Hollyoaks veteran Stephanie Waring has shared her feelings
after filming her final scenes as Cindy Cunningham.
The soap star has taken to Instagram to mark her final day on set.
The emotional moment comes after her character was included in the cast reduction after
Hollyoaks cut its weekly number of episodes from five to three.
Waring shared a supportive text from her fiancé Tom Brookes,
which prompted her to grapple with her complex feelings about leaving the role behind.
Related: Hollyoaks to air mysterious exit for Robbie Roscoe
“I knew today would be hard. However I have been putting my feelings about saying goodbye to the life I have known for 16 years in a box,” she wrote, adding that Brookes’ message “reminded [her] to feel”.
“It reminded me of how strong I am, it reminded me of what I have accomplished, it reminded me that I created a Hollyoaks Icon and she is worthy of my tears.”
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She then gave a sweet shoutout to Brookes, writing: “It reminded me that I am loved and that I am so unbelievably lucky to have a man who sees me for me in my life. Who sees the beauty and the brilliance, the flaws and loves them anyway.”
Waring concluded her message to fans and her note to herself writing, “Today I say Goodbye and I will feel it and cherish all of my memories. Cindy let’s do one last take!”
Related: Hollyoaks airs exit for Zain Rizwaan in emotional scenes
In April, Waring shared she’d be the only original cast member to be axed as a result of the cuts, describing the decision as “gutting”.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: “As an actress, obviously I understand there are no jobs for life, but with my 28 years on the show, I hoped that Cindy would survive the exciting revamp and continue into its new era, especially as I began playing her in 1996, making me the only original cast member remaining to be included in the cast cull, which I can only describe as gutting.”
Waring debuted as Cindy in 1996, returning to the soap various times between 2000 and 2008, when she reprised the role in a regular capacity.
Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
