One Hollyoaks star has confirmed they have left the Cheshire-based soap opera after the Channel 4 show announced a series of major cuts ahead of the series reboot in September
Another Hollyoaks star has been axed from the Channel 4 programme following a string of major cuts.
Iz Hesketh – who played Kitty Darper on the show – has confirmed they have left the Cheshire-based soap opera. The actor announced they are now “looking for work” just one year after they joined the show.
Their departure follows a mass axe of Hollyoaks cast and crew due to crippling budget cuts. On Tuesday (August 13), Iz announced their exit on Instagram.
The star, who identifies as transgender and non-binary, penned: “London friends. I’m back as of tomorrow till just before I go for surgery early October.
“So if anyone wants to catch up or do anything, I’m very much unemployed and free for the foreseeable so hmu [hit me up]. Equally if anyone needs someone for any gigs, in or out of drag, I am ready and available.”
According to The Sunday Mirror, bosses will also reduce episode quantity in an effort to “maximise impact” on screen because they could “no longer justify” the huge cast and crew. The episode reduction will come into effect in September, and sources the claim cast and crew are “heartbroken” by the cuts.
Channel 4 announced that from September the weekly episodes will be cut from five to three, resulting in a loss of 135 jobs. A source told the publication: “Hollyoaks has been hit very hard lately and like many other soaps, it is losing viewers on a large scale.
“The bosses will do everything they can to look after people and are putting together generous redundancy packages, but losing people who have been on the soap for years is a body blow.” As part of the recent budget cuts, it was reported that Hollyoaks bosses were planning to axe 20 cast members in a dramatic time jump storyline.
Although many stars have officially left the show, the majority of their identities has not yet been revealed. The Sun reported that script writers have come up with a bizarre plan to “time jump” the programme by a year, which will boot 20 characters out of the soap for good.
A source told the outlet: “Losing 20 cast members in one fell swoop is eye-watering and devastating news for soap land. In the past, Hollyoaks has seen shock stunts claim up to five lives in a single episode.
“But the days of soaps having a big cast clear-out with a devastating stunt are long gone, especially on Hollyoaks where the budget has been dramatically cut. The time jump is a way for Hollyoaks to say goodbye to the characters that need to go and give closure to the fans – but it will be controversial.”
Fans will have to stay tuned to see what this will mean for the long-running show moving forward.
