Hollyoaks legends spark axe fears ahead of 30th anniversary amid mass cast exodus and cash crisis

The Sun

12-05-2025

HOLLYOAKS legends Jessica Fox and Ashley Taylor Dawson have sparked fears they could be axed from the soap.
The pair spoke out after a mass culling of their co-stars and admitted they are 'crossing their fingers and toes' that they won't also get the boot.
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Jessica has played Nancy Hayton in Hollyoaks for 20 years and Ashley has played Darren Osborne for 26 years.
But even they are both concerned about their future on the E4 soap.
This year, Hollyoaks celebrates its 30th anniversary and bosses have said the milestone will be marked on the show.
It is not yet known if this will include another dramatic stunt scene - which could also result in more character deaths.
Jessica told the Daily Star: 'If the past year has taught us anything, it's that no one is guaranteed to stay. You just have to cross your fingers and toes that you will.'
Ashley added: 'Anyone can go. That's the industry we're in.
"You never take anything for granted. If it's your time, it's your time. You just have to deal with it.'
Hollyoaks fans were left fearful for the show last year when The Sun revealed a huge number of characters were being killed off.
The soap's schedule was also cut from five to three episodes a week, making it the industry's biggest blood bath.
In September, an epic deadly motorbike crash and car explosion stunt saw the show fast-forward an entire year in a time jump and lose 20 stars.
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Both Nancy and Ashley survived the cull - but not everyone was so lucky.
Gregory Finnegan's character James Nightingale died in the car explosion. Suzanne Ashworth, played by Suzanne Hall, was also killed off.
Andre Clark (David Joshua-Anthony) Sally St Claire (Annie Wallace) had left the village once the show had jumped forward a year, while Ethan Williams was killed off by his new wife Sienna Blake the following month.
Matthew James Bailey, who played Ethan, was forced to bow out.
One of the biggest shocks, however, was the axing of Stephanie Waring.
Stephanie had played Cindy Cunningham on and off for 28 years and was devastated to be sacked.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun at the time, the actress said she broke down in tears and begged Hollyoaks bosses to reconsider.
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Earlier this year, the Channel 4 soap was forced to address the cull of cast members.
It came after The Sun was first to report Hollyoaks bosses plan to kill off a whopping 20 cast members.
Now Chelsee, who recently took time away from her role as Goldie McQueen to give birth to her second daughter, has now made a cryptic move on X.
The Manchester lass, 36, re-posted a picture of her character crying to her page.
It came after Stephanie Waring, famed for her 28-year-long role as Cindy Cunningham, confirmed that soap bosses had axed her as part of the 20-person strong cast cull.
Another big name set to quit for good is popstar turned soap star Jamelia.
The soap's resident hunk and TV favourite Owen Warner has also left the show amid the cuts with fans left devastated to say goodbye to his character Romeo Nightingale.
Jamie Lomas has also quit the show and will depart his Warren Fox role soon.
Haiesha Mistry famed for her role as Yasmine Maalik has also left after seven years.
She said: 'I was learning all week of the people who were going, and I remember crying at one of them, and I had this gut feeling that I would be too.
'But another part of me was thinking 'I've just signed a year-long contract, surely it won't be me'. Everyone was telling me I would be fine as I'm an original character.
'In the meeting they read from a script and a tear fell from my eye because I could just feel it in the room.
'They got to the end and said 'And with that, we will be losing Cindy from the show'. I just kept saying 'I don't understand'. I was very distraught, I didn't take it well - I was probably the most dramatic person they told.
'I just kept telling them 'I'm an original character'. I was clutching at anything - telling them, 'But I was the first person to give birth on the show!' I could see the distress I was causing them because they were upset that I was so upset.'
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