List of Hollyoaks characters (2024)

Hollyoaks is a British television soap opera first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appear in 2024, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the soap's executive producers, Hannah Cheers and Angelo Abela. Kitty Draper was introduced in January, followed by Abe Fielding. Declan Hawthorne made his debut in February. Arlo Fielding made his debut in March. Donny Clark was introduced in April. Noah Dexter appeared in May, followed by Martha Blake and her son Jez Blake.

Kitty Draper
Kitty Draper, played by Iz Hesketh, made her first appearance on 15 January 2024. Kitty is involved in a four-vehicle collision and after realising that her travelling companion has died, steals her identity. Many details of Kitty have been kept under wraps, but executive producer Hannah Cheers teased a lot of "shock and intrigue" about the character. "We realised that we had the opportunity here to show the front-end of an impostor story," she told media. "Normally in an impostor story, you learn the secret after you've met the character. But to actually see the moment where somebody makes that momentary decision to take the identity of somebody else is huge."

Speaking about her character on social media, Iz said: "Looks like the cats out of the bag… I'm so proud to announce that I'm the new girl on the block in the @hollyoaksofficial Village! My character is one that British TV has needed for a long time. She's fiery, independent and has a huge heart. I'm so excited to show that trans people are just like everyone else. We have flaws, we fall in love and sometimes we make bad decisions for good reasons… brace yourselves, a new arrival is about to come into Hollyoaks with a bang".

Kitty later develops a romance with Beau Ramsey (Jon-Paul Bell). Bell said his character enjoys being around Kitty, bringing Beau out of his "shell". He thought the pair made a good match, however, he noted that they see the world differently which could cause issues in the future. On what attracts Beau to Kitty, Jon-Paul told Inside Soap magazine: "He really enjoys her energy – Kitty's been like a firecracker coming into the village and shaking things up! He's intrigued by the way Kitty lives her life, and it's brought Beau out of his shell a bit." He also added "Kitty's past, and the reason she's landed in the village, could escalate into bigger problems down the line, Beau has strong morals, but he's also very empathetic, so this could lead to us seeing darker shades of his character. It's about how far he's willing to go". The relationship later ended after both of them couldn't make it work.

In a plot-twist aired in scenes from episode 6358, originally broadcast on 22 April 2024, it was revealed that Kitty is the daughter of conversion therapist Declan Hawthorne (Alan Turkington). In episode 6367, originally broadcast on 3 May 2024, Kitty was kidnapped by Declan as part of a cliffhanger.

Kane
Kane, played by Ben Castle-Gibb, is a drug dealer who first appeared in Episode 6290, which first aired on 17 January 2024. He disposed of the car that Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) accidentally killed Ella Richardson (Erin Palmer) with. After discovering that the car killed Ella, Kane threatens Ste, prompting Ste to beat him up. Kane returns the car and calls the police. Ste's husband, James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) later meets with Kane posing as a customer, but plants Ella's boot in his car, getting Kane arrested. James visits Kane in prison, threatening to harm Kane's daughter if he did not plead guilty. Kane later sees James visiting Romeo Nightingale (Owen Warner) in prison, discovering that James is Romeo's father. Kane deals Romeo's cellmate a dodgy batch of drugs that kills him, allowing Kane to become Romeo's new cellmate and threaten his life. Kane demands £250,000 from James to ensure Romeo's safety, which James is forced to steal from the estate of the recently deceased Rafe Harcourt (Chris Gordon). However, once Kane receives the money, he goes back on his word and stabs Romeo as revenge for James framing him and threatening his family.

After Romeo survives the stabbing and manages to escape from prison, Kane is visited by Ella's father, Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas), who demands to know who is responsible for Ella's death. Kane proposes a deal where if he tells Warren who is behind Ella's death, Warren will help him get out of prison. After punching Kane, Warren agrees to the deal. Kane reveals that Ste and James were responsible for Ella's death, although he is unsure which one killed her. James later spots Warren shaking hands with Kane. Kane then departed in Episode 6331, which originally aired on 14 March 2024, however Castle-Gibbs' departure was announced on 19 March. When announcing his departure on Instagram, he said "loved giving it large as Kane for the past few months...it's been an absolute blast." He also thanked his agency for "such a wicked opportunity." Owen Warner, who plays Romeo also commented on Castle-Gibb's time as Kane by saying, "smashed it bro, and you’re forgiven for stabbing me with a toothbrush."

Abe Fielding
Abe Fielding, played by Tyler Conti, made his first appearance on 18 January 2024. The character and casting was announced on 15 January 2024. Much of the character's background was kept secret, and Abe was introduced with a "massive secret" that would "send spark waves" through the village. The only implied connection from the character was that Abe was going to be "heavily involved" with the McQueen family. Abe was later revealed to be the ex-boyfriend of returning character Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin), who left him due to his controlling behaviour. Abe arrives in the village looking for Cleo after she is involved in a multi-vehicle collision, unaware that she is searching for her ex-fiancé Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed). A press release for the character described Abe as: "Very loving, friendly, and approachable, but under the surface there's more than meets the eye," and teased an "unexpected" family connection. Speaking about his character, Tyler commented: "Abe is a charming working-class young lad with a manipulative streak a mile-wide. The ingredients of a deeply troubled past and a complicated family life have brewed his dangerous temper, especially when things don’t go his way. I can't wait for Abe to explode into the Hollyoaks village, you can expect danger, manipulation, and one heck of a messy family that comes with it."

Cleo is stuck between Abe and Joel as they both fight for her – Abe and Cleo later reconcile and have sex but Abe then manipulates her moments after. After hearing Abe on a phone call with a random woman discussing money conditions, Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) becomes suspicious of Abe. Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) tries to find Abe to ridicule him on his behaviour to Cleo. She finds him in the loft, the pair get drunk and then sleep together. Theresa later confesses to Cleo of their deceit after Kathleen-Angel McQueen (Kiara Mellor) outlandishly told the family of their one night stand, causing a strain on the pairs relationships. In March 2024, after an argument with Cleo, Abe lashes out and smashes an ornament against the wall. Speaking about Mercedes' suspicions, Conti said:"'I think Abe thinks that he has met people like Mercedes before, I think he is good with his words, and can find his way out of anything. A typical gaslighter that, if he keeps on saying no, if he just keeps on lying, no one's going to find him out. He thinks he can worm his way around Mercedes, and the McQueens. He has dealt with a lot of stuff in his life, so I think this isn't really anything too drastic for him. He's got other fish to fry at the moment.'"

On 15 January 2024, it was announced that Rita Simons would be taking over the role of Abe's mother Marie Fielding. Abe's connection to Marie and Joel was not announced prior to his first appearance. Marie returned in episode 6332, originally broadcast on 15 March 2024 during a physical fight between Joel and Abe. Whilst drinking in the loft with Joel, Abe, Cleo and Leela, she reveals she has a missing son, Arlo (Dan Hough). Arlo previously made a cameo appearance in episode 6334, originally broadcast on 19 March 2024 as part of a major plot-twist that his half-brother Abe is actually his kidnapper. Marie wants to obtain Arlo back after Abe secretly sent him to stay with his father and an unknown woman (presumably his stepmother), disguising it as a kidnapping. When Joel and Leela let Marie move in, Marie hires a new private investigator (as the expenses are covered by Joel). The private investigator immediately finds a lead in Ireland, though Marie is stopped on her way by the police as Abe has framed her for drugging Arlo with sedatives. Marie is then released and overhears a conversation between Abe and Cleo, confessing that he set Marie up. Cleo covers for Abe and lets Marie believe it was her. In early April 2024, Marie is told that a body has been found in Ireland that they may believe is Arlo (this is confirmed untrue as Arlo appears in the spring trailer released by Hollyoaks). Abe then rushes to Dublin in a bid to search for his brother, knowing he is alive.

The story reaches a climax when Chris returns to Hollyoaks village with Arlo. Clutching at straws, he eventually admits to Cleo that he is behind the kidnapping of Arlo as he believed Marie is incapable of having children. Cleo later promised to assist Abe giving Arlo back to Chris, but then helped him escape whilst Abe's back had turned. Arlo returned to Marie in episode 6353, originally broadcast on 15 April 2024. Arlo's stepmother, Demi (Ainsley Howard), returns to Hollyoaks village in a bid to return Arlo to Chris' care.

On 21 May 2024, it was announced that the Hollyoaks production team had joined with the Home Office to produce a coercive control storyline involving Abe and Cleo. The Home Office had previously worked with Hollyoaks to produce a plot involving Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) and an incel group led by Eric Foster (Angus Castle-Doughty). The plot was to be one of the show's central focus points in Summer 2024. It was followed up with a report that Hollyoaks would be continuing with the domestic violence plot as well as the coercive control. It was reported the soap's partnership with Home Office will "shine a light" on the harmful behaviours that can occur within controlling relationships and demonstrate the impact of violence on victims. Home Secretary James Cleverly, reacting to the upcoming plot, said: "Tackling violence against women and girls is a real priority for me. We know that controlling and coercive relationships can have a lasting and severe impact on victims. That's why we made it a specific criminal offence and are making sure those convicted are monitored by the police in the same way as physically violent offenders. By partnering with Hollyoaks, we're raising awareness of how to recognise these behaviours as well as empowering the public to call out abuse when they see it and safely intervene when appropriate." The partnership began on 20 May, with the first notable incident showing Abe becoming violent towards Cleo after Joel and Leela's wedding.

Declan Hawthorne
Declan Hawthorne, played by Alan Turkington, made his first appearance on 28 February 2024. The character and casting was announced on 6 February 2024. Declan is a practitioner of conversion therapy alongside Carter Shepherd (David Ames), and assists Carter in attempting to influence the sexuality of Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis).

Speaking about joining the soap, Alan said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the Hollyoaks family, who have made me feel so welcome – even as a very unwelcome character! We've already filmed some incredibly intense scenes, including those in Declan's first episode. He's a toxically religious man who fervently believes in the therapy he is advocating. He feels that these men have lost their way, when really it's he who has 'strayed from the righteous path'. I feel very privileged as an actor to be able to highlight the evils of conversion therapy with this storyline and I can't wait to see how tensions play out with Carter, Lucas, and maybe some others in the village."

Declan was killed off on 20 May 2024, after sustaining a head injury during a fight with Kitty Draper (Iz Hesketh) and Beau Ramsey (Jon-Paul Bell).

Arlo Fielding
Arlo Fielding, portrayed by Dan Hough, is the son of Marie Fielding (Rita Simons) and the half-brother of Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed) and Abe Fielding (Tyler Conti). He made his debut in spring 2024. He previously made a cameo appearance in episode 6334, originally broadcast on 19 March 2024 as part of a major plot-twist that his half-brother Abe is actually his kidnapper. Marie wants to obtain Arlo back after Abe secretly sent him to stay with his father and an unknown woman, disguising it as a kidnapping. When Marie hires a private investigator, she finds a lead in Ireland, though is stopped on her way by the police as Abe has framed her for drugging Arlo with sedatives. Marie is then released and overhears a conversation between Abe and his girlfriend Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin), confessing that he set Marie up. Cleo covers for Abe and lets Marie believe it was her. In early April 2024, Marie is told that a body has been found in Ireland that they may believe is Arlo (this is confirmed untrue as Arlo appears in the spring trailer released by Hollyoaks). Abe then rushes to Dublin in a bid to search for his half-brother, knowing he is alive.

The story reaches a climax when Chris returns to Hollyoaks village with Arlo. Clutching at straws, he eventually admits to Cleo that he is behind the kidnapping of Arlo as he believed Marie is incapable of having children. Cleo later promised to assist Abe giving Arlo back to Chris, but then helped him escape whilst Abe's back had turned. Arlo returned to Marie in episode 6353, originally broadcast on 15 April 2024. Arlo's stepmother, Demi (Ainsley Howard), returns to Hollyoaks village in a bid to return Arlo to Chris' care on Arlo's thirteenth birthday.

Donny Clark
Donny Clark, played by Louis Emerick, made his first appearance in episode 6348, originally broadcast on 8 April 2024. The character and casting was announced on 2 April 2024. He is the father of established characters Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence) and Andre Clark (David Joshua-Anthony). Donny makes his first appearance when he unexpectedly arrives at Vicky's 18th birthday party.

The character has been billed as "charisma personified", who is "determined to build a relationship with Vicky upon his arrival in the village". Discussing Donny's arrival in Hollyoaks, Emerick commented: "Donny is coming back to see his son and it collides with his daughter's birthday, which is very emotional as it's the first time he has met her". On joining the soap, Emerick stated: "It has equally been moving for me personally. I was there when Hollyoaks began. We sat with the Brookside and Hollyoaks crew and watched a screening of the first ever episode in 1995. It is so exciting to be back with this vibrant cast and crew, back on the set where it all began."

Donny unexpectedly arrives at Vicky's 18th birthday party, much to the dismay of her and Scott. Vicky assumes his arrival was because he sabotaged Scott adopting her. Andre later admits it was him that invited Donny as he thought Vicky would be delighted. Vicky claims that Scott has been a better father in the past two years then Donny has eighteen. He later explains he knew nothing about the adoption and that abandoning her was not by choice, but by force.

Noah Dexter
Noah Dexter is the stillborn son of Joel (Rory Douglas-Speed) and Leela Dexter (Kirsty-Leigh Porter), who appears in episode 6384, originally broadcast on 28 May 2024. The storyline was originally announced on 21 May 2024. The storyline was partly replicated from Leigh-Porter's own baby-loss experience from December 2018. Leigh-Porter praised the storyline, claiming she was "not the same Kirsty" since losing her daughter Penny-Leigh. She also added she hoped it would "save a life". It was further reported that the loss would happen hours after her wedding to Joel. Kirsty-Leigh Porter appeared on ITV daytime talk-show Loose Women to spread awareness on the topic and spoke out on her role in the storyline. She mentioned her own experience and reaction when she found out she had lost her own child, saying she had her "breath and soul sucked out" of her. She added: "it's not something you will ever get over" and the silence when they've given you the news is deafening. The scenes aired in episode 6382, originally broadcast on 24 May 2024. The scenes were branded "devastating", displaying usual chat with nurses about parenthood – the nurse required a second opinion before admitting Leela had lost her baby. The episode then featured silent credits to signify the loss. Douglas-Speed praised the plot and Porter's portrayal.

Noah was the product of induced labour. Leela was being comforted by Marie Fielding (Rita Simons) when her contractions began. Noah was born in hospital, still un-named, which Joel and Leela decided to name him Noah. Due to the upset, Joel couldn't hold Noah – clear to Leela's annoyance until she came back into the room whilst Joel was singing and declaring his love for Leela to his stillborn son. He was wrapped up in a notable blue Fire Truck blanket that was given to the nurse by them as all of their clothes purchased for the baby had been too big.

Martha Blake
Martha Blake, portrayed by Sherrie Hewson, is introduced as the estranged mother of deceased Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield). She made her first appearance in episode 6385, originally broadcast on 29 May 2024. Martha, along with son Jez (also portrayed by Sheffield) are set to make their debuts in spring 2024. Their casting and characters details were announced on 3 May 2024.

Hewson, delighted of her casting said: "It's been a rollercoaster joining Hollyoaks! The character is just wonderful to play. Everyone is so lovely, such a great atmosphere to work in and so welcoming. We laugh a lot, what more could you ask for?"

Teasing the upcoming plot, executive producer Hannah Cheers added: "To be a Blake, you must be clever, captivating and charming on the outside… and calculating, cold and cynical on the inside, with a family dynasty so rich in history, it should come as no surprise that there are still many secrets to be uncovered. But for Sienna, Dilly, Liberty and Maxine, what happens next is not what anyone could have expected…."

Rex
Rex, portrayed by Jonny Labey, is set to make his first appearance in June 2024. Rex is introduced as a criminal rival against Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) as part of Warren's ongoing torture of Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) after he accidentally murdered Warren's daughter Ella Richardson (Erin Palmer) in a hit-and-run on the Dee Valley bypass back in January 2024. Labey was already notable prior to accepting the role for his work in soap rival EastEnders after he was cast as Paul Coker in 2015. His casting was initially heavily speculated on 16 May 2024 after a group photo of the actors on-set was posted on social media with Labey spotted on-set. The characters name and casting details were then further announced on 4 June 2024.

Speaking of the audition process, Labey mentioned he had previously auditioned "a few years back" but another opportunity landed for him. He positively applauded the production team for their development on the current characters. Labey teased Rex was "terrifying" and "brilliant", claiming it was something to "get his teeth sunk into". He added he was pleased to be cast as Rex, and when he was first told about Rex it was "along the lines of 'mad, bad and dangerous'". Rex is characterised as an unpredictable, conniving and complicated character, with his scenes being described as "harrowing". The character "thrives of confrontation" as Rex seems to "love it" whereas Labey joked that "squaring up to Warren was a bit of a big gulp in the throat". Labey teased a possible relationship between Rex and Ste, saying the relationship is a turbulent one and Ste is over-intrigued by Rex. He added that Ste will not know of Rex's real intentions or what he may be after.

Praising his co-star's, he added working with Richardson and Lomas were "great" and "fun", adding he "felt in safe hands" with the both. Labey teased a link and connection with pre-established character Hannah Ashworth (Emma Rigby) as the pair had both done numerous scenes together, adding it was "nice to have a connection" with another Hollyoaks character prior to his arrival. His arrival was set to kick off after meeting Hannah. When asked if he is going to stick around in the village, he answered that he couldn't say however an opportunity "opened".

Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy branded the character as "villainous".

Jeremy Blake
Jeremy "Jez" Blake, portrayed by Jeremy Sheffield, is introduced as the long-lost twin-brother of deceased Patrick Blake, who was also portrayed by Sheffield. Jez, along with mother Martha (Sherrie Hewson), are set to make their debuts in spring 2024. Their casting and characters details were announced on 3 May 2024.

Sheffield, who knew he would be introduced back into Hollyoaks later in the year, did not know he would play a new character. Delighted at the news, he stated: "I'm so excited to be back in the village and have the opportunity to play a great new character, Jez might be Patrick's twin but he couldn’t be more different; he's charming, enigmatic, complex and full of mystery. Working with the wonderful Sherrie Hewson means we get to explore even more of the famously twisted Blake family secrets."

Teasing the upcoming plot, executive producer Hannah Cheers added: "To be a Blake, you must be clever, captivating and charming on the outside… and calculating, cold and cynical on the inside, with a family dynasty so rich in history, it should come as no surprise that there are still many secrets to be uncovered. But for Sienna, Dilly, Liberty and Maxine, what happens next is not what anyone could have expected…."

Maria-Carmella McQueen
Maria-Carmella McQueen is the twin daughter of Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) and Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood). She is born on-screen in July 2024 – Felix is not present. The confirmation of Mercedes' twins surviving the pregnancy was confirmed in the Summer trailer for 2024, released on 8 July 2024. An "exclusive" scene allowed viewers to see Mercedes and Warren deciding the names for both of her children. Maria-Carmella is named after her maternal aunt, Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna), who was killed in a train explosion in 2014. The storyline in which would see Mercedes carry twins by different fathers was first announced on 31 January 2024 after Hollyoaks production team confirmed the plot. Superfecundation has not been tackled in soap opera before, with Mercedes being the first character ever to have twin children from two different fathers.

Fans previously predicted the twins would be born from superfecundation prior to the twist. Stephen Patterson of Metro has cited the storyline as "staggering" and "groundbreaking". Mercedes' superfecundation storyline was also nominated for "Best Storyline" in the Radio Times soap awards 2024.

Maria-Gabriella McQueen-Fox
Maria-Gabriella McQueen-Fox is the daughter of Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) and Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas). She is born on-screen in July 2024. The confirmation of Mercedes' twins surviving the pregnancy was confirmed in the Summer trailer for 2024, released on 8 July 2024. An "exclusive" scene allowed viewers to see Mercedes and Warren deciding the names for both of her children. Maria-Gabriella is named after her half brother Gabriel McQueen who was stillborn in 2015. The storyline in which would see Mercedes carry twins by different fathers was first announced on 31 January 2024 after Hollyoaks production team confirmed the plot. Superfecundation has not been tackled in soap opera before, with Mercedes being the first character ever to have twin children from two different fathers.

Fans previously predicted the twins would be born from superfecundation prior to the twist. Stephen Patterson of Metro has cited the storyline as "staggering" and "groundbreaking". Mercedes' superfecundation storyline was also nominated for "Best Storyline" in the Radio Times soap awards 2024.