Emmerdale and Brenda Walker star Lesley Dunlop has secured a new acting role after leaving the ITV soap last week.

Brenda left the village last week with Cathy Hope, going off on their travels for a three month cruise.

But, Lesley’s now trading one ship for another as she’s set to star in The Good Ship Murder.

In Emmerdale, Brenda and Cathy bid an emotional farewell to the village as they prepared to head off on a cruise Brenda had won in a magazine competition.

Brenda had contemplated not going but then decided to live life to the full, with Cathy for company.

While the trip is only meant to be for three months, viewers will know that Lesley’s exit from the soap is actually permanent. The star has bowed out of the soap after 16 years.

But, now she’s already got a new acting role in the works. She’ll have a guest role in the Channel 5 show – The Good Ship Murder, The Sun reports.

A source told the publication: “Lesley will be making a guest appearance on the upcoming series and it’s not lost on her that she left Emmerdale on a cruise and her first job away from it is on a cruise.

“She’s going to have a great time filming in the sunshine and on the ship.”

Will Brenda return to Emmerdale?

Fans might be wondering whether Brenda could ever return to the Dales in the future.

While Lesley’s working on other projects for the time being, the door has been left open.

The source added: “And of course the door has been left open at Emmerdale especially with Chris still there she could always pop up in future.”

Lesley has been married to Eric Pollard co-star Chris Chittell for nine years. Chris is still a part of the soap, with there being a possibility that Lesley’s character of Brenda could return to the village later down the line.

It sounds like, despite fan fears, Brenda won’t die out on the cruise. Phew.