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 go on quite a journey.

From accidentally killing Maya and covering up the crime to falling madly 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 relationship with Sienna – known to fans as Ethenna – was one of the most popular in recent memory, with fans still holding out hope of a reunion.

The character’s impending and quite frankly devastating departure will therefore come as a shock to fans.

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.

Zain Rizwaan star Jonas Khan has also completed filming, with his character set to leave in the coming weeks.

Hollyoaks streams weeknights from 7:30pm on Channel 4 streaming. Watch on TV 7pm on E4.

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