2023

←2022 2024 →
2023 was Hollyoaks's twenty-ninth year of production.
== Overview ==
Lucy Allan remained in the role of executive producer and Philip Dodds in the role of series producer until August 2023, when both decided to stand down from the programme. Upon Allan's decision to leave, Angelo Abela and Hannah Cheers were drafted in as acting executive producers until Cheers was confirmed as taking over the role permanently in February 2024. Meanwhile, Vicky Khan, Kieron O'Sullivan and Si Wall took over as series producers. These changes were reflected on-screen in Episode 6241 (9th November 2023).
Storylines this year included Rayne Royce's abuse of her boyfriend Romeo Nightingale, Juliet Nightingale's battle with cancer, Charlie Dean's mental health crisis, and Sienna Blake's attempts to con millionaire Rafe Harcourt.
No births occurred this year. Tom Cunningham was left devastated when wife Yazz suffered an ectopic pregnancy and miscarried (6132), whilst Zoe Anderson decided to abort her baby despite ex-boyfriend Sam Chen-Williams's attempts to change her mind (6145). James Nightingale married Ste Hay (6115), whilst Norma Crow had dodgy Dr. Fenton murdered (6027), Juliet lost her battle with lymphoma (6129), and Rayne was found dead in a swimming pool (6208/6208A).
== Events ==
=== Hollyoaks events ===
*3rd January - Imran Maalik collapses after running from the eating disorder clinic in Hertfordshire.
*9th January - Maxine Minniver is kidnapped by Eric Foster.
*10th January - Mason Chen-Williams is beaten unconscious in an attack by Charlie Dean.
*11th January - Verity Hutchinson's funeral takes place. After locking Maxine Minniver in his family's holiday home (having beaten her unconscious with a plank of wood), Eric Foster takes the funeral attendees hostage in The Dog in the Pond, armed with a crossbow. Shooting Diane Hutchinson and Maxine (who had managed to escape) with arrows, Eric is shot by police and apprehended, but everyone survives.
*12th January - Mercedes McQueen is arrested for assisting an offender.
*13th January - Struggling in the aftermath of The Dog in the Pond siege and the recent behaviour of her brother Mason, Serena Chen-Williams leaves the village for Shanghai to be with her father.
*17th January - Dr. Fenton is killed at the hands of Norma Crow. Warren Fox suffers a variceal haemorrhage and collapses. Rayne Royce arrives in the village. (First appearance of the character)
*18th January - Rayne Royce's best friend Lacey Lloyd arrives in the village for a job interview at Dee Valley Law. (First appearance of the character)
*24th January - Struggling in the aftermath of Verity Hutchinson's death, Shaq Qureshi leaves the village for Paris. (Final appearance of the character)
*25th January - Mason Chen-Williams video-calls his sister Serena, now living in Shanghai, to apologise for his behaviour. (Final appearance of Serena)
*26th January - Bobby Costello is sentenced to a concurrent twelve and nine year prison sentence for the murder of Silas Blissett and attempted murder of DeMarcus Westwood.
*27th January - Bobby Costello is arrested and charged with the murder of Verity Hutchinson after making a confession.
*2nd February - Vicky Grant collapses after being overdosed on ecstasy.
*14th February - James Nightingale proposes to Ste Hay, who accepts.
*17th February - Dave Chen-Williams proposes to Honour Chen-Williams, who accepts.
*20th February - Dave Chen-Williams proposes to Honour Chen-Williams, who rejects. Warren Fox collapses due to liver rejection.
*22nd February - Juliet Nightingale is arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour.
*8th March - Dee Dee Hutchinson is rushed to hospital after being pushed off the adventure playground by Sebastian Blake whilst playing with Anthony Hutchinson and Rose Lomax. 
*17th March - Ste Hay is kidnapped by Norma Crow.
*20th March - Ste Hay collapses after escaping from Warren's Wheels. Norma Crow causes Warren Fox to crash into The Cunningham Grande Bazaar whilst attempting to flee the village with Sophie and Sebastian Blake.
*21st March - Pearl Anderson's daughter Sharon Bailey returns to the village for a trial shift at Dee Valley University Hospital. Mercedes McQueen has a call with her son Bobby Costello, which goes disastrously. (First appearance of Sharon since 2021)
*24th March - Nancy Osborne goes to Detroit to arrange a heart surgery for her daughter Morgan.
*29th March - Eric Foster is sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment for The Dog in the Pond siege.
*14th April - After deciding to leave her partner, Dave, Honour Chen-Williams leaves the village for a job in London. (Final appearance of the character)
*21st April - Misbah Maalik's nephew Dillon Ray arrives in the village after being evicted by his mother. (First appearance of the character)
*28th April - Goldie McQueen is arrested for handling stolen goods.
*1st May - Juliet Nightingale is rushed to hospital after losing consciousness after contracting norovirus. Blaming herself for Juliet's hospitalisation, Peri Lomax trashes a Dee Valley Hospital waiting room.
*3rd May - Grace Black and Zara Morgan are arrested for assaulting a police officer.
*8th May - During a prison visit, Eric Foster trashes the visiting room and attacks Maxine Minniver.
*9th May - James Nightingale is arrested on suspicion of theft.
*10th May - Sienna Blake meets Lord Rafe Harcourt at the Chester horse races. Tony Hutchinson receives a final phone call from his brother Eric Foster. (First appearance of Rafe, final appearance of Eric)
*16th May - Sam Chen-Williams is kidnapped by Warren Fox.
*17th May - Zoe Anderson discovers that she is pregnant.
*19th May - Ste Hay and James Nightingale marry. Juliet Nightingale collapses whilst dancing with James at the wedding reception.
*23rd May - Charlie Dean trashes the Hollyoaks Wreck youth club on the orders of drug dealer Taz.
*24th May - DeMarcus Westwood is attacked by Taz.
*31st May - Yasmine Cunningham discovers that she's pregnant. Imran Maalik leaves Hollyoaks for an apprenticeship in London.
*8th June - Juliet Nightingale passes away from Hodgkin's lymphoma with girlfriend Peri Lomax at her side.
*12th June - Yasmine Cunningham collapses.
*13th June - Yasmine Cunningham suffers an ectopic pregnancy and has a miscarriage.
*15th June - Charlie Dean is arrested after being caught by Zoe Anderson buying drugs from Taz. Later, Charlie and Dillon Ray trash 17 Basswood Road on the orders of Taz.
*28th June - Grace Black, Zara Morgan and Cindy Cunningham's armed robbery of a security van goes wrong when Cindy accidentally triggers the alarm and the trio are trapped inside.
*30th June - Grace Black is charged with armed robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Damon Kinsella leaves the village for a new life in New York while Zara Morgan leaves to pursue a new career in Borneo. Zoe Anderson aborts her and Sam Chen-Williams' baby. Joel Dexter collapses at the park. (Final appearance of Damon and Zara)
*3rd July - Joel Dexter is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
*5th July - Juliet Nightingale's funeral takes place, which Oliver Morgan returns for. Ollie video-calls Imran Maalik at her grave. (First appearance of Ollie since 2022, and final appearances of Ollie and Imran)
*6th July - After watching her late daughter Juliet Nightingale's video message, Donna-Marie Quinn takes a heroin overdose in La Gymnastique.
*10th July - Freya Calder returns to the village to continue at Hollyoaks High School. Ella Richardson collapses from alcohol poisoning caused by binge drinking. (First appearance of Freya since 2022)
*11th July - Darren Osborne is hit by a stolen car, driven by his step-nephew Charlie Dean.
*12th July - DeMarcus Westwood leaves the village to live with his mother in the United States. (Final appearance of the character)
*14th July - Rafe Harcourt's sister Dilly Harcourt arrives in the village. (First appearance of Dilly)
*17th July - Having stopped taking her bipolar medication, Cindy Cunningham begins seeing visions of her late fiancé Luke Morgan. (First appearance of Luke since 2022)
*19th July - Cindy Cunningham stops seeing visions of her late fiancé Luke Morgan after being treated for bipolar. Grace Black is transferred to a prison in Glasgow. (Final appearances of Grace and Luke)
*20th July - John Paul McQueen is brutally attacked by a group of homophobic men.
*26th July - Mercedes and Goldie McQueen trash Dee Valley Law in retaliation to James Nightingale accidentally killing their dog Bronzer via chocolate poisoning.
*27th July - Prince McQueen loses consciousness after his drink is spiked by Rayne Royce.
*2nd August - Donna-Marie Quinn is rushed to hospital after losing consciousness from taking drugs and for accidentally starting a fire at 2 Oakdale Drive.
*16th August - Carter Shepherd arrives in the village. (First appearance of the character)
*22nd August - During an argument, Rayne Royce pushes Romeo Nightingale through a glass table.
*25th August - Jack Osborne is rushed to hospital after accidentally drinking a smoothie spiked with anxiety medication by Darren Osborne intended for Charlie Dean.
*5th September - Charlie Dean attempts to take his own life after months of suffering with poor mental health but Darren Osborne and Tony Hutchinson intervene. Ella Richardson discovers that Warren Fox is her biological father after taking a DNA test.
*6th September - Charlie Dean is rushed to hospital after losing consciousness caused by secondary drowning.
*7th September - Felix Westwood is rushed to hospital after being found lying unconscious from injuries sustained from illegal fighting.
*8th September - Felix Westwood loses consciousness and collapses after suffering a seizure caused by a concussion.
*13th September - Peri Lomax is knocked unconscious by Rayne Royce's presumed dead boyfriend Brent Taylor.
*14th September - Peri Lomax is kidnapped by Brent Taylor.
*15th September - After suffering a drug relapse and being kicked out by Leela Lomax, Donna-Marie Quinn leaves the village to recover. (Final appearance of Donna-Marie)
*21st September - After having flashbacks of the homophobic attack on him, John Paul McQueen lashes out and attacks Carter Shepherd, and is arrested.
*22nd September - During an argument, Rayne Royce attacks Romeo Nightingale.
*25th September - Felix Westwood proposes to Mercedes McQueen, who rejects. After the truth about her lies and deceit over the previous months came to light, Rayne Royce is found dead in the swimming pool at her luxury manor party. 
*26th September - Brent Taylor is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Rayne Royce. After a showdown with Warren Fox on a cliff, Felix Westwood is rushed to hospital after suffering from psychosis.
*28th September - Sienna Blake is arrested on suspicion of theft. Brent Taylor is charged with the kidnap of Peri Lomax.
*29th September - Sam Chen-Williams leaves the village after accepting a job as a personal trainer in Los Angeles. (Final appearance of Sam)
*6th October - Brent Taylor is attacked in prison on the orders of James Nightingale.
*9th October - Beau Ramsey is arrested after being caught by Zoe Anderson with drugs that belonged to Dave Chen-Williams.
*10th October - Lacey Lloyd leaves the village after accepting a job as a trainee solicitor in Norwich.
*11th October - Yasmine Cunningham is diagnosed with premature menopause.
*12th October - Zoe Anderson is rushed to hospital after going into anaphylactic shock caused by a suspected shellfish allergy.
*17th October - The memorial for Rayne Royce takes place.
*25th October - Dave Chen-Williams is sentenced to community service for possession of drugs.
*31st October - Leela Lomax attacks Britney for publicly accusing Peri Lomax of murdering Rayne Royce.
*2nd November - At the charity masquerade ball at Harcourt Grove, Rafe Harcourt proposes to Camilla Bassington-Hart. James Nightingale is attacked by a mystery figure wearing a wolf mask.
*3rd November - Camilla Bassington-Hart accepts Rafe Harcourt's proposal.
*8th November - During a memorial for his late grandfather, Rafe Harcourt loses consciousness and collapses.
*16th November - On the day of Rayne Royce's death, Prince McQueen is revealed to have accidentally knocked Rayne to the ground when she attacked him during a confrontation. Hunter McQueen is revealed to be the mystery figure who attacked James Nightingale at the Harcourt Grove charity masquerade ball.
*17th November - Warren Fox attacks a thug after witnessing the thug attack Darren Osborne.
*20th November - Dave Chen-Williams is unknowingly kidnapped by Felix Westwood after being locked in the back of his van by Mason Chen-Williams.
*21st November - Felix Westwood proposes to Mercedes McQueen, who accepts.
*22nd November - Leela Lomax and Mercedes McQueen both find out they're pregnant.
*27th November - Ethan Williams and Rafe Harcourt both propose to Sienna Blake.
*28th November - Sienna Blake rejects Ethan Williams' proposal and accepts Rafe Harcourt's proposal. Camilla Bassington-Hart is revealed to be an actress hired by Rafe and Dilly Harcourt.
*29th November - Romeo Nightingale, whilst sleepwalking, attacks Peri Lomax, believing her to be Rayne Royce.
*1st December - Prince McQueen is arrested for the murder of Rayne Royce.
*4th December - Prince McQueen is charged with the manslaughter of Rayne Royce. Lucas Hay is locked in a shack by James Nightingale.
*6th December - Dillon Ray meets Andre Clark at the youth club. (First appearance of the character)
*7th December - Mercedes McQueen, having suddenly disappeared from the village, visits her sister Jacqui McQueen. (First appearance of Jacqui since 2013)
*8th December - Jacqui McQueen gives Mercedes McQueen some tough love over her pregnancy and not knowing if the father is Felix Westwood or Warren Fox, before Mercedes leaves again. (Final appearance of Jacqui)
*12th December - Carter Shepherd loses consciousness and collapses after taking alcohol and Freya Calder's painkillers.
*19th December - Rafe and Dilly Harcourt are revealed to be husband and wife, not brother and sister.
*20th December - Rafe Harcourt suffers a PTSD attack after him and Sienna Blake are falsely imprisoned in a Santa's grotto by Dilly Harcourt. Lucas Hay is arrested for criminal damage after accidentally smashing a window at the youth centre.
*21st December - After getting drunk, Lucas Hay attacks Dillon Ray.
*22nd December - Nana McQueen suffers a stroke and collapses in the back yard of The Cage.
*26th December - Nana McQueen is rushed to hospital after suffering from a mild stroke and hypothermia.
=== Historical Events ===
None
=== Real life events ===
*8th November - Lucy Allan's final episode as executive producer airs. Philip Dodds' final episode as series producer airs.
*9th November - Angelo Abela and Hannah Cheers' first episode as executive producers airs. Vicky Khan, Kieron O'Sullivan and Si Wall's first episode as series producers airs.
== Cast ==
*Lucas Hay was recast from William Hall to Oscar Curtis in March 2023.
*Rose Lomax was recast from Isla Pritchard to Ava Webster in October 2023.
*Anthony Hutchinson was recast from Caelan Cobbledick-Manning to William Thompson in October 2023.
=== Appearances ===
=== Debuts ===
See also: :Category:2023 debuts.
Number	Character 	Actor 	Debut date
 	Rayne Royce 	Jemma Donovan 	17th January 2023
 	Lacey Lloyd 	Annabelle Davis 	18th January 2023
 	Dillon Ray 	Nathaniel Dass 	21st April 2023
 	Rafe Harcourt 	Chris Gordon 	10th May 2023
 	Dilly Harcourt 	Emma Johnsey-Smith 	14th July 2023
 	Carter Shepherd	David Ames 	16th August 2023
 	Andre Clark 	David Joshua-Anthony	6th December 2023
=== Returns ===
See also: :Category:2023 returns.
Number	Character 	Actor 	Return date
 	Sharon Bailey 	Jamelia 	21st March 2023
 	Oliver Morgan 	Gabriel Clark	5th July 2023
 	Freya Calder 	Ellie Henry 	10th July 2023
 	Luke Morgan 	Gary Lucy 	17th July 2023
 	Jacqui McQueen	Claire Cooper	7th December 2023
=== Departures ===
See also: :Category:2023 departures.
Number	Character 	Actor 	Departure date
 	Shaq Qureshi 	Omar Malik 	24th January 2023
 	Serena Chen-Williams	Emma Lau 	25th January 2023
 	Bobby Costello 	Jayden Fox 	10th April 2023
 	Honour Chen-Williams	Vera Chok 	14th April 2023
 	Eric Foster 	Angus Castle-Doughty	10th May 2023
 	Imran Maalik 	Ijaz Rana 	31st May 20235th July 2023 (video)
 	Damon Kinsella 	Jacob Roberts 	30th June 2023
 	Zara Morgan 	Kelly Condron 	30th June 2023
 	Oliver Morgan 	Gabriel Clark 	5th July 2023
 	DeMarcus Westwood 	Tomi Ade 	12th July 2023
 	Luke Morgan 	Gary Lucy 	19th July 2023
 	Grace Black 	Tamara Wall 	19th July 2023
 	Juliet Nightingale 	Niamh Blackshaw 	24th July 2023
 	Donna-Marie Quinn 	Lucy-Jo Hudson 	15th September 2023
 	Sam Chen-Williams 	Matthew McGivern 	29th September 2023
 	Jacqui McQueen 	Claire Cooper 	8th December 2023
== Episodes ==
See also: :Category:2023 episodes.
== See Also ==
* :Category:2023 minor characters
* :Category:2023 marriages
* :Category:2023 deaths
←2022 2024 →
Category:2023