Hollyoaks is undergoing huge changes in September as it drops to three episodes and takes a historic time jump.
The Channel 4 soap is adopting the new scheduling pattern after research indicated that this is the optimum amount of episodes for audiences.
Fans were left heartbroken by the prospect of less outings of their favourite show – but more sad news followed, with a number of major cast members confirmed to be exiting in order to facilitate the changes.
Hollyoaks will see in its new era with a stunt week kicking things off on Monday, September 9, with the following week (Monday, September 16) seeing the soap skip forward a year.
And, with faces set to disappear before and during the jump, viewers are desperate to know which characters are going and which are staying.
There have been a few shocks already in this respect. Stephanie Waring – who played one of TV’s most iconic characters in Cindy Cunningham for 28 years – confirmed that her character was one of those axed, news which left fans in shock.
Metro, meanwhile, confirmed that Matthew James Bailey, who plays Ethan Williams – who remains one of the most popular characters in the show – is set to exit in the coming months.
Jon-Paul Bell, Ross Adams and Glynis Barber have already been written out as Beau Ramsey, Scott Drinkwell and Norma Crow respectively, with their exit stories having proven divisive with fans, while Jamie Lomas – who plays Warren Fox – will depart soon as part of a huge gangster narrative.
Hollyoaks will certainly look very different come September without the aforementioned stars. There’s still so much mystery surrounding who is staying and who is going, but here’s a look at the characters that we know will be featuring in the show’s new era.
Tony Hutchinson
Longtime fans of Hollyoaks will be pleased to know that king of the village Tony Hutchinson – aka Nick Pickard – who made his debut in the show’s very first episode, will be staying put.
Not only that, but he will play a pivotal role in explaining the events of the ‘missing’ year to audiences when we take a jump into the future.
‘‘In the first episode, a year on, Tony will take the audience on a journey around the village as we see how everyone’s lives have changed,’ Hollyoaks boss Hannah Cheers told Metro.co.uk in an exclusive chat.
Mercedes McQueen
There are few soap characters as iconic as Mercedes McQueen and therefore fans will be delighted to know that the former landlady of The Dog, who debuted over 18 years ago, won’t be going anywhere, with star Jennifer Metcalfe set to remain on the show.
And much like Hollyoaks itself, Mercedes will be embarking on a very new chapter, with Jen confirming that her legendary character will have an exciting and original story after the time jump.
‘How we’re going to see her in the jump forward, the year jump forward is, like, unbelievable and mindblowing and I can’t wait to play it as an actor,’ said the soap star to Radio Times.
Consider us very intrigued.
Ste Hay
It seems that long-serving stalwart Ste Hay won’t be going anywhere either, with the character featuring heavily in a storyline which is playing out on screen, featuring new love interest Rex Gallagher.
Kieron Richardson, who has played Ste for almost two decades, confirmed an affair for the two characters and, given that there are just weeks to go until the time-jump, it’s safe to assume that this storyline will play a key role in what the future looks like for Ste post time-jump.
‘It’s an exciting time for the show in strange circumstances that we’ve been put into,’ he told us exclusively in June. ‘Long term, the excitement’s there, there’s a buzz.’
Rex Gallagher
Newcomer Rex has got up to some dodgy stuff since his debut earlier this year, with recent scenes confirming that he’s in cahoots with Blue, promising to be the gangster’s ‘soldier’ in the war to come against Warren. The fairly new character, as noted above, is also set to play a pivotal role in Ste’s future, as star Jonny Labey confirmed to us a few months ago.
This, coupled with the fact that the character was finally given a surname and an official place in the end credits last week, it seems Rex isn’t going anywhere.
‘Rex has become this metaphorical onion,’ Jonny told Metro. ‘He has so many layers and they’re all this bitter taste at the moment. I think we’re trying to get to the core at the minute.
‘It’s been really fun to play and he’s such a terrible character on the surface but we’re digging, we’re trying, we’re using JCB’s to get down to the core of Rex!
‘It’s a new character and sometimes those processes need to be established. With a character as daring and careless as Rex anything can happen. It’s really exciting!’
Jonny also discussed how much a character can change overtime in a soap, so the year time-jump will likely prove very interesting for Rex, who – thus far – has been pure villainous through and through.
Can we expect a change for him one year down the line, perhaps?
‘Think how differently you evolve in a year,’ said Jonny. ‘A year’s a long time. I think everyone will be able to see some brand new characters, almost, but the same ones they have loved for years.’
Freddie Roscoe
Freddie Roscoe’s return to Hollyoaks took many a fan by surprise when it was announced back in January as it quite literally came out of nowhere.
The character returned to screen a number of months ago and has settled back into the village very nicely, featuring in quite a lot of storylines and crossing paths with various characters along the way.
Fans will be happy to know that he’s not going anywhere, with actor Charlie Clapham set to stay on the show post time-jump.
John Paul McQueen
John Paul McQueen, a true icon of soap, will similarly be sticking around for Hollyoaks’ new era, with James Sutton confirming that his on-screen counterpart will have a new – and rather unexpected – love interest to.
‘After the time jump, we find John Paul in a brand-new relationship, with someone who I think people will be quite surprised by,’ he told Digital Spy.’I don’t think it’s who people will expect, which is a joy to film.’
The Blake family
The newly refreshed Blake dynasty will continue to take centre stage as Hollyoaks embarks on its new era.
Sienna Blake star Anna Passey confirmed ‘amazing’ storylines to come in a chat with Metro.co.uk. ‘I’m confident it’s going to be brilliant’, she enthused to us last month.
Jeremy Sheffield, who previously played Patrick, has returned to the show as the demented headmaster’s twin brother, who is every bit as villainous.
This storyline has only just got off the ground so it’s unlikely that it will be cut, especially when you factor in the impact it will have on the family’s legacy, given that spoilers for next week confirm the possibility of a major retcon, which could see newcomer Jeremy revealed to be Sienna’s biological father.
Though contentious with fans, if this twist comes to pass then it means that Jeremy has the potential to stick around for the foreseeable.
Having said that, with the character having demonstrated what he’s capable of already, the question is: will everyone in the clan make it through the time jump with their lives intact?
Martha certainly seems primed to take a more substantial role come September, especially if she can prove to her granddaughters that she is not as villainous as Jez is claiming her to be.
There had been some fear from fans that Liberty Savage, who shares no biological ties with Martha or Jeremy, could be in trouble but actress Jessamy has since dispelled such concerns.
Leela Dexter
Kirsty-Leigh Porter has confirmed that she will be remaining on the show post-time-jump, confirming that it was very important to her that Leela Dexter’s recent baby loss storyline wasn’t forgotten about.
‘We’re keeping the continuity of that story and making sure that we hit the right marks for the future,’ she told Digital Spy. ‘Personally for me as Leela, it’s concentrating on things like that. It’s keeping that secure, even with the time jump.
Frankie Osborne
Frankie Osborne has proven to be one of the best characters Hollyoaks currently has to offer, largely due to actress Isabelle Smith’s powerhouse performances during the harrowing sibling sexual abuse story.
Though Frankie’s status on the show has yet to officially be confirmed, star Isabelle recently spoke about what the future held for her alter-ego after the truth about JJ’s abuse is exposed – including the prospect of police involvement and, eventually, a court case.
This would therefore suggest that Frankie isn’t going anywhere.
‘There is going to be many twists and turns within the storyline as we proceed to a court hearing,’ confirmed Isabelle. ‘Frankie will find comfort in her friendship with Lucas and her relationship with her dad and step mum will continue to grow positively.
‘She reconnects with friends and tries to rebuild her relationship with her mum, but will it all work out? There are going to be some very emotional scenes coming up when Frankie relives each count of abuse she has suffered at the hands of her brother to police officers and family.’
Hollyoaks streams weeknights at 7:30pm on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
