Best known for her portrayal of Donna Windsor in Emmerdale, Verity Rushworth starred in the popular ITV soap opera for an impressive stint spanning more than a decade. Taking on the role from Sophie Jeffrey, who played Donna until 1997, Verity assumed the character’s identity from 1998 to 2009.
During her time on , Donna ranked as the third longest-standing character by the time she exited in 2009. She experienced a turbulent life in the village, with her first year marked by a dramatic rescue from a stable fire ignited by plane crash debris.
Verity’s character, Donna, faced one ordeal after another: starting from a tractor accident, moving through community service and up to her tumultuous relationship with . Affairs, mishaps, surrogacy you name it, all during her marriage to Marlon, which eventually crashed as he discovered her infidelity and showed her the door.
In 2014, Verity made a comeback as Donna for a five-month run, reappearing in March with her daughter April and bringing a shocking development Donna’s terminal lung cancer diagnosis. Her character chose to end her life on August 14, 2014, throwing herself off a multi-storey car park.
The heart-rending exit earned the scene the “Spectacular Scene of the Year” accolade at The British Soap Awards 2015.
Emmerdale’s Donna Windsor star’s life after tragic exit from ITV soap (Image: ITV)
Since leaving , Verity has continued to shine in other television shows and theatre productions. She featured in the medical soap opera, Doctors, playing Lily Walker from 2020 to 2021.
Her theatre credits include roles in Chicago, Kinky Boots and And Then There Were None.
Verity is happily married to Dominic Michael Shaw (Image: Instagram/Verity Rushworth)
Off the stage and screen, Verity is happily married to Dominic Michael Shaw. The pair exchanged vows in 2013 and have since welcomed two children: a daughter, Amelie Iris, born in August 2016, and a son, Ethan, born in July 2019.
The mother of two frequently shares family photos on , while maintaining a level of privacy. Verity relishes her role as a working mum and continues to pursue TV and theatre opportunities.