Good news. Fans of Virgin River – of which there are approximately seven million, making it one of Netflix’s most-watched original series, consistently ranking in the top 10 globally – won’t have to wait long for their next dose of the romantic, American small-town, cosy drama. With season seven, which aired last month, leaving audiences on a cliffhanger, it will come as a relief to many that production for season eight has already begun. When I speak to Zibby Allen, who plays Brie Sheridan, she has just finished reading the first four episodes. “I’m excited and proud of what the writers have been able to create in terms of longevity,” says Allen. “I don’t know how season eight is going to turn out entirely, but I know one answer to the big cliffhanger.” 

Of course, she can’t say. But given the shocking nature of last season, I hope it provides loyal viewers sanctuary knowing that they won’t be left on tenterhooks for too much longer. For those not up to speed on the world of Virgin River, last season’s finale saw Brady, Brie’s love interest, in a life-threatening motorcycle crash. So, can she reveal anything about the upcoming season? “The writers are still in the writing room finishing up the season. Listen, it’s Virgin River so it’s absolutely eventful. I don’t think Brie and Brady are smooth-sailing from here and I don’t think it could happen like that for them. 

“They have a lot to fight for, even though they have chosen each other because they occupy such different worlds, never mind the fact he’s had this accident. How that plays into their fresh start is to be determined; I am rooting for them. We will at least see them try, should he make it.” Determined to seek out an answer, I ask whether the love story is done, to which Allen replies: “How could it be after all this time?”

Allen in Virgin River season seven. Image: Netflix

Image: Corinne Moffat Photography

Having worked on Virgin River for the past five years, Allen describes her time on the show as a “gift”. “It’s a real privilege to be able to play a character long-form, and because I have grown through her, it’s hard to imagine my life without this character. She’s taught me so much and there’s a really strong connection between the two of us.” 

Does Allen see any similarities between herself and her character? “Brie and I really intersect because we have a deep sense of justice; I really struggle with any inequity I see around me in an intense way and so does she. In terms of how we differ, I am way softer and much more of a sensitive little vessel than she is, so over the years she has really taught me about having stronger boundaries and, ultimately, being less people-pleasy. She could use a lot of my softening though, so she can get vulnerable and double down on her feelings.”

Allen describes Brie as “a hard-charging, ballsy lawyer”, who we meet in season three after a relationship breakdown. “Brie comes to the town of Virgin River on the heels of a sexual assault that sort of lives in a grey area, in the sense that she was in a relationship with somebody that she trusted who then crossed the line. She’s navigating some serious trauma […] that really rocked her sense of trust and inner compass. 

“Then she gets tangled up in a love triangle that lasted right up until last season, where finally she chose [Brady], who is coined the bad boy. They have this really strong magnetic pull that neither of them can quit.” 

The unravelling of this love triangle has been a long-time coming. “Brie and Brady have amassed a huge fan base; our characters hold down the steamy side of the show and have a ton of chemistry. Ben Hollingsworth is a great scene partner and we’re both really emotionally invested in our characters’ love story because there’s so much working against them. 

“The response has and continues to be completely bananas. I only have one social media – it’s all I can handle, I can’t do them all – and it’s just been flooded with people saying ‘finally, yes, they chose each other’. It means it must be working and people are responding to it.” 

Image: Corinne Moffat Photography

That said, the reaction can be intense. With 293,000 Instagram followers and counting, Allen says she’s learned to separate her life from her character – and, strangely, fan fiction. “Everyday I wake up to a new mash-up of my character and Brady making out or something,” she laughs. Yet, despite the fact she sometimes finds the spotlight heavy, Allen wouldn’t change a thing. “I spent two decades working towards this type of job. Having to endure that kind of betting on yourself against all odds, when the returns on your investment aren’t looking that great, forced me to do a lot of self-work and pay attention to my quality of life. 

“I’m really proud that I have a solid, gorgeous marriage and I have a really grounding life which counterbalances the Hollywood of it. As a result, I have been able to naturally keep it quite separate and celebrate the win of people responding to what I’m doing on camera but not mistake it for who I am. I need that; I need total separation and [to] not be part of the noise of Hollywood.”

So much so, that the actress decided to leave the bright lights of Los Angeles behind in favour of Scotland a decade ago. She explains: “When I originally left LA, it was because I had met my now husband. We met in Edinburgh while I was performing at the Edinburgh Fringe and he was running a restaurant. It turned into such an epic love story, but meeting him shifted everything for me because, by then, I had been in LA for 17 years. I love what it’s done for me, like understanding the business and the hustle, and I love my people, but my quality of life is so important.”

Now dividing her time between Georgia, Edinburgh and Vancouver – “they call it ‘North Hollywood’” – Allen feels a sense of peace she yearned for while she was in LA. “The reason you go [there] is because you want to be in the business, and it’s gorgeous in that sense because it’s full of a bunch of dreamers who are beautiful and deluded enough to move their whole lives there, including myself. However, it can eat you alive and become very insular.”

Learning the ropes of the business no doubt helped Allen win her role in Virgin River and, for that alone, she has no regrets. “Virgin River truly is a turning point in terms of putting me on a global map. I have so many more eyes on me because the show is so globally beloved; it was a huge gear shift for my career,” she explains. However, when we talk about proudest moments, other projects also spring to mind. “I’ve been at this for about two decades – I’ve been more of a journeyman actor, I would guest star, recur and I also did tons of commercials, character work and theatre – so some of my favourite moments will never be seen by more than the 10 people I was in the same room with. 

“I still crave that environment; I’m always looking for a class or doing a play because the immediacy and intimacy of that is so special. Virgin River is amazing, but [some of the] stuff I’m most excited about hardly anyone sees.”

Zibby Allen with Virgin River co-star Ben Hollingsworth. Image: Netflix

Allen in Virgin River season seven. Image: Netflix

Talking of theatre, 2026 will see Allen’s acting career come full circle. Reminiscing on falling in love with the craft, she says: “It’s quite embarrassing because it feels so textbook and Pollyanna; I saw my older brother in a play when I was six and had such a disproportionate emotional response to the silly, cute community play he did. I just wept through the whole thing. My mum was like ‘what is wrong with you?’ and I was like ‘I have to do this!’. 

“I just love it, I’m hyper-creative and thankfully I’ve carved out a world where I can channel that into a career. I really miss theatre. I am working with a playwright called Sophie Swithinbank and we’re trying to develop something.” 

While season eight of Virgin River will no doubt take up much of Allen's time, she is also hoping to sink her teeth into a new period drama this year. “I am also attached as producer and actor on a TV series based on a book called Ladies of the Canyons, which is a true story. It’s a feminist American Western and takes place in the 1900s. I’m really excited about doing a period drama at some point in my life so this could be it.” 

While her career shows no signs of slowing down, Allen ensures her life outside of work does. One thing that becomes clear from our interview is that she is steadfast in protecting her peace, and when I ask what she wishes she could tell a younger Zibby, she takes a moment to reflect. “I lived in a lot of self-doubt in my early years and gave a lot of credence to noise and voices on how I should look or how I should be. That’s part of my journey, so I have no regrets, but I would say to myself now that no one knows or has the answer. The good and bad news is there’s no actual rulebook; it sounds so general, but there’s something about that that I get now. 

And her words of wisdom that everyone should hear? “You can be successful and still be super kind and soft. You don’t have to be a d***. Hang on to the goodness.” Hear, hear. 

All seven seasons of Virgin River are available to stream on Netflix.

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