘eau’ is French for water.

The show provides a spectacular array of aquatic performances through a journey of love, danger, adventure and courage. In addition to acrobats, it features artistic swimmers and divers, some of whom have represented their countries at the Olympic Games.

The supremely agile and flexible performers are joined by a flying pirate ship in a stunning display of gravity-defying artistry.

Vegas boasts a vast array of food and drink options to suit a range of budgets. At the top end, the aptly named High Steaks restaurant pairs incomparable 180-degree views of the Strip with a selection of succulent meats, seafood and show-stopping desserts.

Yardbird in the Venetian Resort is a perfect spot for breakfast with their signature chicken and waffles brilliantly over-the-top in every way. Away from the chaos of the Strip, the Vegas Arts District provides the perfect opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a more reserved area of this magnificent city.

Packed with quirky shops and idyllic brunch spots, it’s hard to believe you are just a stone’s throw away from the world’s capital of extravagance. But that is the allure of Las Vegas. The most brilliantly bonkers city in the world.