Hollyoaks turns 30 in 2025 and fans of the popular Channel 4 serial drama have already taken to social media to share their predictions for soap’s milestone year

Hollyoaks is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025 and fans have been busy trying to work out what bosses have in store for their favourite villagers.

2024 saw the Channel 4 soap jump forward 12 months in a jaw-dropping twist which resulted in several sad exits, jaw-dropping bombshells and some huge returns.

However, viewers are now looking forward to the future and have taken to social media to share their predictions for the year ahead and it’s not set to be a happy time for everyone who lives in Chester, according to avid fans of the serial drama.

Heartbreaking death fears

Hollyoaks first aired on October 23, 1995 and fans are convinced a major character will be killed off in mark the milestone. Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) is currently battling an aggressive form with bowel cancer and was recently informed the treatment isn’t working.

Some fans are now convinced that the iconic character, who has been part of the show since 2006, could die in a heart-wrenching twist. Taking to Reddit, one fan penned: “I think Mercedes will die then. Misbah said at best she’d live for around about another year without the drugs she needs. That would take us to somewhere around September/October next year. I know Mercedes is marmite (I personally love her!) but she’s is a Hollyoaks icon and her exit would be a huge thing for the show.

“Also read an interview with Jennifer Metcalfe about how her Dad died from bowel cancer and it would be such a touching tribute for her character to go that way, showing how real the impacts are and how it affects not only her but those left behind too.”

‘Story not spoken about a lot’

Actor Jonny Labey previously hinted that bosses had big plans for his character Rex Gallagher in 2025. He explained at the time: “As far as I’m allowed to say, there’s going to be a huge, huge storyline. They are kind of planning and aligning quite a lot of things so it all lines up. The writing team are making sure they are steering it in the right way and linking everything together because there’s so many crossovers.”

“Newcomers Jacob and Kat are a huge link to what Rex was. He’s come from a whole dynasty of danger and crime. What happens next really affects a lot of people in the village. It’s really building up to something which Rex is hugely a part of next year which is really quite turbulent but also quite gripping and it’s something that’s a huge problem in the UK and it’s a huge problem with how people are treated.”

“It’s not necessarily a story that’s been spoken about a lot so I can tell you that and Rex is kind of being at the forefront. Something massive happens in the New Year and it’s nostalgic in a weird way for fans so it’s really going to set things on fire but what it leads to and the world Kat and Jacob are a part of is a much bigger picture.”

Huge returns

It has been confirmed that Chelsee Healey will be returning to the village as Goldie McQueen in 2025. The actress temporarily exited the show in January to accommodate her maternity leave. Goldie then made a brief reappearance in June for her son Hunter McQueen’s funeral wake, but is yet to return to Hollyoaks after the recent time jump.

Chelsee was recently announced as a contestant on next month’s Dancing on Ice, Hollyoaks has reassured fans of Goldie’s return in a behind-the-scenes Instagram video, which showed saw the soap siren on the Casa McQueen set, confirming her upcoming return to the soap.

Also, Danny Mac is set to reprise his role as Mark ‘Dodger’ Savage in the new year. In October, it was announced that Danny would soon be reprising his popular soap role, with Dodger returning to the village after 10 years away.

It has been a dramatic few months for the Blake family, with the huge twist that Patrick’s long-lost twin Jez (Jeremy Sheffield) is actually Sienna’s (Anna Passey) father – and therefore Dodger’s father too. Fans will have to wait and see what brings him back to the village.

Court showdown

It has been confirmed that JJ Osborne’s (Ryan Mulvey) trial will go ahead in 2025. In recent scenes, Frankie Osborne (Isabel Smith) received the news that the court has finally set a date for her twin JJ’s sexual abuse trial.

The trial was previously postponed after JJ was told the treatment for his leukaemia wasn’t working and that his best chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant. However, JJ now seems to be on the road to recovery and will be able to face Frankie in court after she donated her bone marrow to save him.

In scenes set to air on January 8, Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis) goes to check on Frankie after hearing that the trial is coming up. Frankie confides in him about how much she needs her dad Darren Osborne’s (Ashley Taylor-Dawson) support and is worried he’ll disappear again, after he vanished for six weeks before Christmas. Will Darren give his daughter the support she needs and will JJ get his comeuppance?

Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am