Emmerdale character Donna Windsor sent fans into tears after her dramatic death back in 2014, leaving little April without a mum.
The police officer was previously romantically involved with Ross Barton before her death. With his return to the Dales, all eyes are turning back to his exes.
Including the rollercoaster relationship between Donna and Ross. Here’s everything you need to know about Donna.
Emmerdale: Donna Windsor backstory
Donna was born on the 31st December 1985 in East London and is daughter to Vic and Viv Windsor.
The family stayed in South London for a while, where Donna suffered something that would later seriously harm her.
Back in 1992, Vic was redecorating their flat and the ceiling collapsed, covering Donna in dust. She breathed in a lot of the dust but was not severely hurt, and unbeknown to her, had asbestos.
22 years later, Donna developed an asbestos-related cancer which took her life.
In 1993, the family left for Beckindale, Yorkshire, after having enough of London.
Emmerdale: Donna’s first stint in the Dales
You can take the girl out of the city, but not the city out of the girl. When the Windsors arrived to the Dales, they brought some of their behaviours with them.
Several fast drives and leaving gates open, but they eventually adapted.
Donna’s first big disaster was when she was in Kim’s Stables at the Home Farm when wreckage from a plane hit the stables after a plane crashed in the village.
Luckily, the Windsors survived the crash, but another disaster quickly arrived. The following year, she was on a tractor with Michael Feldmann when it was toppled over. Donna was injured, but made it through.
A legal battle ensued as Viv wanted to sue John Sugden as the incident happened under his leadership.
However, their attention turned elsewhere as 2 years later in January 1996, 10 year old Donna was accidentally shot by her half-brother, Scott Windsor.
Donna’s relationships
In 2003, Donna started dating Robert Sugden whom she had previously bullied whilst at school. He dumped her for another woman, but they got back together eventually.
Things turned sour when Donna contracted chlamydia from him. The pair shared a turbulent relationships, but eventually ended after Robert had an affair.
She moved onto widower Marlon Dingle. Having finally got over the death of his wife Tricia, Marlon was ready to date again and found himself falling in love with Donna. He even proposed to her after a year.
Meanwhile, Donna struck up a close friendship with Max King, whom she enjoyed flirting with. When Max was killed in a car crash, caused by Donna’s ex-boyfriend Robert, Donna was devastated and Marlon tried to help her through her grief.
They got married eventually, even though Donna was not sure. She even confessed her love for Max, but they went through with it anyway.
Donna and Marlon were left looking after Marlon’s cousin Lillith‘s four children Luke, Matthew, Mark and Jon, following her arrest for armed robbery.
Emmerdale: Donna and Ross
Crime was never far from Donna, after she and Ross were involved in a car chase after Viv was framed for fraud. However, there Ross and Donna developed feelings for each other, with Donna becoming Ross’ ‘one true love.’
She started an affair with him behind Marlon’s back. They split and got back together, on the promise she would never talk to Ross again. However, soon after Marlon cheated on her with Chas.
He told Donna that he did not love her as much as he loved Tricia and with that admission Donna left the village in a taxi for the train station. She did not come back for years.
After a few years, Donna came back with her four-year-old daughter April, after breaking up with her partner.
Donna’s death
Marlon gave an emotional confession admitting that he didn’t love his daughter. Marlon eventually realised that he needed to bond with April, and as Donna and April were leaving Emmerdale, Marlon stood in front of her car, causing Donna to hit her head on the windscreen.
At the hospital, she revealed she had terminal cancer, but didn’t want her family to know.
She started acting out when she realised she didn’t have long left to live, and even got involved in crime. She restarted her affair with Ross.
However, in a final showdown with criminal Gary North, she told Ross that she loved him and then she took what she saw as the only way out of this situation and pulled Gary over the top of the car park.
The fall killed both of them, and remains one of Emmerdale’s biggest stunts to date.
Read more: Complete Emmerdale cast list 2024
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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