Hollyoaks ICON returning following tragic exit

Four years after his tragic exit, Hunter McQueen is set to return to the village for a McQueen wedding. The star - Theo Graham - has spoken about his comeback and admitted, "It’s great to be back working with a lot of familiar faces and meeting some new ones.

"I’m excited for the audience to see what’s to come for Hunter… it’s fair to say he arrives back in true Hollyoaks style... with a bang.”

Prince first arrived in the village back in 2016 alongside his twin brother Prince McQueen but his biggest storyline surrounded his relationship with his teacher Neeta Kaur, who tragically died during an explosion at the school.

Hollyoaks legend Gemma Atkinson has commenced filming as fan favourite Lisa Hunter, whose shock return to the village leads to dramatic scenes with old friend Zara Morgan. Sadly though, it's only a flying visit as Gemma has revealed her guest role is "very short".

Emmerdale icon Tony Mooney is set to cause serious trouble in Chester when he steps into the shoes of Les the Embalmer – an associate of Norma Crow – in August. Gulp.

Tony and Verity Hutchinson's estranged brother Eric is set to join the village and it won't be long before viewers will discover their complex sibling dynamic. Speaking about joining the show, Angus (who plays the character) said, "From the moment I started, I've felt really welcomed into the fold. Eva [O'Hara] and I clicked straight away - we've had many discussions about our characters' relationship."Eric's upcoming storyline is topical, important, and one which hasn't been covered in soap before, and we are working really hard to do it justice."

Luke Morgan's ex-wife Scarlett is set to return to the village later this year and put herself back into the Morgan family drama.Speaking about her return to the show actress Susie Amy said, "So happy to be bringing Scarlett back to Hollyoaks, really looking forward to a brilliant new storyline, and seeing everyone."

Trouble is heading to Hollyoaks as the soap introduces new character Norma, out for blood as she arrives to the village driving a hearse and demanding to know who has been stealing her money, and it looks like Ste and Sienna are in the firing line…Talking about joining the Channel 4 soap, Glynis says:"I'm really excited to be playing Norma as she's an amazing character. Formidable, complex and taking on the men and leaving them quaking in their boots. The team and cast at Hollyoaks have been incredibly welcoming and I can't wait to get my teeth into the character".

Nadira, who runs a matchmaking site, is set to form a quick connection with village heartbreaker, Shaq, who is now on a quest to find a marital partner.Talking about joining the Channel 4 soap, Ashling says: "Joining Hollyoaks has been such a surreal experience. I've grown up watching the show, and their hard-hitting storylines, so it's a privilege as an actor to be able to be a part of that legacy."Everyone I've met so far have been so kind and supportive. At the moment, I'm spending the majority of my time annoying Omar! We clicked from the moment we met and I genuinely feel like I've known him for years which is such a bonus as Nadira really has known Shaq for years!"Their relationship is one of my favourite parts about playing Nadira. She has a huge heart, a sarcastic mouth and a lot going on in her mind right now... I can't wait for people to get to know her."

Due to rulebreaker Saul being demoted, Zoe arrives to Hollyoaks as their newest detective, but being the granddaughter of Deveraux-family-friend Pearl, she soon settles into the village.Talking about joining the Channel 4 soap, Garcia says:"Joining the Hollyoaks family has been super exhilarating! I didn't know what to expect coming into the show but I felt right at home the moment I got here, and I'm super excited for what's in store."There's more than meets the eye to my character Zoe – she has a lot of exciting moments on screen! I've had the pleasure of joining the Deveraux family and working with such warm and talented individuals like Kelle Bryan, Richard Blackwood, Jorgie Porter, Jennifer Metcalfe, Eva O'Hara & more! I'm so eager for everyone to see what I've been up to."

Zain will enter the Hollyoaks village after a call for help from the Maalik family following Imran losing his faith. Caring Zain will quickly become the "agony aunt" of the village, especially to Misbah, as sparks soon fly between the pair...Talking about joining the Channel 4 soap, Jonas says: "I'm very excited to be joining a progressive TV show such as Hollyoaks. A programme that always looks to push boundaries. Zain will look to bring some spirituality and guidance to the Maalik family and rest of the village."

Former EastEnders star Matt Lapinskas, who BBC fans might know as Walford bad boy Anthony Moon, joined Hollyoaks' Mallorca episodes earlier this summer. Ahead of his appearance, Digital Spy confirmed that Matt would be playing 'gangster-type’ Alex Ramsden. In April, the Hollyoaks cast visited Mallorca to film scenes for Luke Morgan and Cindy Cunningham's hen and stag dos before they tie the knot.

Just nine months after arriving in Hollyoaks and causing mayhem for Diane Hutchinson and Ollie Morgan, Becky is finally leaving the village. Speaking about the character, actress Katie McGlynn said, "It's been an absolute pleasure playing Becky and getting my teeth into something so different and gritty!"As an actor, to be able to portray someone that has so much likeness to extremely current global issues from conspiracy theories to anti-vaxxers, coronavirus and sinophobia… I really hope the storyline has helped raise some important issues and helps people see how easy it is for someone to be sucked into this whole world of fake news and conspiracy!"

An end of an era for the McQueen family, as Cher exited the soap following Sylver's death. The heartbreaking scenes aired in February 2022, that saw her attend her father's funeral and it all proved too much, especially after Mercedes made a scene. Following an emotional farewell with Yazz (played by Haiesha Mistry), Cher got in a black cab, and broke down in tears as she left Hollyoaks, where she has been since 2020.

Marnie was one of the characters that met her maker in the aftermath of the explosion at Salon De Thé. Although she initially seemed to be fine after the accident, Marnie later passed away from a head injury in heartbreaking scenes following a conversation with Donna-Marie Quinn.

Sylver was also killed off in the explosion after rushing into the burning building to save his stepson Bobby. However, tragedy struck when Mercedes' husband was struck by a collapsed beam of wood and became trapped. Although her son Bobby promised he would go to get help, he insisted he didn't see Sylver inside when he left the building.

Celeste was killed after trying to save her brother Toby from the wreckage in the aftermath of the explosion. Debris came crashing down on the pair, leaving Celeste fatally injured.

After a year in Hollyoaks and rebuilding her relationship with her daughter Maxine, Trish Minniver has left the village. However shortly before her exit, it came to light that Maxine's real dad is Dave - the dad and husband of the new Chen-Williams family.