The president of ABC, Stephen McPherson, put an end to the rumours that Heigl was ending her work as Dr. Izzie Stevens to concentrate on her movie career.
McPherson confirmed that Heigl will be on the fifth season of Grey’s Anatomy. “There’s an unbelievable storyline for her which is really central to everything that’s going to go on this season.”
There has been tension between Heigl and the network. At the last Emmy Awards ceremony, Heigl had herself removed as an Emmy contender stating the screenwriters had not given her enough work to make her eligible for an Emmy.