Paula Lane has confirmed that she has signed a new contract with Emmerdale, which will keep her and her troubled character on the soap for the foreseeable future.

Initially unassuming receptionist Ella Forster (Lane) has become one of the programme’s most provocative figures, when her kind and polite exterior was found to be masking trauma from an extremely dark past.

Viewers were shocked to learn that Ella, aged 11, had murdered another child in a moment of blind fury as she attempted to cling on to the only support network she could rely on.

The revelation caused a major stir through the village, but Ella insisted that she had been rehabilitated and would never do something like that again.

Alas, the disturbing reveal was enough to destroy her relationship with Liam (Jonny McPherson), who will be less than impressed when Ella tells him that she’s pregnant with his baby.

Fans don’t need to worry about this storyline being rushed through, with Lane assuring them via Instagram that she isn’t leaving the soap opera any time soon.

The actor posted a photo of her character with cuts and bruises on her face, wearing a hospital gown and robe, but it’s unclear exactly what could have caused these worrisome injuries.

Lane’s caption reads: “Oh Ella… whatever next?! I can confirm a new contract signed today for moi. Very happy to be calling Emmerdale my second home for the next chapter.”

Previously, the star spoke to RadioTimes.com about the shocking developments with her character.

“Ella is so ashamed of her past,” she began. “Every time the truth has come out in the past, she has had to move on and start again, so it’s incredibly painful to share and know that there is no going back now.

“It’s a heaviness she carries all the time in the back of her mind. Pretending to carry on as normal is a short-term fix, and behind closed doors the guilt is very real.”

Lane added: “Every birthday is a reminder of what happened and will never allow her to fully move on.”