Hollyoaks for 'soap first' as legend returns after eight years in brand new role

Hollyoaks has announced two huge stars are joining the cast of the Channel 4 soap, but one of them is no stranger to the village.

Both newcomers boast impressive careers and will no doubt be familiar faces to viewers, as two new characters join the show. The pair are confirmed to be expanding the Blake family, joining Sienna and Dilly on the show.

But there's quite a twist in an apparent soap first, or at least a Hollyoaks first, as one actor is joining the show as a regular character eight years after he left the show as another long-running character, one of which actually made a surprise return just months ago.

So in the space of a year, the actor in question has played two different key characters in the village, months apart, while the recent comeback was a hallucination involving a late villain. Fan favourite Jeremy Sheffield is returning to the soap, but not as his late character Patrick Blake who was killed off in 2016.

Instead, Jeremy is returning as a brand new character in the Blake family - and he's joined by Benidorm, Loose Women and Coronation Street favourite Sherrie Hewson. Jeremy will play Sienna's long-lost uncle Jez, who has a remarkable resemblance to her late father Patrick, his twin brother. Sherrie is joining the show as Patrick and Jez's mother, Sienna's grandmother, Martha Blake.

The pair will appear onscreen later this month, when Sienna and sister Dilly Harcourt will no doubt panic over seeing who they believe is their father again, given the likeness in appearance. Of course this resemblance will be uncanny given actor Jeremy has played both roles.

It's not known how long the characters are on the show for. Hollyoaks Executive Producer Hannah Cheers said: "To be a Blake, you must be clever, captivating and charming on the outside… and calculating, cold and cynical on the inside.

"With a family dynasty so rich in history, it should come as no surprise that there are still many secrets to be uncovered. But for Sienna, Dilly, Liberty and Maxine, what happens next is not what anyone could have expected."

Jeremy said on returning to the show: "I’m so excited to be back in the village and have the opportunity to play a great new character. Jez might be Patrick’s twin but he couldn’t be more different; he’s charming, enigmatic, complex and full of mystery.

"Working with the wonderful Sherrie Hewson means we get to explore even more of the famously twisted Blake family secrets." Sherrie said of her new role: "It’s been a roller coaster joining Hollyoaks! The character is just wonderful to play. Everyone is so lovely such a great atmosphere to work in and so welcoming. We laugh a lot, what more could you ask for."

Hollyoaks is available to stream on Channel 4's streaming service now, while it also airs Mondays to Fridays on E4 at 7PM.* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .