A hydrocracking process comprising the steps of: (a) combining a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and a heavy bottom fraction recycle stream with a hydrogen-rich gas to obtain a mixture comprising hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and hydrogen; (b) catalytically hydrocracking the mixture comprising hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and hydrogen in a hydrocracking zone to obtain a hydrocracked effluent; (c) separating the hydrocracked effluent into a first vapour portion and a first liquid portion in a separation zone; (d) heating the first liquid portion to form a vapourised first liquid portion; (e) feeding the vapourised first liquid portion to a fractionation section producing individual product fractions including a heavy bottom fraction comprising unconverted oil at the bottom zone of the fractionation section; (f) withdrawing from the fractionation section the heavy bottom fraction; (g) splitting the heavy bottom fraction into a stream for stripping and a heavy bottom fraction recycle stream; (h) heating the stream for stripping prior to the stripping process to raise its temperature above its bubble point by one or more heat sources taken from the group consisting of one or more streams from the hydrocracking process, a reactor effluent, an external source of heating medium, high pressure steam, hot flue gas from a fired heater, and electrical heating providing a heated stream for stripping, (i) stripping the heated stream for stripping, with a stripping medium, in a counter current stripping column to form an overhead vapour and a stripped liquid; (l) feeding the overhead vapour to the fractionation section, to the heavy bottom fraction stream or to a position upstream the fractionation section; and (k) removing at least a part of the stripped liquid from the counter current stripping column as a net purge of unconverted oil. (a) combining a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and a heavy bottom fraction recycle stream with a hydrogen-rich gas to obtain a mixture comprising hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and hydrogen; (b) catalytically hydrocracking the mixture comprising hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and hydrogen in a hydrocracking zone to obtain a hydrocracked effluent; (c) separating the hydrocracked effluent into a first vapour portion and a first liquid portion in a separation zone; (d) heating the first liquid portion to form a vapourised first liquid portion; (e) feeding the vapourised first liquid portion to a fractionation section producing individual product fractions including a heavy bottom fraction comprising unconverted oil at the bottom zone of the fractionation section; (f) withdrawing from the fractionation section the heavy bottom fraction; (g) splitting the heavy bottom fraction into a stream for stripping and a heavy bottom fraction recycle stream; (h) heating the stream for stripping prior to the stripping process to raise its temperature above its bubble point by one or more heat sources taken from the group consisting of one or more streams from the hydrocracking process, a reactor effluent, an external source of heating medium, high pressure steam, hot flue gas from a fired heater, and electrical heating providing a heated stream for stripping, (i) stripping the heated stream for stripping, with a stripping medium, in a counter current stripping column to form an overhead vapour and a stripped liquid; (l) feeding the overhead vapour to the fractionation section, to the heavy bottom fraction stream or to a position upstream the fractionation section; and (k) removing at least a part of the stripped liquid from the counter current stripping column as a net purge of unconverted oil.