High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Donna Windsor (previously Windsor-Dingle) is a fictional character that appeared in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She was originally played by Sophie Jeffery, and later replaced by Verity Rushworth in 1998. Donna was the third longest running character on Emmerdale at the time of her departure. She made her first appearance in the show in August 1993. It was reported on 8 April 2008 that Verity Rushworth had quit, as she wanted to avoid being "typecast", after being in the soap for a decade. Donna departed on 30 January 2009.