Emmerdale actress Deena Payne has admitted she “really didn’t want to come back” to the ITV soap after enjoying her year off.

Deena returns to the show in Tuesday’s episode, and told MSN: “It took me a long time to get it out of my system and actually just stop, but then when I had got work out of my system. I really, really didn’t want to come back.”

However, she changed her mind when she read her scripts.

“When I got the scripts I wouldn’t look at them until I really had to, and once I looked at them I got all excited and it’s been fantastic.

“I’m really enjoying being back, it’s a new lease of life and I’m really pleased that I had a year off so it’s brought me to this point.”