In a poll run by Inside Soap to see which Hollyoaks character out of Ruby, Leanne Holiday (Jessica Forrest), Rae Wilson (Alice Barlow) and Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) readers most wanted Silas Blissett (Jeff Rawle) to kill off next.
[18][19] Executive producer Hannah Cheers said: "It's one of the most infrequently disclosed forms of sexual abuse, yet the statistics are startling, Hollyoaks is shining a light on this issue for the first time in a long-term soap storyline because we need to get this conversation started amongst our multi-generational audience.
[50] Pete is first seen in Northern Ireland when Cheryl Brady (Bronagh Waugh), Lynsey Nolan (Karen Hassan) and Mercedes Fisher (Jennifer Metcalfe) see him on their visit, he reveals he is moving to Hollyoaks.
Alex, played by Annie Cooper, is the love rival of Mercedes Fisher (Jennifer Metcalfe) who threatens her engagement to Riley Costello (Rob Norbury).
In 2012, Will develops and finally admits his feelings for Ash Kane (Holly Weston) to his sister Liberty but finds her kissing Ally Gorman (Dan O'Connor), who has just cheated on his girlfriend Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies).
Will consoles Texas Longford (Bianca Hendrickse-Spendlove) over her relationship issues with his brother, Dodger, and they have sex, but later it was discover by his half-sister Sienna Blake (Anna Passey).
There he drowns Anna in a bath of water, after discover that his mother loves her ex-husband and Dodger and Sienna more than Dirk and their kids, but is seen escaping from the murder scene by Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield).
Dodger wakes up but cannot remember what happened during the explosion, after which doctors tell them he suffered a bit of memory loss due to concussion, allowing him to live as Will no longer has to kill him.
She voices her concerns to Dodger and Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini) and the three of them conclude Will must have killed Texas, Anna and maybe Ash, but Will overhears the entire conversation and comes up with a plan.
Will then goes to court for his trial of his crimes, but he fakes an illness and runs to the toilets where he causes a fire and escapes by knocking out a police guard and dressing up as a fireman.
Dirk made a previously unannounced departure from the show on 25 July 2018 when the character was killed off after being electrocuted in a swimming pool by Milo Entwistle (Nathan Morris).
She demands money from Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) pretending to be Danny Houston's (Darren Day) sister, under the orders of Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan).
She is found the following day by Texas Longford (Bianca Hendrickse-Spendlove) who goes to see Lynsey Nolan (Karen Hassan) claiming she thinks that the person who killed her sister is responsible.
Reunited with first love Bart during the wild weekend in Abersoch, Maddie immediately found a rival in Sinead, which means that when she joins the new sixth form the sparks are sure to fly as they vie for social supremacy.
On the couple's joint stag and hen night, Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman) is upset after arguing with her ex-boyfriend Callum Kane (Laurie Duncan).
Maddie swerves to avoid Leah and drives in to the wedding venue of Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) and Doug Carter (PJ Brennan), and Cindy Longford (Stephanie Waring) and Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard).
Father Francis, played by Richard Winsor, made his first appearance in July and is seen in the village Spa where trainee nun Carmel Valentine (Gemma Merna) works.
[86] Digital Spy said Carmel will be "attracted towards her new acquaintance's rugged looks and religious nature", but she realises that Father Francis has been sent to test her faith and decides to stay on the right path.
Completing the set of new students were the three previously seen characters of Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman), Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) and Jono (Dylan Llewellyn).
Completing the set of new students were the three previously seen characters of Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman), Tilly Evans (Lucy Dixon) and Jono (Dylan Llewellyn).
[110] Scurr told the National Union of Students, that he could relate to real life freshers because he "was thrown in at the deep end" at Hollyoaks and just had to make friends and get on with the experience.
[111] The Hollyoaks press office said that the students are "possibly the coolest set" to ever feature in the serial because they "shake things up" and face "life's hardest lessons".
There he meets his roommates Annalise Appleton (Tamaryn Payne), Will Savage (James Atherton), Rob Edwards (David Atkins) and Scott Sabeka (Calvin Denba).
Demba told Alison Slade of TVTimes that Scott's grandmother gets off to a bad start with Barney, "she thinks he's going to nick her stash of cash, so she puts on a boxing glove and chins him".
[111] The Hollyoaks press office said that the students are "possibly the coolest set" to ever feature in the serial because they "shake things up" and face "life's hardest lessons".
[125] Atkins later gave advice to the National Union of Students; he said that Rob "immediately signed up for the rugby team and spent most of his time in the SU bar."
The band consists of lead singer Danny Lawrence and fellow members Laurence Saywood, Louis Souyave, Matt Gill, Sam Fordham.
As the serial features popular culture and has a specific target audience, Wood felt that Daytona Lights are characters that are "aspirational, fun and who they could relate to.
Rebecca Wade who works for the aquarium, told Laurie Stocks-Moore of the Ellesmere Port Pioneer that the band had filmed at a number of locations in the attraction, but said the storyline had to remain a secret.
[132] The regular characters of Dodger (Danny Mac), Liberty (Abi Phillips) and Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini) also took part in the scenes;[132] which aired later in 2012.