Who was Rebecca White in Emmerdale and how did she die? Ross Barton’s bad news explained
EMMERDALE fans were left shocked when it was revealed that another major character had been killed off.
When Ross Barton returned to the village, he revealed that Rebecca White had sadly died.
Rebecca White was the youngest daughter of businessman Laurence White, and the sister of Chrissy, and arrived in Emmerdale in 2016.
She lived with her millionaire dad at Home Farm.
Rebecca was known for being a free-spirit who ended up pregnant with her sister’s husband’s baby.
Sadly her time in the village was blighted by tragedy.
Rebecca was kidnapped by her serial killer nephew Lachlan.
He then left her brain damaged, and killed her dad and sister Chrissy (his grandfather and mother), when he caused a fatal car crash.
Romance with Ross
Rebecca ended up falling for Ross Barton and the pair left the village having sold Home Farm.
The pair grew close as they shared a bond over suffering horrific injuries, where they could’ve died.
As their romance grew, they decided to start a fresh in Liverpool.
The couple were last seen on Emmerdale leaving the village in 2018, along with her son Seb.
Shock death
When Ross returned to Emmerdale in October 2024, he opened up to ex-Charity Dingle about what had happened in his life since leaving the village.
Asked by Charity where Seb – and his mother – were, Ross dropped a bombshell, and said: “Rebecca’s dead.”
He then revealed how she had died during a “routine operation”.
Explaining what happened, he told Charity: “Me and Rebecca, we’d been split up a while. Pretty amicable in the end as it goes, I was still getting to see Seb.
“Then one day she called me, saying she had to go into hospital for a routine operation. Nothing serious but could I look after Seb. No problem.
“We went Go-Karting, he loved it, we both did. And then I helped him make a card for his mum but he never got to give it to her.
“We were both having a pizza when we got the call. Turns out I was still listed as her next of kin.
“They said it was a one in a thousand chance, her heart just stopped and that was it. I let Seb go to sleep not knowing that he didn’t have a mum anymore.”
He revealed how with Robert Sugden, Seb’s biological father, still being in prison for murder that her son went to live with Rebecca’s aunt in Bristol.
“The next morning I told him what had happened and he cried himself to sleep pretty much every night.
“And from then on everywhere he went, I went, I was always by his side. But that doesn’t change the fact that Seb isn’t mine.
“They took him from me, Charity. They took him from me and there was nothing I could do.”
Actress Emily Head
Actress Emily Head played Rebecca from 2016 until 2018.
She is the daughter of Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head.
The TV star found fame in her own right in the late noughties, when she landed a role of schoolgirl Carli D’Amato on The Inbetweeners.
Since leaving Emmerdale, Emily has continued to work and starred in the BBC’s The Syndicate.
Most devastating soap deaths
SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust.
Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years.
EASTENDERS
Barry Evans – Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying.
Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files.
Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”.
Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died.
He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape.
Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death.
CORONATION STREET
Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor.
When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her.
Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her.
In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe.
Molly Dobbs – Molly was one of the victims in Corrie’s 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold).
Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her death.
This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth.
As fate would have it, Kevin’s wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly’s side in her final moments.
Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack’s father, before dying of her injuries.
Vera Duckworth – Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character.
Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap’s most beloved couples.
Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was killed off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair.
Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey’s exit as Jack.
Paul Foreman – Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease.
Introduced in 2018 as David Platt’s (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance – and marriage – with vicar Billy Mayhew.
The MND storyline was announced in 2023 – with the expectation it would result in the character’s death.
EMMERDALE
Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn.
He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze.
Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale.
Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash.
Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died.
HOLLYOAKS
Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car.
Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself.
Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel.