It’s a sad day for Hollyoaks fans, as Matthew James Bailey is set
to exit the show after almost three years as Ethan Williams.
No, you’re crying.
Ethan burst onto the scene as the mysterious kidnapper of
Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson), who was
working under the instruction of his dangerous girlfriend Maya Harkwell (Ky Discala).
He would subsequently went on quite a journey.
From accidentally killing Maya and covering up the crime to falling in
love with Sienna Blake (Anna Passey), Ethan would transform from hapless henchman to loveable rogue with a heart of gold, winning a legion of fans along the way, becoming one of not just Hollyoaks’ most loved characters but one of soap’s in general.
His departure therefore will come as a shock to fans and he’ll certainly be a huge loss.
A source told Metro.co.uk: ‘Ethan is a viewer favourite so it will be a hard one for fans to take. He has proven extremely popular since his debut, particularly through his relationship with Sienna.
‘It’s a tough time on the show with all of the cuts and cast changes but there will be relief all round to know that Ethan is not being killed off so there’s no ruling out a return in the future.’
The long-running Channel 4 soap will drop to three offerings from September in response to research which indicates that this is the optimum episode pattern for modern audiences.
Matthew’s departure comes in the wake of a number of cast exits.
Stephanie Waring, Ross Adams and Jamie Lomas – who play Cindy Cunningham, Scott Drinkwell and Warren Fox – will also leave the show.
Hollyoaks streams weeknights from 7:30pm on Channel 4 streaming. Watch on TV 7pm on E4.
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