EXCLUSIVE: Hollyoaks newcomer Charlotte Riley, who replaced original Leah Barnes actress Ela-May Demircan, has revealed the pressure of taking on the role amid backlash
07:04, 17 Jul 2026Updated 07:04, 17 Jul 2026
Hollyoaks’ new Leah Barnes actress Charlotte Riley has shared her reaction to backlash from viewers(Image: Lime Pictures)
Hollyoaks‘ new Leah Barnes actress Charlotte Riley has shared her reaction to backlash from viewers aimed at bosses.
After the role was recast and original actress Ela-May Demircan was replaced, newcomer Charlotte confessed there was “pressure” with taking on the role. Hearing out why fans weren’t impressed about the changes to the character, Charlotte explained why the role was recast.
She also, in an exclusive chat with the Mirror, defended the changes to Leah as fans called out the character’s “personality transplant”. Hollyoaks bosses planned the change in order to take the character of Leah down a different route.
As for the changes to Leah as a person, it’s very much to do with her time in LA. Charlotte hopes the show will explore some of Leah’s past, while she added that we will see another side to Leah very soon.
On the backlash, Charlotte sympathised: “There is definitely pressure. I obviously understand it because when you watch your favourite show, and they recast someone, you’re like, it’s not her!
“I would be the exact same honestly. People don’t like change, myself included, but I think that’s why people need to get comfortable with change in that life changes people.
“People grow and that’s what they wanted to do with Leah, take her down a different route. She’s been in LA, she’s been studying, and she’s changed as a person.
“She’s had these American influences, and her style’s changed.” Charlotte also explained that a lot of the confidence and chaos we are seeing with Leah is a front she’s putting on.
She told us: “There’s a lot that’s gone on and you never lose your inner self. She has past trauma like with the loss of her mum, she’s not completely changed. But she’s got these great cover-ups, she puts on a front for everyone.
“In the summer we will see it deteriorate a bit. She’s not always perfect and she wants to put on a front. Finding this new aspiration of being an influencer, it’s given her confidence to change as a person.”
Charlotte is loving her time on the soap though, and she talked about reuniting with her Coronation Street co-stars Lewis Walton and Brook Debio, who both recently joined the Channel 4 soap too. She said: “Brook found out way before anything, then Lewis and then it just happened, it was me!
“I love it, it still doesn’t feel real and I don’t think it ever will. When you’re constantly doing auditions and it’s rejection therapy, when you do get the job it’s like imposter syndrome.
“But I have found my feet a bit, and I’m settled in now. I love it. I’m constantly living in that dream and doing what I have wanted to do since I was little.”
Hollyoaks is available to stream on Channel 4’s streaming service now, while it also airs Mondays to Wednesdays on E4 at 7PM.* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV onTikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads.
EXCLUSIVE: Former Hollyoaks star Emma Rigby says she’d like to ‘sit down’ with Andrews and discover what she is willing to admit to, 30 years after the crime
The actress who plays Tracie Andrews in a new drama about the 1996 “road rage” killing of her fiancé Lee Harvey has revealed her desire to interview the convicted murderer about what really happened.
Emma Rigby, best known for her role as Hannah Ashworth in Hollyoaks, said: “I would love to make a documentary following a sit down between the two of us. I have so many questions for her. She has never told the truth on camera, it would be interesting to see what story she would tell now.”
Emma, who also starred in BBC1’s Prisoners’ Wives, was seven years old at the time of Lee’s death and knew nothing about the case before being approached for the role. To prepare, she watched many documentaries and read the book Pure Evil by Lee’s mother Maureen., played in the drama by The Witcher’s Jo Marriott.
An “avid consumer of true crime”, Emma she found Andrews’ psychology to be “fascinating” – but struggled to find one iota of sympathy for her. “The most chilling moments are when we used transcripts of what Tracie actually said,” she explained. “Her tone is terrifying and her lack of remorse is extremely sad. Tracie is the very definition of chilling. Her behaviour is shockingly unbelievable.”
The 90-minute drama, Suspect: The Road Rage Killer, will show how Tracie, then 27, was so desperate to find fame as a model, that she enjoyed being centre of attention at the press conference – even though she would quickly expose herself as a suspect rather than a witness.
“Tracie has many facets, her wanting to be on camera was one of them,” Emma says. “It was important to show how Tracie’s demise was essentially giving the camera too much.”
She said that playing her meant getting right into her head, where she found no redeeming features. “I can believe that in her way she loved Lee, and relate to a toxic situation masquerading as an all-consuming love, but this does not extend to sympathy for her actions,” Emma said. “The more I consumed, the more horrified I became. Each new detail that emerged was more shocking than the last, it makes for a gripping drama.”
Thirty years ago, Andrews was found covered in blood next to the body of her fiance Lee on a dark country lane near to their home in Alvechurch, Worcestershire. She was later found to have stabbed him in the neck and chest 42 times during an argument as they drove home from a local pub. The crime was pre-meditated, as she had hidden a knife inside her boot.
Having murdered the man she was due to marry, Andrews concocted a story about a road rage incident and said that Lee had been killed by a man in another car with “starey eyes”. But this unravelled when she contradicted statements she’d already made at the televised press conference.
The actress has struggled to understand how Andrews can have launched such a frenzied attack on bus-driver Lee, 25, who she claimed to adore. “I can believe that in her way she loved Lee, and relate to a toxic situation masquerading as an all-consuming love, but this does not extend to sympathy for her actions,” Emma said.
After being given a life sentence for murder, Andrews served the minimum 14 years before being released in 2011. Now living under the name Jenna Stephens in a southern coastal town, she married bouncer and dad-of-two Phil Goldsworthy in 2017. Two years after she was jailed Andrews, who had a history of violent attacks on her partner, admitted to killing Lee, but insisted it was done in self-defence.
Emma, 36, said it was shocking how little remorse Andrews showed over what she had done. “The key element is Tracie’s apathy – which is offset by her complete conviction to come out on top, whatever the cost.”
The actress said she’d loved getting her teeth into the meaty role, and hopes it will lead to more challenging parts being offered to her. “I hope it will reveal a whole new dimension to what I can do,” she said. “Tracie is my first onscreen role playing a real person and is someone many people are familiar with, due to the iconic press conference. I wanted to give a raw and very real performance,” she explained. “As an actor I had the most enjoyable time playing Tracie; I really loved the grit.”
The Inside Soap Awards are back and they have announced a major change to this years’ event to mark the 30th anniversary
The Inside Soap Awards are back!(Image: PA)
The Inside Soap Awards are back – and are making the move up North for the first time ever.
This year’s event will take place in Manchester and will be the only soap awards ceremony held this year.
Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks will all go head to head whilst Australian soap Home and Away has also been nominated as well as dramas like Casualty and Waterloo Road.
Up for nomination this year is the epic Coronation Street and Emmerdale crossover episode – Corriedale – as well as Nigel’s sad death in EastEnders, amongst other dramatic and heartbreaking scenes.
“The Inside Soap Awards are still going strong after 30 years, and we’re proud to be championing all the wonderful work the soaps produce day in, day out. Our readers are just as passionate and loyal now as they were back in 1996, with over 90,000 of them voting each year – and the Inside Soap Awards remain the only accolades of their kind to be voted for entirely by the true experts, the soap fans themselves,” Inside Soap magazine editor Sarah Ellis said.
To mark the awards’ 30th anniversary, there will be their very own Hall of Fame and the first inductee will be announced during the ceremony. She added: “The soap star who receives this prestigious accolade will be someone who’s been closely associated with the Inside Soap Awards since they began in 1996.
“In addition, fans will also be able to nominate their Soap Superstar of 2026, a person they feel has gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to providing entertainment.”
Voting opens midday on Tuesday 30 June, and the winners will be revealed in Manchester in September.
The full list of nominations are as follows:
Best Actress
Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster, Coronation Street )
Vicky Myers (Lisa Connor-Swain, Coronation Street )
Hollyoaks star Haiesha Mistry, who played Yasmine Maalik on the Channel 4 show from 2017 until 2024, has landed a completely different kind of job two years after quitting the soap
20:31, 28 Jun 2026Updated 20:31, 28 Jun 2026
Hollyoaks star Haiesha Mistry has landed a new job away from the TV industry(Image: Lime Pictures)
Hollyoaks star Haiesha Mistry has landed a “normal job” two years after quitting the soap. The actress, 32, played Yasmine Maalik on the Channel 4 show from 2017 until 2024 and was part of several major storylines, even winning the British Soap Award for Best Single Episode in 2018 when her character was involved in a group self-harm plot.
But now, Haiesha has taken to social media to reveal that she has now found employment in a secondary school, although she did not go into too much detail about her new role.
Alongside a mirror selfie taken during the heatwave, she wrote on Instagram: “Spent the last 2 days working in a high school during the hottest days of the year.”
As part of her departure storyline, Yasmine decided to accept a new job in Canada, leaving the village and her husband Tom Cunningham behind after months of drama. Yazz had been talking to someone online unaware it was Tom pretending to be ‘Gordon’. He was gutted when he realised she had no idea it was him, and the pair clashed.
Tom then cheated on Yazz with his ex and her best pal Peri Lomax, while Yazz also kissed another character. But the biggest betrayal came when she was offered a huge job in Canada and Tom sabotaged it, or at least tried to.
Not wanting to lose her, Tom emailed the potential employer and pretended to be Yazz. He declined the job opportunity and did not tell his wife what he had done.
Yazz found out via the employer though, and confronted Tom during the vow renewal where she announced she wanted a divorce. She then confirmed to her loved ones that she planned to take the job and leave for Canada.
In sad scenes, the character said her goodbyes to her mother Misbah and her friends and family. She then had a final goodbye with Tom as they made amends, with Yazz getting into a taxi and starting her new life away from the village.
Hollyoaks marked Haiesha’s on-screen acting debut and whilst she took a break from the soap in 2021 to shoot the short film Mug, she has not appeared in any other television projects since she left completely.
When her exit scenes aired, Haiesha reflected on her time on the programme with an emotional Instagram post.
She said: “That’s a wrap. 2017-2024 7 years of Yazz Maalik/Yazz Cunningham complete! Yazz you have been my pride and joy for the last 7 years. You’ve taught me so, so much. I will never forget your sass! Especially in the last 2 episodes!
“Unmatched at every level! To the iconic beehive, all the creative hairstyles or the outfits that screamed sass, especially that ‘big bird’ yellow fluffy jacket! “Our make-up and costume ladies will know, the way I would go, ‘OH HERE SHE IS, YAZZ IS HERE’, you brought so much life and served looks every damn time!
“I’ve had so many incredible storylines over the years. Whether it’s the car crash stunt, school explosion, the tunnel of terror, the self-harm storyline, Yazz’s deafness, the historical rape or the ectopic pregnancy storyline to name a few. “Being on the show has taught me how important it is to tell stories and represent, especially that BROWN GIRL REPRESENTATION!
“To the Hollyoaks fans, the best there is. Thank you for loving and hating on Yazz. When I got those reactions, I knew I was doing my job right. It’s been a pleasure to keep you entertained. “Being part of the Hollyoaks family is something I will cherish forever but as the saying goes, all good things have to come to an end. Peace out Yazz.”
Coronation Street fans are worried that actress Sydney Martin is about to leave her role as Betsy Swain on the ITV soap after two years of melodramatic twists and turns
Coronation Street fans are worried that Betsy Swain is about to leave the ITV soap
Coronation Street fans are worried that Betsy Swain is about to leave the ITV soap. The Speed Daal waitress, who has been played by Sydney Martin since 2024, has been through an awful lot during her two years in Weatherfield.
Just over a year ago, Betsy lost boyfriend Mason in a knife attack, was then shot by her own mother DS Lisa Swain, who faced no consequences for her actions, and was landed in a freak situation when her other mother Becky came back from the dead, having faked it as part of a corrupt police coverup.
Following on from all that drama , Betsy recently discovered a dead body that turned out to be that of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) at the end of the much-hyped Murder Week.
In scenes set to air in the coming days, Betsy confides in best friend Laure (Cait Fitton) that she’s been offered a place at the London College of Fashion but she’s worried about leaving Dylan. It’s yet to be seen just how Dylan will react and, on top of that, Betsy explains that she is yet to inform her mother.
Fans of the world’s longest-running TV soap have instantly started to speculate that Sydney, who appeared in Assassin’s Guild before joining Coronation Street, is set to make a dramatic exit from the ITV soap.
Taking to X, one fan said: “betsy off to london? [sad face emoji],” whilst another posted a picture of Carla, Lisa and Betsy and said: “Don’t spilt them up please #corrie I think Lisa will take this hard and Carla will help both Betsy and Lisa to see it from each others perspective.
Another said: “You can just imagine Carla saying something like oh you’ll be fine Betsy in London I could tell you stories about what me and Michelle got up to, and Betsy saying something like and even to this day they involve the police.”
Another wondered if this meant some sort of spin-off was on the cards. In the past, the programme has done various spin-offs such as Just Rosie, which followed Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan) on her quest for a modelling career, whilst a string of DVD releases like A Knight’s Tale and Out Of Africa were issued in the late 2000s.
Posing the theory, the fan wrote on X: “Is there any indication that Betsy going to London could be a limited summer off-shoot series like Hollyoaks Later where all the teens shared a summer house (obviously without the serial killer). But it will be Betsy’s adventures in the big city?”
It all comes after actress Sydney Martin, 24, was revealed to have been cast in a short film titled Favourite earlier this year. Filmmaker Georgia Leigh-Taylor said: “I’m so thrilled to announce the incredible Sydney Martin and the brilliant Isabelle Smith will be playing Mel and Ashley in my upcoming short film called Favourite.
“After graduating from the same acting school, Sydney and Izzy have both been working professionally in television since 2024, building exciting careers for themselves, taking on powerful storylines, and earning well-deserved recognition.
“Favourite is a dual-timeline drama exploring the lives of best friends Mel and Ashley both as teenagers, and as adults.”
Coronation Streetairs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
Emmerdale will not air in its usual slot tonight, and isn’t on ITVX owing to the football, and fans of the long-running ITV soap have slammed the decision to take it off air
Emmerdale has been pulled from the schedules to make way for the football and soap fans are furious
Emmerdale will not air in its usual slot on Friday night, and isn’t on ITVX either.
The long-running ITV soap, which began in 1972, has been a weeknight staple for much of its time on air, and, earlier this year joined forces with fellow soap Coronation Street to launch the “power hour” amid budget cuts at ITV.
Whilst it normally airs Monday to Friday at 8pm, the Yorkshire-based serial has been pulled to make way for the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, which will from 7:30pm until 9pm and see Spain go head-to-head with England.
In recent years, ITV has made Emmerdale and Coronation Street available on ITVX from 7am on the day of linear broadcast, and, in this case, the new edition will be released on Sunday morning.
With numerous inevitable schedule changes set to take place over the forthcoming World Cup, soap fans flooded social media with complaints. One wrote on Reddit: “Can’t they just stick all the football on, oh I don’t know, the football channel?
“So silly that broadcasters just ignore loyal viewers, some of whom who have been with them for decades, just to shove a sport on – the results of which will be beamed across every platform in real life. TV bosses always treat soaps as bottom of the pile when it comes to these things.” Another said: “Four weeks of disruption nightmare,” and added a string of rolling eyes emojis.
A third raged: “Yes I love the football but as a soap opera fan it’s gonna piss off a lot of people especially who hate football and like Emmerdale and Coronation street and EastEnders and of course Hollyoaks who won’t be affected by this and yes I get it important for the whole world but don’t u think we should have a channel for the world cup not on BBC or ITV.”
Another wrote: “International football should remain on free to view channels and not hidden behind a pay wall like the Premier league and champions league has become,” and a third suggested: “The simple solution is they just air the episodes on streaming regardless if it goes out over the airwaves. It’s kinda defeating the point if streaming platforms follow a schedule where only one thing can be on at once.”
It comes as fans recently predicted something of a bombshell could crop up in the relationship between Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle, known as Robron, as little has been said since they got engaged in the Corriedale crossover. While viewers will likely have to wait to find out, Robert’s faced backlash from Aaron’s family and friends, and other villagers, due to the drama with Joe Tate and the farm.
One of those people currently against him is Aaron’s best friend Mackenzie Boyd. But in a bizarre turn of events, a new theory from a viewer has sparked much confusion.
A soap fan took to Reddit to ask when Robert and Mack’s affair was going to air. Naturally, the post that seemed so sure it was on the cards left fans confused, as it’s not something that has been remotely hinted at, let alone confirmed on the show. Fans ended up replying, with some needing answers as others questioned if a mix-up had occurred. The original post read: “When do Robert and Mack have their affair?
“Have been hearing about it for ages that it’s happening. Guess they’re waiting for things to blow up with the baby.” Again, as fans pointed out, there has been no suggestion on or offscreen that this is happening.
So where the “talked about” theory has come from, no one knows. This led to fans actually asking the poster what they had heard, to which there was no reply.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Nikki Sanderson and Anthony Quinlan have revealed the name of their newborn son and the sentimental meaning behind itCredit: InstagramThe couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy, back in AprilCredit: Instagram
At the time, they revealed the news with a monochrome snap and simply dubbed him their ‘little man’.
But now, Hollyoaks actress Nikki and fellow soap star Anthony have revealed their baby boy is named Anthony James Quinlan.
Anthony Jr not only shares the same name as his dad, but Nikki told OK! Magazine that his middle name, James, is an ode to her brother.
They announced the pregnancy news back in December with a festive Instagram postCredit: Instagram/niknaksandersonThe couple, who got together in 2022, are yet to share pictures of their son onlineCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
With two Anthonys at home, things are bound to get confusing, as new dad Anthony says the family are already working ways around it.
He told the publication: “Different members of our family and friends have all started calling him different things.
“A couple of people call him AJ, some Tony. I used to get called Toe, so he’s little Toe as well. I love the fact that he’s got my name.”
Sharing a video on Instagram, the caption read: “Merry Christmas from the 3 of us. Baby Quinlan due Spring 2026.”
In the clip, the couple were seen decorating their Christmas tree together, adding baubles, before opening a box and unveiling the most important decoration of all.
The tree ornament included a photo of the baby scan and read: “Baby Quinlan: Arriving 2026.”
Ali Bastian played Becca Hayton in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks for six years before the character was brutally murdered in a heartbreaking storyline
Hollyoaks favourite Ali Bastian has addressed her time on the Channel 4 soap
A Hollyoaks legend has opened up on being killed off unexpectedly by Channel 4 bosses.
Ali Bastian joined the cast of the popular soap opera back in 2001 as Becca Hayton. At the time, the show was attracting millions of viewers and she found herself at the centre of some of its biggest storylines.
After deciding to leave the show in 2007, the actress admits she initially worried she’d made a huge mistake by walking away at the height of its success. However, she was soon rewarded with a regular role in ITV crime drama The Bill.
Opening up about her time on the soap to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo, Ali recalled: “I was 19 when I started Hollyoaks, and it was a huge break for me. I’d always really wanted to be an actress. It was something that was just kind of in me.
“Becca went through loads of highs and lows in those six years and as an actor, I got to try loads of different things: comedy and heartbreak! My character, in the end, went through a lot of heartache, but it really challenged me as an actor and the speed as well that soap works at is insane.”
Fans will remember Becca was brutally murdered by her prison cellmate, Fran Hathaway in 2007. She had been sentenced to two years imprisonment for sexual activity with a minor, but the claimant, Justin Burton (Chris Fountain), admitted to lying.
Becca was stabbed shortly after being released, and died in hospital. She was officially exonerated posthumously in July 2007. Opening up on a storyline fans didn’t get to see before her emotinal exit, Ali explained: “If I hadn’t left at that point, I think that the plan was for Becca to return [to Hollyoaks village] and end up with Jake.
“This was a plan that was floated by me, but it was never sort of officially down on paper. By that point, I was also just really ready to go home as well. I’d been in Liverpool for six years and I felt that I was ready for a new start. At that point, I made the decision to leave. That is why that storyline ended how it ended [with Becca being killed off].
“I went home and I had about a month of thinking, ‘Oh my God have I made the biggest mistake here? What’s going to happen?’ Then I got an audition for The Bill. I went in as a guest and actually managed to get a regular role. I got a phone call that night saying, ‘You didn’t get the job, but they want you to come back tomorrow because they’re casting for a new regular’.
“I was like, ‘oh my God!’ I went back to that audition and I got the job and then I started as a regular on that and was there for three years. Our industry is so bonkers. You never know what’s around the corner. One door closes, another opens.”
Over the years, Hollyoaks bosses have brought back several iconic characters from the dead and Ali isn’t ruling out a return as Becca, saying: “I was ready [to leave], but I don’t think I would have chosen to die. I remember when I heard that I was like, ‘Oh, great. That is really the end of that. I’m never coming back’. I was a bit gutted, because I had that sense of knowing there was no way back.
“At the same time, it gave such a strong ending to that storyline and to her journey. I am quite glad I didn’t just disappear into a cupboard and never come out again. I did get a cracking final story. You hope for that, of course, but it did make it feel final!
“I mean, If they wanted me to go back as a ghost, I would definitely consider it. I feel like [Becca’s son] Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan) could do with some guidance. I’d be right in there to be like, ‘what’s going on here?’ That phone call never came. In some ways it’s like it kept me moving forward and kept me doing new things and different things and I’m glad for that too.”
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am
