Sam "O.B." O'Brien is a fictional character in the long-running Channel 4 British television soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Darren Jeffries. He debuted on-screen on 6 October 1997 before leaving on 26 February 2008. He later made a brief return in July 2008 before leaving on 11 July 2008. He returned on screen in November 2016. Whilst on the show, O.B.'s storylines revolved around his friendship with Max Cunningham and several relationships. The character has been described as iconic and is most notable for his "classic comedy duo" status with Max. Jefferies was nominated for several awards for his time on the show. During a Hollyoaks live video in October 2016, it was revealed Darren Jeffries would be returning to the role after 8 years away. O.B returned on 17 November 2016 and made his last appearance on 2 January 2017.