List of Hollyoaks characters (2017)
"Hollyoaks" is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirkwood. The first character to be introduced was Lily Drinkwell (Lauren McQueen), the niece of Diane Hutchinson (Alex Fletcher). Shane Sweeney (Michael Salami), the father of Prince McQueen (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) and Hunter McQueen (Theo Graham), was also introduced in January, while Darcy Wilde (Aisling Jarrett-Gavin), the former fiancée  of Adam Donovan (Jimmy Essex), and Lynette Drinkwell (Amy Robbins), the adoptive mother of Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) and sister of Diane, were introduced in March. Four characters were introduced in April: Yasmine Maalik (Haiesha Mistry), a new teenage character who befriended Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell); Toby Wilde (Lucas Haywood), the secret son of Darcy and Adam; Kyle Kelly (Adam Rickitt), the former boyfriend of Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox); and Maggie Kinsella (Michelle Holmes), Scott's biological mother. Yasmine's sister, Farrah Maalik (Krupa Pattini), and mother, Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi), as well as Milo Entwistle (Nathan Morris), were introduced  in June. Granny Campbell (Jenny Lee), Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts) and Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward) made their first appearances in July. Glenn Donovan (Neil Roberts) made his debut the following month, while September saw the arrivals of Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana) and Sami Maalik (Rishi Nair). Lily Drinkwell. Lily McQueen (also Drinkwell), played by Lauren McQueen, made her first appearance on 6 January 2017. The character was announced on 12 December 2016, with further details including McQueen's casting announced on 22 December. Of securing the role, McQueen told Laura Morgan of "All About Soap" that she met with executive  producer Bryan Kirkwood in June 2016 and took part in a reading with one of the cast members. Later that day, her agent rang her to say that she had been offered the role of Lily. She added, "It's brilliant because I live about 15 minutes away from the set. It's the perfect job for me, really." Lily is the niece of established character Diane Hutchinson (Alex Fletcher). She is billed as a "schoolgirl who's dedicated to her studies but just as feisty as her family members". Lily is also very independent and a "mini-superhero" to  the less popular students of Hollyoaks High. McQueen explained that her character appears to be a "typical kind-hearted, butter-wouldn't-melt young teen", but she is actually very tough. She also said that Lily "absolutely adores" her aunt, gets on well with Diane's husband Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) and is close with her cousin Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams). Lily arrives in the village following the recent death of her mother, Babs, who died from terminal cancer. Her mother's illness has forced her to "grow up before her time." McQueen teased that Prince McQueen (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) could  be a possible love interest for Lily. McQueen commented that Lily and Prince were total opposites and that no one would think to put them together. Lily also struggles with self-harm and later becomes engaged to Prince, without knowing that he has got her friend Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) pregnant. Laura-Jayne Tyler of "Inside Soap" praised Lily's arrival, saying "We love "Hollyoaks"' newcomer Lily. She's a charming, friendly, nice girl – so seems like a real innovation in the village!" In August 2017, McQueen was longlisted for Best Newcomer at the "Inside Soap" Awards, while she and  Thompson-Dwyer were longlisted for Best Partnership. The nominations did not progress to the viewer-voted shortlist. McQueen was nominated for the "Best Newcomer" accolade at The British Soap Awards 2018, however lost out to Lorraine Stanley who plays Karen Taylor in "EastEnders". However, Lily's self-harm plot was awarded "Best Storyline" at the ceremony, as well as "Three Mothers, Three Daughters" detailing the effect of self-harm being awarded the "Best Single Episode". Shane Sweeney. Shane Sweeney, played by Lanre Malaolu, made his first appearance on 30 January 2017. The character and casting was announced on 9 January  2017. Shane is Prince (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) and Hunter McQueen's (Theo Graham) father, as well as Goldie McQueen's (Chelsee Healey) former partner. Shane comes to the village after being released from jail, and wants to reconcile with Goldie. Malaolu described Shane as a "wheeler-dealer" and "driven by money". He also said that Shane only "loves his family when it suits him." Prince and Hunter will be divided upon their father's return, with Prince welcoming him back, whereas Hunter is more wary and thinks that Shane is potentially scamming the family. Following a decision from "Hollyoaks" bosses , Shane was promoted to a regular character, but as Malaolu was unavailable, the role was recast to Michael Salami. Salami made his first appearance in the role on 9 May 2017. It was confirmed on 29 March 2018 that Salami would be departing the series, with his final scenes airing in the following day's episode. Shane revealed to Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed) that he knew about the drugs which Joel supplied to his aunt, Katy. After blackmailing Joel for a few weeks, Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) became suspicious of Shane. Later, Shane and Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) faked  a kidnapping in an attempt to hurt Warren. After the plan backfired, Shane fled Hollyoaks, once again leaving Goldie, Prince and Hunter behind. Shane held Joel and Cleo McQueen (Nadine Rose Mulkerrin) hostage at a beach. Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) came to the rescue and Joel and Shane had a fight, with the two warring men falling down a sand dune. Joel survived, but Shane went missing, presumed dead. It is later revealed that Shane had a gun in September, after it was unearthed on the beach by Kathy Barnes (Sarah Jane Buckley). In October 2018, Glenn Donovan is  killed by Breda and tells the police how he was bullied into confessing to 2 murders he didn't commit, he was later released from prison after making a statement, off screen. In August 2019, it was revealed that Shane is living with Prince and Hunter and he forgave them for turning their back on him after he told them how he was framed and coerced by Adam and Glenn into admitting two murders he didn't commit Darcy Wilde. Darcy Wilde (also credited as Darcy Osborne and Rebecca), played by Aisling Jarrett-Gavin, made her first appearance on 13  March 2017. The character was first mentioned on-screen in November 2016, while Jarrett-Gavin's casting was announced on 3 January 2017. Darcy is Adam Donovan's (Jimmy Essex) ex-fiancée and was presumed dead, after she vanished from a boat trip to France. Ahead of her arrival in the village, Adam learns that his brother Liam (Maxim Baldry) "is harbouring a huge secret about her." His other brother Jesse (Luke Jerdy) was infatuated with her, while their mother Tracey Donovan (Lisa Maxwell) and half-sister Grace Black (Tamara Wall) are also hiding a secret about Darcy. Adam's  fiancée, Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson), learns that Adam's former fiancée, Darcy Wilde, fell off a boat while they were on holiday in France and was presumed dead. It transpires that Adam's mother, Tracey, and half-sister, Grace Black, pushed her off the boat, believing she was just a gold digger. After discovering evidence that Darcy may still be alive, Maxine decides to find her. Maxine and Tracey find Darcy working at a café under the name Rebecca. After they confront her, Darcy seeks out Adam in Hollyoaks and they have an emotional reunion. Darcy reveals that she had  Adam's son, Toby (Lucas Haywood). Darcy tries to win Adam back by secretly manipulating him and uses Toby in her efforts. Unfortunately for Darcy, Adam and Maxine still end up getting married. Toby is rushed to hospital following breathing difficulties. Darcy's former partner, Marcus (Dean Ashton) arrives and reveals he is listed as the father on Toby's birth certificate. Marcus threatens to take Toby to a different hospital unless Darcy pays him the £40,000 that she conned from him. Adam pays Marcus the money and he leaves. Darcy begins a relationship with Adam's brother, Jesse , who she once had sex with when she was still with Adam. Just as she is about to leave the village to marry Jesse, Adam tells Darcy he wants to be with her. Darcy and Adam then leave their respective partners for each other. Tracey reveals to Darcy that she knows Adam is not Toby's biological father and she threatens to tell him the truth. There is a struggle and Tracey falls into the water and drowns. Since Tracey was drunk, her death is ruled accidental. It later transpires that Toby's biological father is Adam's father, Glenn  Donovan (Neil Roberts). When Adam learns the truth from Maxine, he dumps Darcy and kicks her out their house. Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna) takes pity on Darcy and invites her to live at the Osborne home. Darcy soon sets her sight on Jack, though she is only interested in the material support he can provide. Jack turns her down at first, but eventually gives in. Everybody in Jack's life tells him that Darcy has an ulterior motive, but Jack will not listen to them. Jack proposes and Darcy accepts, believing he will soon die from heart disease. Jack and  Darcy marry, but then Jack reveals he will actually be able to get bypass surgery. Darcy poisons Jack's drink, but then has a change of heart. After Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks) accidentally drinks the poison, Darcy realises she has to flee the village. Darcy blackmails Glenn that she will tell everyone about his involvement in covering up Tracey's death if he does not help her escape. Darcy and Toby then leave the village together. Lynette Drinkwell. Lynette Drinkwell, played by Amy Robbins, made her first appearance on 22 March 2017. The character had been alluded to before, but  never seen. Her introduction was reported in the 11–24 March 2017 edition of "Soaplife". Robbins' casting was announced on 12 March. Lynette is Scott Drinkwell's (Ross Adams) adoptive mother, and Diane Hutchinson's (Alex Fletcher) sister. Lynette will come to the village to support Scott following John Paul McQueen's (James Sutton) departure, however she will become worried after Scott drinks "one too many". Jack Tomlin of Digital Spy added that Lynette is also in possession of some "life-changing news..." Ross Adams, who plays Scott, said that Lynette "is a larger-than-life character - she's quite brash  and feisty, and confident. I think Scott has modelled himself on her a little bit." Lynette first appears to comfort Scott following the departure of John Paul, who Scott held affections for. When Scott accuses Diane of having an affair with his father, Lynette reveals that while married to her, Scott's father had an affair with another woman who is Scott's biological mother. Scott is devastated and disappears so Lynette decides to return home. As she prepares to leave, Scott returns and explains that he is not upset as Lynette will always be his "real mother". A few  weeks later, Scott meets with Lynette to find out more information about his adoption and she gives him a letter from his biological mother. Scott soon realises that Lynette wrote the letter and he asks her to leave. Before she leaves, Lynette tells him that his biological mother's name is Maggie (Michelle Holmes). Yasmine Maalik. Yasmine Cunningham (also Maalik) is played by Haiesha Mistry. She made her first on-screen appearance on 4 April 2017. The character's introduction was revealed in "Soaplife" published on 21 March, while Mistry's casting was announced on 24 March 2017. Yasmine is  a pupil at Hollyoaks High, who comes into contact with Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell), after she posts messages about Peri's family troubles online. Peri seeks revenge on Yasmine, potentially sparking off a feud. Mistry has described her character as "loud and flamboyant", and that she "swaggers through school acting like the coolest of the cool kids – but it's all just bravado." Yasmine first appears when she introduces herself to Peri and asks about her father, Cameron Campbell (Cameron Moore), who is a serial killer. Peri confides in Yasmine but she uses the information to publish an article on  a school blog, leaving Peri upset. Peri summons Yasmine to the headteacher's office under false pretence and explains that she has read her information from her previous school and will publish it if Yasmine does not delete the article about her father. Yasmine does this and calls a truce with Peri. A fight between Peri and Yasmine breaks out after Peri breaks into Yasmine's locker and steals her earrings, but Neeta Kaur (Amrit Maghera) breaks it up. Yasmine and Peri calls truce and they became friends. Yasmine gets involved into a car crash with her family when their  car collided with Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) and his family. Yasmine and her brother, Imran (Ijaz Rana), struggle to get out of the car, as it has seconds to explode. Their mother Misbah (Harvey Virdi) chooses to help Yasmine out, leaving Imran to get out alone. The car explodes and Yasmine and her family thought Imran was killed in the explosion. But Imran, however, manage to escape before the car exploded. Since the incident, Imran began to abuse Yasmine and Misbah. When Lily Drinkwell (Lauren McQueen) arrives to the village, Yasmine and Peri began to bully her and made fun  of her wearing casual clothing at the school dance. Yasmine slept with Lily's boyfriend Prince McQueen (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) and Lily walks in on them. Yasmine later dates Alfie Nightingale (Richard Linnell), but they broke up after Alfie left the village. Yasmine was devastated when she learned that Lily dies. Yasmine and her family are target and harass by Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson, who blames Misbah for his sister, Tegan Lomax's (Jessica Ellis) death. Yasmine and her family gets trapped into a racism incident, by Ste and the Far Right Group, led by Stuart Sumner (Chris Simmons) and  Jonny Baxter (Ray Quinn). The Maaliks have been harassed for months by Ste and the Far Right Group, and during her brother, Sami's (Rishi Nair) engagement party with Sinead Shelby (Stephanie Davis), Yasmine is involved in an explosion at her home, leaving her deaf, using a voice app on her phone to talk to others. Yasmine and her family moves into Peri's house when her mother, Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter), offers them to stay. Weeks later, Yasmine and her family moves back to their home and Stuart tells them that they are no longer harassing them anymore . Yasmine later befriends Sinead's brother, Finn O'Connor (Keith Rice), who a convicted rapist, who recently got out of prison after serving his time. Yasmine tells Imran about Finn and Imran accepts her to hang out with Finn. Yasmine and Sami's brother Azim Desai (Nav Sidhu) organises Sami and Sinead's wedding and Finn learn that's Sinead isn't inviting him to her wedding. Yasmine tells him to respect Sinead's decision and Finn thanks her by touching her arm, which she freaked out and ran off. Finn apologises and Yasmine forgives him, agreeing to be his friend . When Sami learns about Yasmine and Finn's friendship from Edward Hutchinson (Joe McGann), he catches them embracing and tells Finn to stay away from Yasmine. Yasmine tells Sami that Finn is her friend and wants him to be her plus one to the wedding, which Sami refuses and Yasmine threats not to go to the wedding, if Finn isn't allowed. On the day of the wedding, Sami begs Yasmine to be there for him, as Misbah and their sister, Farrah isn't coming to the wedding and Yasmine changes her mind. After seeing Yasmine talking about Finn to  his mother Sheeba Desai, Sami allows Yasmine to take Finn as her plus one to the wedding and Yasmine escorts Finn to the ceremony, but only to learn from Sami that Sinead isn't coming to the wedding, and she, along with their family comforts Sami. Yasmine helps Finn get a job and he was hired a job to deliver Christmas trees. But after his first day, Yasmine learns that he got fired. Yasmine learn that Edward is planning to get rid of Finn and forming an alliance with Sally St. Claire (Annie Wallace) Yasmine warns Finn about Edward's  plans, but Finn refuses to believe her. Yasmine tries to tell Finn's mother, Diane, but Finn tells her to stay out of it. Yasmine watches as Finn makes an apology speech to the people of the village during Marnie Nightingale's patisserie grand-opening, which was a fail, and Yasmine runs after an embarrassed Finn. When Finn decided to leave the village, as no one will give him a second chance, Yasmine tells him not to go, as she has feelings for him and they share a kiss. Finn tells her that it's hard for him if they  start a relationship together. Yasmine tells Finn that she's been researching about Edward and shows Finn an old article about Edward getting arrested for murdering his wife. Yasmine and Finn continues searching about Edward's past and shows Diane about Edward's past, who angrily tells them to back off. Edward gives Yasmine a memory stick of an old article about Finn raping his former teacher, John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) and was horrified. After some advice from Sami and Imran, Yasmine goes to see Finn, but only to see him, leaving the village. On Christmas, Peri and Romeo  Quinn (Owen Warner) sets Yasmine up on a date with Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins) and they share a kiss and became close. Toby Wilde. Toby Wilde, played by Lucas Haywood, made his first appearance on 6 April 2017. The character was announced on 31 March 2017, and the casting details were revealed on 5 April 2017. Toby is introduced as the son of Glenn Donovan (Jimmy Essex) and Darcy Wilde (Aisling Jarrett-Gavin). Darcy brings Toby to the village after Adam decides to choose a relationship with Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) over a relationship with her, making him question his  judgement. Darcy and Adam are reunited many years after Adam had believed Darcy had drowned while they were on holiday in France. Adam is happy Darcy is alive, but decides to stay with fiancée, Maxine. Darcy drops a bombshell when she reveals that she gave birth to Adam's son. Toby meets Adam and the two of them instantly bond. After Darcy puts him up to it, Toby lies about Maxine hitting him. Maxine swears that she didn't, but Adam has doubts and Maxine leaves the village. Maxine later returns when she is cleared of hitting Toby. Darcy and  Toby make many attempts to sabotage Adam and Maxine's imminent wedding, with Toby scribbling over Maxine's wedding dress and Darcy stripping off at Adam's stag do. However, none of it works and the pair end up marrying. Toby is rushed to hospital following breathing difficulties. Darcy's former partner, Marcus (Dean Ashton), arrives and claims to be Toby's father. Marcus threatens to take Toby to a different hospital unless Darcy pays him £40,000, the same amount of money she stole from him. Adam pays Marcus the money and he leaves. It is revealed that Toby  is not Adam's son during a confrontation between Darcy and Adam's mother, Tracey Donovan (Lisa Maxwell). When Tracey threatens to tell Adam the truth, the two women struggle and Tracey falls off the boat and drowns. Toby's biological father is revealed to be Adam's father, Glenn (Neil Roberts/Bob Cryer). When Adam finds out the truth, he dumps Darcy, but tells Toby he will always be his father. Darcy moves into the Osborne home and becomes involved with Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna). Toby takes to Jack immediately and he is happy when Jack and Darcy get  married. Darcy decides to flee the village after all her schemes and manipulations are exposed. Toby leaves the village with his mother. Kyle Kelly. Kyle Kelly, played by Adam Rickitt, made his first on screen appearance on 10 April 2017. Rickitt's best known television work was playing Nick Tilsley on "Coronation Street". Rickitt's casting and character details were announced on 20 March 2017. Kyle is established as an ex-boyfriend of Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox) and it was also reported that Kyle could have other connections in the village. Of his decision to join the show, Rickitt said  The key interest for me was in the storylines lined up for Kyle. I think they are amazing, taking the character on a real journey and something I am really enjoying playing a part in. Fingers crossed the audience like the surprises as they keep coming. On 2 June 2020 it was announced Kyle will depart the show and his character would be killed off in a suicide storyline. He made his final appearance on 9 June 2020 Kyle runs into his ex-girlfriend, Nancy Osborne, at a support group for people with multiple sclerosis, which they both suffer from . Kyle and Nancy reconnect and he helps her cope with her diagnosis. Kyle is a drug dealer and he asks Nancy to hide some marijuana for him. Nancy's husband, Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson), sells the drugs himself, but feels guilty and invites Kyle to move in. It emerges that Kyle had sex with Ryan Knight (Duncan James) the night Ryan's wife, Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies), was murdered. Kyle wants to be with Ryan, but Ryan does not want to be with him. Kyle threatens to tell Ryan's girlfriend, Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe), about them so  Ryan has him arrested for drug dealing, but Kyle tells Mercedes anyway. A few months later, Kyle is released from prison and shows up on Ryan's doorstep. Kyle begs Ryan to give them a chance, but he vehemently refuses. A while later, Kyle runs into James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) and they sleep together. Kyle is paid by Sami Maalik (Rishi Nair) to get James to fall in love with him. Kyle desperately needs the money to get stem cell treatment in Mexico. When Kyle finds out about Ryan's relationship with Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), he spitefully tells Ryan 's uncle, D.S. Geoff Thorpe (James Bradshaw), about their affair, which later results in Geoff being murdered by Ryan. Sami reveals that the ultimate plan is for Kyle to fake his death and frame James for his murder. Kyle is reluctant to go through with it since he and James have developed real feelings for each other. Kyle soon grows tired of James's neglectfulness and tells Sami he will go ahead with the plan. Kyle drugs James and stages it so it appears James hit him in order to create a motive for his "murder." Kyle feels guilty when  he sees how distressed James is and it actually makes the two of them grow closer. Sami stages the murder scene, but then Kyle has an MS attack and has to be taken to hospital. After James tells Kyle he loves him, Kyle decides he wants to be with James and tells Sami that he will no longer take part in the plan. Sami manipulates Kyle into believing that James is having an affair with Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool), which results in a nasty fight where Kyle accidentally knocks James unconscious. Sami pressures Kyle into faking his death and Kyle  leaves town. James is later charged with his murder. Kyle returns to town after he was unable to get his MS treatment and reveals everything Sami has done. Kyle wants a second chance with James, but he rejects him. Kyle moves in with Nancy again. Kyle supports Nancy when she is going through a difficult split with Darren. Soon, Kyle and Nancy's old feelings for each other return and they sleep together. At first, both of them are enthusiastic about becoming a couple again, but then Kyle worries he might hurt Nancy and suggests they should just be friends . After some thought, Kyle decides he does want to be with Nancy and they officially become a couple. After orchestrating the perfect day with Nancy, Charlie and Oscar, Kyle dies by suicide in The Hutch restaurant after losing his ongoing battle to depression. Darren later that night finds Kyle's body and, accompanied by a police officer, breaks the news to Nancy. Maggie Kinsella. Maggie Kinsella (initially credited as Greta), played by Michelle Holmes, made her first on-screen appearance on 12 April 2017. The character and casting was announced on 2 April 2017. Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) meets Greta  when he shows up at the house where his biological mother used to live. Kilkelly ("Digital Spy") teased that what Greta tells Scott may or may not help him. Maggie departed the series on 26 January 2018 when she dies following a battle with terminal cancer. On her departure, Holmes commented, "I've had so much fun since March 2017 playing Maggie Kinsella alongside my good friends Ross Adams, Jacob Roberts and Adam Woodward! We have laughed and cried together through it all. A great cast and crew and a wonderful place to work!" It later emerges that Greta is  actually Scott's biological mother, Maggie. Maggie tells Scott that he is better off without her, resulting in Scott trashing her house and Mercedes sabotaging the record player, which later results in a fire. Scott is charged for the fire, but the charges are later dropped. Scott thanks Maggie for dropping the charges, but Maggie angrily tells him that it would be easier if he is locked up and also tells him that she wants nothing to do with him. Scott tells Maggie to meet him again, but when she turns up to meet him, she tells him again to  back off. After Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts) and Scott see Maggie hugging Damon's best friend, Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward), they immediately believe that they are in a relationship so Damon confronts Brody. Maggie reveals that she has terminal cancer and apologises to Scott for abandoning him for many years; he accepts her apology when she reveals that she became pregnant with him while working as a prostitute. Maggie later pleads with Scott to help her die. Although reluctant, Scott agrees to help her die. Later, Scott, Damon and Brody help Maggie complete her bucket list, but Maggie is hospitalised  with pneumonia. Scott attempts to help Maggie die by giving her the pills she has been hiding, but Damon walks in and stops it from happening. Maggie is released from hospital and she happily watches Scott, Damon and Brody sing and dance outside in the village. When Damon tries waking Maggie from a sleep, he realises that she has died. It turns out that Brody was groomed and sexually abused as a child by Damon's father, Buster Smith (Nathan Sussex). When Maggie found about the sexual abuse, she banished Buster for good and warned him to never come back . All of Brody's life, Maggie has been protecting Brody vowing that she can always keep him safe so then she can stop bad things from happening to him. Damon never knew any of this and Brody and Maggie agreed that they would never tell him as they didn't want Damon to know just how evil that Damon's father really was. Misbah Maalik. Misbah Maalik, played by Harvey Virdi, made her first on screen appearance on 23 May 2017. The character and casting was announced on 18 April 2017. Misbah is the mother of Yasmine (Haiesha Mistry) and  Farrah Maalik (Krupa Pattani), and is a consultant in emergency medicine at Dee Valley Hospital. Misbah has been billed as "the clumsiest person you'll ever meet – but that doesn't mean she isn't every inch the professional." On her casting, Virdi said "I'm really excited to be joining "Hollyoaks" and working with such a talented cast and crew. Misbah is quirky, super-bright and forward-thinking, and she's brought her daughters up to be strong independent women. People might say she's bossy - but I'd say she knows what she wants..." Virdi departed the role  on 1 June 2020 when Misbah left the village for a secondment in a hospital in Surrey, however this has been announced to be a temporary exit for the character. Virdi returned to screens on 21 September 2020. It was announced on 7 December 2017 that Misbah would be involved in an issue-led storyline when her son, Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana) begins emotionally and physically abusing her. Imran's abuse stems from feeling isolated from his family, mainly due to Yasmine's heart condition. Misbah will struggle to protect herself and her son, while also managing her job and  parenting role. The show worked with Family Lives, Sefton Women's and Children's Aid, and The Muslim Council of Great Britain while researching the storyline. A spokesperson for Family Lives expressed her delight at working with the show on the storyline as well as at "Hollyoaks" for highlighting the issue. Nick Frackleton, the CEO of Sefton Women's and Children's Aid, felt that the show holds a "key role" in addressing these forms of "sensitive" issues and praised them for tackling the plot. The storyline began in January 2018 when after a car crash, Misbah opts to save  Yasmine from the car rather than Imran as a lorry headed towards the car. Imran manages to free himself before the lorry hits although he is left feeling bitter and rejected by his mother. Virdi explained that Misbah intended to rescue Yasmine then return to rescue Imran but did not have enough time. The actress felt that Imran would never be able to understand Misbah's decision. Sean Glynn, who directed the crash sequence, wanted to make the crash seem realistic so asked the driver of the lorry to drive towards the car that Imran and Yasmine were trapped in . He made this decision so that the actors' performance could be enhanced, which Rana felt he did. After Tegan Lomax (Jessica Ellis) tends to Zack Loveday's (Duayne Boachie) injuries whilst under the influence, Misbah calls a disciplinary meeting and despite Tegan's pleas to keep her job, Misbah sacks her, with immediate effect. After Yasmine puts a load of insects down Lily Drinkwell's (Lauren McQueen) T-shirt, Diane Hutchinson (Alex Fletcher) confronts Yasmine, despite Lily's pleas for her not to do so. Misbah defends Yasmine, until she finds out the truth by Yasmine's facial expression. Misbah  disapproves of her oldest daughter, Farrah's relationship with Kim Butterfield (Daisy Wood-Davis) due to Kim being Farrah's former patient, and tells Kim to do the right thing and end things with Farrah, which Kim does. Misbah however later has a change of heart. Farrah Maalik. Farrah Maalik, played by Krupa Pattani, made her first on screen appearance on 6 June 2017. The character and casting was announced on 18 April 2017. Farrah is the sister of Yasmine Maalik (Haiesha Mistry), and the daughter of Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi). Farrah is billed as a clinical psychologist with a  feisty, hilarious and roaring personality, who "always makes people gasp with her blunt honesty." On her casting, Pattani said "I can't believe I'm getting to play such a unique and free spirited character like Farrah in such a wonderful family as the Maaliks. I am absolutely thrilled to be joining "Hollyoaks"." Farrah first appears as Kim Butterfield's (Daisy Wood-Davis) psychologist. She is also Scott Drinkwell's (Ross Adams) psychologist after he attempts suicide and reveals to him that she struggles as Muslim lesbian. Farrah and Kim later begin a relationship of which her mother, Misbah, initially  disapproves of, but eventually gives her blessing. Kim later moves into the Maalik home. Kim randomly disappears and Farrah's brother, Sami (Rishi Nair), tells Farrah that Kim ran off with another woman. Sami confesses he lied about Kim leaving Farrah and she becomes determined to find her girlfriend. Farrah is shocked when Ryan Knight (Duncan James) reveals that he killed Kim (though she is actually still alive and trapped in the Hollyoaks High basement). Ryan, who has been charged with the murder of his wife, Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies), makes Farrah an offer: he will lead her to  Kim's body, but only if she breaks him out of prison. With the police in on it, Farrah breaks Ryan out, but Ryan discovers Farrah's deception and runs off. Kim's location is finally revealed and Farrah is reunited with her. However, their relationship struggles, and Farrah starts to develop feelings for Grace Black. Milo Entwistle. Milo Entwistle, played by Nathan Morris, made his first appearance on 27 June 2017. The character and Morris' casting details were announced on 20 June 2017. Milo is a potential lodger for the Cunningham family, and is "all smiles and banter". However , it has been confirmed that the character is "hiding both a dark side and a disturbing secret" that may cause the Cunninghams some trouble. Of his casting, Morris said: "I feel very lucky to join the amazing team at "Hollyoaks" and I hope people react well to Milo. He tries his best to be nice and help others, but often makes matters worse. There are some exciting things in Milo's future and I'm looking forward to seeing what lies ahead." In January 2018, Morris was nominated in the "Best Newcomer" category at the National Television Awards 2018. However , he lost out to Danny Walters, who portrays Keanu Taylor in "EastEnders". In 2018, Morris was nominated for “Funniest Male” at the "Inside Soap" Awards. Milo first arrives on a hoverboard and nearly runs Cindy Savage (Stephanie Waring) over, before later crashing into a pile of bin bags. He and DS Gavin Armstrong (Andrew Hayden-Smith) both get interviewed by Cindy and Dirk Savage (David Kennedy) as their new lodger, with DS Armstrong being the result. Milo freaks Cindy's daughter Holly Cunningham (Amanda Clapham) out when she sees him in her bedroom. Dirk allows Milo to set up his  business in the Emporium. Milo attempts to help Cindy win the election, but his attempts backfire. Milo is given a room at the Cunninghams'. Milo reveals a tattoo with a cryptic message, hinting at a dark secret. It is later revealed that Milo is the driver responsible for the car crash that killed Helen Cunningham (Kathryn George) and Gordon Cunningham (Bernard Latham). Over the next year, Milo would go to great lengths to keep his secret from the Cunningham's. He accidentally caused the deaths of DS Gavin Armstrong (Andrew Hayden-Smith) on Christmas Day 2017 and Dirk Savage (David  Kennedy) at Holly Cunningham (Amanda Clapham) and Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts) wedding in July 2018. Milo departed in the episode broadcast on 31 August 2018, after being transferred to a hospital in Birmingham, after it was revealed he survived when a car fell on top of him. Granny Campbell. Granny Campbell, played by Jenny Lee, made her first appearance on 6 July 2017. The character's introduction was announced on 25 June, and Lee's casting details were revealed on 27 June 2017. She has previously been mentioned several times by her on-screen family. Granny Campbell will arrive in  the village to visit her granddaughter Courtney Campbell (Amy Conachan), which worries Courtney due to her grandmother's controlling behaviour. However, when Granny Campbell does arrive, she is nice, which worries Courtney. Granny Campbell departed the series in February 2018, although Lee later reprised the role for one episode in August. Granny Campbell discovers that Courtney is pregnant and orders Courtney to move to Scotland with her, much to Courtney's chagrin. Despite originally opting to return with Granny Campbell, Courtney decides to stay in the village. Granny Campbell returns nearly 5 months later, and since then, she has said  that Courtney has pre-eclampsia, when in fact she didn't and also held Courtney hostage in her own flat without the use of her wheelchair available. When Courtney is rushed into an ambulance after having a contraction, Granny Campbell bans Jesse Donovan (Luke Jerdy) from going to the hospital to support Courtney. Damon Kinsella. Damon Kinsella, played by Jacob Roberts, made his first screen appearance on 17 July 2017. The character and casting was announced on 8 May 2017. Damon is the best friend of Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward). He arrives in the village looking for a girlfriend. Roberts  and Woodward are childhood friends and join the cast at similar times. Roberts expressed his excitement at joining the cast and on his casting, said "I really enjoy playing the role of Damon and I am looking forward to the fans discovering who he really is and who he is connected to in the village". In 2018, Roberts and Woodward were nominated for Best Partnership at the "Inside Soap" Awards. Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) finds his biological mother, Maggie Kinsella (Michelle Holmes), and later finds out about her other son, Damon. When Damon and Scott meet, Scott does not reveal  who he is. Damon instantly bonds with Scott and they become close friends. Scott later tells Damon he's his half-brother. Damon feels betrayed by both him and his mother for keeping secrets from him. Damon and his longtime best friend, Brody Hudson, help Scott through his mental health struggles and they reconcile. Damon and Brody get jobs as bartenders at The Dog and move into the flat upstairs. Damon begins dating Holly Cunningham (Amanda Clapham). Damon is devastated to learn his mother has terminal ovarian cancer. Damon, Brody, and Scott help Maggie through her final days and are  at her side when she passes away. Damon's estranged father, Buster Smith (Nathan Sussex), arrives in town for Maggie's funeral. Damon is not happy to see his father after all these years but comes around though when he sees that he genuinely wants to be in his life again. When Damon's mate Brody was younger, he was groomed and sexually abused by Damon's father Buster and Damon never knew this apart from Damon's mother Maggie who found about this and threatened Buster to leave the family home for good and to never come back or  otherwise, she would have reported him to the police for grooming and sexually abusing Brody. Brody and Maggie agreed to never tell Damon the awful truth about Buster. Holly turns down Damon's proposal and he impulsively sleeps with her mother, Cindy Savage (Stephanie Waring). Holly wants to work things out, but Damon feels too guilty and breaks up with her. Eventually, Damon proposes again and Holly accepts. At the wedding, Damon confesses to sleeping with Cindy, leaving the guests shocked. Brody Hudson. Brody Hudson, played by Adam Woodward, made his first on screen appearance on 25 July 2017. The  character and Woodward's casting details were announced on 7 May 2017. Brody is billed as "quite the ladies' man", while his arrival is described as "some of the sexiest [scenes that] "Hollyoaks" viewers have seen." Brody arrives during scenes filmed in Ibiza. On his casting, Woodward commented, "I'm so chuffed to be joining the cast of "Hollyoaks" and filming my first scenes in Ibiza! Brody is a brilliant character to play and I can't wait to see what the fans think of him." It was later confirmed that Brody's first scenes would pay homage to actor  Daniel Craig's first scenes as James Bond in "Casino Royale". A show spokesperson explained that Woodward spent time working on physical appearance for the scenes. Daniel Kilkelly of "Digital Spy" reported that Brody's first scenes would "cause a stir among the regular characters". The reporter also revealed that Brody would arrive in the village after holidaying in Ibiza with "a dangerous secret about what happened in Ibiza". In August 2017, Woodward was longlisted for Sexiest Male at the "Inside Soap" Awards. He did not progress to the viewer-voted shortlist. In 2018, Woodward and Roberts were nominated for  Best Partnership at the"Inside Soap" Awards. Then in 2019, he won both Best Male Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards and Best Actor at the "Inside Soap" Awards. Brody first appears on the beach in Ibiza walking out of the water. Brody later arrives in Hollyoaks and he is revealed to be the longtime best friend of Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts). Brody and Damon get jobs as bartenders at The Dog and move into the flat upstairs. Brody has flirtations with several of the women in the village, particularly with Lisa Loveday (Rachel Adedeji). Brody tries to get close  to Lisa, but she continuously pushes him away and he ends up sleeping with her friend, Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin). Damon's mother Maggie (Michelle Holmes) confides in Brody that she has terminal cancer and asks him not to tell Damon. When Damon mistakenly believes that Brody and Maggie are having an affair, they tell him the truth. Brody, Damon, and Damon's half-brother, Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams), support Maggie during her final days and they are all at her side when she passes away. Damon's estranged father, Buster Smith (Nathan Sussex), arrives in Hollyoaks for Maggie's  funeral. Brody is not happy to see Buster and it is clear there is bad blood between them. It slowly becomes apparent that Buster had groomed and sexually abused Brody when he was a child. Buster moves into the Dog flat as well, causing tension with Brody. Brody begins dating Liberty Savage (Jessamy Stoddart), but cheats on her with a stripper at Damon's stag party. Scott is arrested for sexually abusing Oliver Morgan (Aedan Duckworth), but Brody suspects Buster is the actual perpetrator. Brody confronts Buster about abusing him as a child and reveals that Maggie wanted to turn  him in before she died. Brody shares his own story of abuse with Oliver and encourages him to turn Buster in, which he does. In September 2021, a trailer was released on the "Hollyoaks" social media accounts which showed a scene of Brody being hit by a car. Following the release of the trailer, Digital Spy's Kilkelly confirmed that Woodward would be departing from "Hollyoaks" and confirmed that he would die in the car accident. After the scenes aired, Woodward revealed to Kilkelly that he had originally planned to leave "Hollyoaks" in March 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic occurred . He spoke with Bryan Kirkwood, the executive producer at the time, who offered Woodward another contract for the duration of the pandemic. He was grateful to be given a stable role through the pandemic and acknowledged that it gave the production team more time to write a good exit for Brody. Woodward said that he had always planned to appear on the soap only for a few years, feeling as though he did not want to become too immersed into one character for his entire acting career. He also admitted that he would have liked Brody to stay alive since  it meant he could reprise his role if his acting career suffered, but appreciated being able to depart from "Hollyoaks" "in a blaze of glory".