Hollyoaks actor David Ames has confirmed that he will be departing the Channel 4 soap following his upcoming return.
He has played vile Carter Shepherd since August last year.
Next week, John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) will be left fighting for his life when Carter makes an explosive return to the village after being arrested.
JP was previously in a secret relationship with Carter, who was struggling with his sexuality and had been practising conversion therapy on students Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis), who was struggling with his sexuality, and Ro Hutchinson (Ava Webster) who recently told his parents he was trans.
After subjecting poor Lucas to months of conversion therapy, his actions were exposed during Pride week when he attempted to abduct the teen.
In upcoming scenes we’ll see John Paul bonded into a van and taken to a lake where Carter will attempt to baptise him, dragging him beneath the water.
Ahead of the story, David has confirmed to Inside Soap Magazine that this scenes will be his last.
‘It was never going to end brilliantly for him. Carter is a villain and needs his comeuppance, and the storyline must make people realise gay conversion is abhorrent’ he said.
‘His time is done, and we have to clearly illustrate this kind of practice is no way to treat anyone, particularly impressionable teenagers.’
He continued: ‘There isn’t really any redeemable way forward for Carter right now. He needs to slope off and lick his wounds; the people he’s hurt need him to go off and get his punishment.
‘Whatever happens, this ends with Carter all alone with his thoughts — and that is torture enough for him.’
His exit comes just weeks after a number of characters bowed out of the long-running Chester based soap.
Lizzie Chen-Williams (Lily Best) and Hunter McQueen (Theo Graham) both died of a drugs overdose, whilst Mason Chen-Williams (Frank Kauer) left for London.
In the coming months, iconic characters Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring), Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) and Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) will all depart, with up to 20 further characters going ahead of a huge UK soap first time-jump.
The event will take place in September, and comes as a result of broadcaster Channel 4 deciding to cut 130 jobs at the show’s production site in Childwall, Liverpool. The weekly amount of episodes will be cut from five to three as a result.
On his time in Hollyoaks, David reflected on the conversion therapy story’s impact: ‘I’ve made so many good friends and it’s been such a lovely experience. I feel privileged to tell a story that is very much a talking point in my community.’
