Hollyoaks first hit the screens almost 30 years ago in 1995 and has launched the careers of a number of actors.
The soap launched on Channel 4 with just one episode per week and enjoyed a hugely successful run for 28 years.
However, it was announced this week that Channel 4 will stop airing individual Hollyoaks episodes for the first time as they move to sister channel E4.
The move is part of a digital strategy to refresh the viewing experience and the new programming pattern will come into effect on September 25.
The weekly omnibus will continue to air on Channel 4, while individual episodes will air on E4, marking a major scheduling change for the soap.
As each episode of the series is axed by Channel 4, Web takes a look at where the original 1995 cast of Hollyoaks are now.
Will Mellor
Beginnings: Hollyoaks started almost 30 years ago in 1995 with Yasmin Bannerman, Brett O’Brien, Nick Pickard, Shebah Ronay, Will Mellor, Lisa Williamson and Jeremy Edwards
Canceled: After 28 years, Channel 4 will stop broadcasting individual Hollyoaks episodes and switch to E4. With the move in mind, Web takes a look at where the 1995 cast are now
Young: Will Mellor first appeared on Hollyoaks when he was just 19 years old, starring as James Bolton – better known on the series as Jambo
Fan favorite: He also gained widespread acclaim when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing last year, where he was paired with Nancy Xu and narrowly missed out on the final
Family: On a personal note, Will married his wife Michelle McSween in 2007 and they have since welcomed two children together – son Jayden and daughter Renee
Will Mellor first appeared on Hollyoaks when he was just 19 years old, starring as James Bolton – better known on the show as Jambo.
The actor, now 47, starred in the soap for three years before landing the lead role in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Chips in 2001.
He has since enjoyed a hugely successful acting career, securing roles in soap operas Casualty and EastEnders, as well as appearing in Broadchurch and Line Of Duty.
Will also joined Coronation Street as drug gangster Harvey Gaskell in March 2021 and appeared in the ITV soap until December 2022.
He also gained widespread recognition when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing last year, where he was paired with Nancy Xu.
Will gained a huge following for repeatedly topping the leaderboards throughout the series, but narrowly missed making the finals by being the 11th star to go home.
Despite his huge success on Strictly, Will said at the time that he had no plans to do another reality TV show.
He told The Sun: “That’s it for me.” If you want to do one, do the biggest and I’m glad I learned a skill every week.
“I couldn’t just sit on a show and wait to be voted out, I’d rather learn at least one skill and get my hands on something and really get into it.”
“I’m enjoying every minute of it and I don’t just want to enter a popularity contest, it will be for me I think.”
Privately, Will married his wife Michelle McSween in 2007 and they have since given birth to two children together – son Jayden and daughter Renee.
NICK PICKARD
Longtime: Nick Pickard is the only original Hollyoaks cast member remaining in a role on the soap opera (he is pictured as Tony Hutchinson on the 1999 series).
Impressive: Nick (pictured in 2018) remains the longest-serving cast member on the series, winning the British Soap Award for Outstanding Performance in 2017
Nick Pickard is the only original Hollyoaks cast member who still has a role in the soap.
He first portrayed Tony Hutchinson in the first episode of the series in 1995 and continued in the role for an impressive 28 years.
He remains the show’s longest-serving cast member and won the 2017 British Soap Award for Outstanding Performance.
Nick, now 48, has had a turbulent time on the soap opera over the past three decades, during which his character survived near-death experiences and a serial killer, among other things.
Nick previously revealed that he originally only signed on for 26 episodes of the soap opera, but ended up staying much longer than planned.
He told Digital Spy in 2013: “I really hope Hollyoaks continues for as long as possible.” “I love the show and love the people more than anything – they’re like my family.”
Nick was dating his former Hollyoaks co-star Joanna Taylor, who played Geri Hudson, in 2001, but they parted ways a year later.
Joanna married Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy in 2004 and they were married for 13 years until they split in 2017.
YASMIN BANNERMAN
Small role: Yasmin Bannerman played Maddie Parker, who ran a local restaurant in the fictional village of Chester but had a major hostage-taking history prior to her departure in 1997
Science fiction: She appeared in a one-off episode of Doctor Who as Jabe (pictured) in 2005, before securing another role in spin-off show Torchwood
Yasmin Bannerman portrayed Maddie Parker, who ran a local restaurant in the fictional village of Chester.
She was a supporting character on the show for two years until 1997, when a compelling storyline involved her character’s ex, Michael, holding her hostage.
Yasmin, now 51, left the soap opera in 1997 and later starred in the TV show Cold Feet as well as the hit films Maybe Baby and Killing Me Softly.
She also appeared regularly on the police series Merseybeat and appeared as Jabe on Doctor Who in a one-off episode in 2005.
She then secured a role on the spin-off show “Torchwood” as Kathy Swanson in the episode “They Keep Killing Suzie” and continued working on the sci-fi series.
Since her appearance in Casualty in 2009, Yasmin seems to have taken a step back from the spotlight and no longer has any acting roles.
JEREMY EDWARDS
Drama: Jeremy Edwards played Kurt Benson in Hollyoaks for three years until he left the Channel 4 drama in 1999 after he died in a jet ski accident
Return: However, in 2020, Jeremy dropped the bombshell that Kurt hadn’t actually died, but had actually been on the run for many years, as he confirmed he would be returning to the soap
Ex-partner: Jeremy was engaged to S Club 7’s Rachel Stevens in 2002 (both pictured) before splitting up a year later and later meeting his current wife Lydia Metz, whom he married in 2009
New beginnings: Last year, Jeremy revealed he was leaving the spotlight for good, revealing the reasons he left fame behind to become a teacher earlier this month
Jeremy Edwards portrayed Kurt Benson in Hollyoaks for three years until he left the Channel 4 drama in 1999.
He played a role in many of the soap’s storylines, including a tumultuous love life as well as a toxic rivalry with notorious villain Rob Hawthorne and Warren Derosa.
The character was charged with attempted murder for pushing Spike, Tom Vaughan, off the scaffolding, but he married his teenage sweetheart Ruth Osborne, played by Terri Dwyer.
However, he had an affair with Katie Patrick and Natasha Symms, which forced Kurt and Ruth to split up and he left the soap on a motorbike in 1999.
Kurt then tragically died in a jet ski accident, but 20 years later it turns out that not everything was as it seemed.
In 2020, Jeremy dropped the bombshell that Kurt had not actually died, as viewers were led to believe, but had actually been on the run for many years.
Later that year his character Kurt made a dramatic return to the village on his signature motorbike after leaving the soap 21 years ago.
Marking Hollyoaks’ 25th anniversary, his return left his friend Tony Hutchinson in shock after he believed he had died in the jet ski accident.
It was thought this could lead to a more permanent return as he was due to perform for up to a year, however Covid affected filming and his comeback was only temporary.
At another point in his showbiz career, Jeremy took part in ITV’s The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019 as part of a duo with Brendan Cole, but was eliminated at the casting stage.
He is also known for his fourth place finish in the third series of Celebrity Big Brother and his role as Danny Shaughessy, a nursing student in Holby City.
Jeremy was engaged to S Club 7’s Rachel Stevens in 2002 before splitting a year later and eventually meeting his now wife, Lydia Metz, whom he married in 2009.
Last year, Jeremy revealed he was leaving the spotlight for good, and earlier this month revealed his reasons for leaving fame behind.
Jeremy decided to part ways with his acting agent and now couldn’t be happier living a life away from the spotlight and working as an acting teacher.
“When Rishi Sunak was Chancellor in lockdown he said that actors should look for other skills to master.” I agreed with him. “I think people are not making enough use of their transferable skills,” Jeremy told The Sun.
“During Covid there was just no work and now there’s an actors’ strike in America.” There are so many reasons why you can be unemployed and I thought this was so unpredictable and I have a family. I thought I had thirty years of experience here, what do I do?
Jeremy decided to teach acting at Film UK in Hampshire, and as a teenager his parents sheepishly told him he was hanging on their wall.
In 2011, Jeremy briefly began a career as a construction contractor, but later starred in a few plays.
But after an acting job that paid him a pittance, he decided to turn his back on show business for good, saying it was “dog eat dog” and he “never enjoyed being famous.”
The former soap star is now a father of two children and happily married to his wife Lydia Metz.
SHEBAH RONAY
Short post: Shebah Ronay (pictured right with Lisa Williamson) played Natasha Andersen when Hollyoaks hit the screens in 1995 and she stayed on the soap for five months
Shebah Ronay portrayed Natasha Andersen when Hollyoaks hit the screens in 1995 and she remained in the soap for five months.
The actress, now 51, became the first Hollyoaks regular to be killed when she suffered a drug overdose after her drink was spiked with an ecstasy tablet at a party.
She had a brief acting career from 1989 to 1998, appearing in films such as Reunion and The Man Who Cried.
However, she subsequently left her on-screen roles behind and instead focused on her work as a model, presenter and journalist.
Shebah is now married to artist Jonathan Yeo and the couple have two daughters together.
She was an inspiration for his art career as he painted her for two different artworks.
BRETT O’BRIEN
Synopsis: Brett O’Brien portrayed Louise Taylor in Hollyoaks, but her character’s appearance on the show was short-lived
Brett O’Brien portrayed Louise Taylor in Hollyoaks, but her character’s appearance on the show was short-lived.
Louise was a free-living character and the best friend of Natasha Andersen and Dawn Cunningham. She later claimed to have seen Natasha’s ghost after her death.
She left the show when Louise fell in love with a “New Age” traveler named Tree, and left the village to be with him in May 1996.
Since leaving the soap, the actress has appeared in other shows including Wire in the Blood (2002), William and Mary (2003) and Law And Order: UK.
In recent years, Brett has retired from acting and has had no credits since 2009, and little is known about her life away from the spotlight.
LISA WILLIAMSON
Dynasty family: Lisa Williamson joined Hollyoaks as Dawn Cunningham – the first member of the Cunningham family to appear in the soap
Lisa Williamson joined Hollyoaks as Dawn Cunningham – the first member of the Cunningham family to appear in the soap.
Dawn has been at the center of a number of hard-hitting storylines, including an unwanted teenage pregnancy after having an affair with her best friend Ruth’s father, Jack.
Although Lisa only appeared on the series for two years, the Cunningham family continued to dominate the soap opera’s main storylines.
One family member who still appears in the series is Tom Cunningham – the son of Helen and Gordon Cunningham – who has been played by Ellis Hollins, 23, since 2003.
Since leaving Hollyoaks after 127 episodes, Lisa has also appeared in Dream Team and Siren’s Bay.
She has since moved away from the screen and is known as a voice actress for commercials and as a published author.
Lisa has published a number of successful young adult books, including The Art of Being Normal, All About Mia and Paper Avalanche.