Hollyoaks continues its explosive streak with a year fans will never forget (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Hollyoaks left jaws on the floor this week with shock twists, massive returns and a number of deaths as it came back fighting with one of its most ambitious and impressive stunts to date.

The Channel 4 soap has been the subject of just about everyone’s discussions under new producers Hannah Cheers and Angelo Abela, who previously worked on the show, with storylines having been turned completely on their heads.

From that Rafe and Dilly Harcourt twist to the ramping up of the Carter Shepherd narrative, it didn’t take long for Hannah and Angelo to make waves, with this week’s stunt episode proving to be one of the show’s best to date.

The deaths of Ella Richardson and Rafe, plus Mercedes McQueen’s big baby discovery, a number of major storylines have been kicked off which will inevitably have us all glued to our TV screens over the next 12 months.

What’s more, with familiar faces set to stage a comeback – and not just the much-loved McQueens – Hollyoaks is primed and ready for one its biggest years ever.

So much of what was to come was teased in a brand new trailer – plus next week’s spoilers – so I thought it only fitting to put all this information in one place and do a deep dive so, if you fancy finding out everything that Hollyoaks has got in store for this year, let’s get stuck in!

Joel’s fate

Joel’s fate is up in the air after he was involved in a crash (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Joel Dexter’s fate was left hanging in the balance after he was struck by an oncoming vehicle while assisting in saving lives at the scene of the crash.

It’s not looking too good for the firefighter in scenes playing out on screen at the moment, with current love interest Leela Lomax and former flame Cleo McQueen – who he once branded his ‘soulmate’ – both at his bedside, urging him to wake up as they fear the worst.

There is, however, more upsetting news on the cards next week when Leela and Cleo learn that Joel isn’t healing as expected. Will the much-loved character pull through?

I’m hopeful that he will as, with a baby on the way and a conflict over who he wants to be with, it’s safe to say that there are plenty of stories left for the former priest to take centre stage in.

And that’s before we factor in the arrival of Rita Simons…

Chaos as EastEnders star Rita Simons debuts as Joel’s mum Marie

Marie will make her presence felt (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Rita Simons’ casting was first announced last year and it’s safe to say that news of the former EastEnders star’s arrival came as a huge delight to soap fans.

Up until recently, fans didn’t have a clue as to who she would be playing, but Hollyoaks finally put us out of our misery earlier this week when they confirmed that she would be taking on the role of Joel’s mum Marie.

Fans got their first look at force to be reckoned with Marie in a trailer which followed the stunt episode, with the character in question breaking into the McQueen residence and stealing one of Mercedes’ iconic red dresses.

Love her already.

Warren’s revenge mission

Warren Fox was left devastated by the loss of beloved daughter Ella, who perished in the crash. The mechanic resolved to claim Felix’s life in return, believing that his best mate is the sole reason Ella is dead.

The gangster, however, changed the game during the latest streaming offering of the show, resolving to bide his time and strike when Felix least expects it, with the aforementioned trailer teasing a shooting in the woods.

Will Warren murder Felix in cold blood? And either way, will he find out who is really to blame for Ella’s death?

Ste caught out?

Will Ste manage to get away with his crime? (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Ste Hay has struggled to come to terms with the fact that he is the one responsible for Ella losing her life.

The concerned dad was racing daughter Leah Barnes to the hospital at the time of the collision and remained unaware of what he did until he discovered one of the teen’s red boots stuck in the wheel of his car.

Determined to do the right thing, Ste resolved to hand himself in to the police but, realising just how much Leah was struggling with the death of her best friend, he resolved to cover up the crime instead, disposing of Ella’s boot in the woods, where the teen rave had previously taken place.

But has Ste covered all bases when covering his tracks? Or will his sins come back to haunt him? This is Hollyoaks we’re talking about, where all secrets come to light eventually, so it’s likely only a matter of time before the truth outs.

And I know I wouldn’t like to be Ste when Warren finds out what really happened to Ella!

The paternity of Mercedes’ twins

Mercedes is in for quite the shock (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Mercedes was rendered speechless when Misbah Maalik informed her that she’s having twins. The former Dog landlady, as fans will know, was playing away with Warren while engaged to Felix and thus remains unsure of who the dad of her unborn children is.

Which of the Hollyoaks’ mechanics is set to become a dad again? That is the question and it’s one that fans reckon they’ve worked out the answer to, believing that the show is lining up a proper soap first storyline.

Some viewers have speculated that one of the children will be Felix’s and the other will be Warren’s, with a Heteropaternal superfecundation narrative on the cards.

Heteropaternal superfecundation refers to when two or more eggs from the same menstrual cycle are fertilised by the sperm of two different men, with the separate sexual intercourse acts taking place close together. It is rare in humans but not impossible.

Will this prove to be the case? We’ll just have to wait sand see but, as the ongoing feud between Felix and Warren continues, it’s inevitable that more conflict will be on the cards – no matter the outcome.

Hannah and Suzanne Ashworth’s return brings massive change for Darren

Hannah and Suzanne’s arrivals turn the Osbornes’ lives upside down (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Darren Osborne received the shock of his life when Hannah Ashworth returned to the eponymous village this week, notifying him that the two troublemakers who were teasing Charlie Dean about Ella’s death are none other than his estranged children, Jack Jnr and Frankie.

The much-loved character struggles to come to terms with the fact that he knows so little about his twins and next week, he makes a solid effort to bond with them – which proves more difficult than he expected.

But that’s not all he has to cope with as the twins’ mum Suzanne, who he previously had an affair with, rocks up in the village demanding that Jack Jnr and Frankie come home with her at once.

How will Darren cope with the fact that the twins are potentially going to leave so soon after they’ve only just arrived back in his life? What’s more, will he and Nancy struggle with the fact two of his former flames are back in town?

It’s worth mentioning that Nancy has only just returned so Darren has had little time to bask in the joy of having his wife back where she belongs. He’s also struggling to connect with baby Morgan, who was living in the US with Nancy for a whole year.

Yes, Darren has a lot on his plate right now, and that’s before you factor in his concerns about Charlie in the wake of Ella’s death, so it’s safe to say that this year is going to be a big one for the Osbornes!

Freddie Roscoe returns

Freddie Roscoe is set to stage a comeback (Picture: Lime Pictures)

I was positively stunned when I first heard that Charlie Clapham was reprising his role as Freddie Roscoe and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

Freddie, as fans will recall, went on the run after attacking and almost killing sex attacker Nick Savage after he assaulted Ellie Nightingale.

But when he returns to the village, he’ll have another secret in his midst. The question is: just what is he hiding? Charlie told Metro that fans can expect ‘fireworks’ upon his comeback.

‘So, in all of his glory, it’s much the same but even worse!’, he said. ‘I’m really enjoying reading the scripts. That was a worry of mine ever going back – are they going to ruin him, what kind of storylines will there be. But it looks like they’re throwing the kitchen sink at it, it’s really cool.’

How exciting!

Carter continues to target Lucas who struggles to fight his feelings for Dillon

Will Dillon help struggling and confused Lucas? (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Lucas Hay has been struggling with his sexuality for a number of months now, having developed feelings for relatively new classmate Dillon Ray, who has constantly been by his side to support him through his ordeals.

Carter, however, has spotted the growing connection between the two boys and made it his mission to put a stop to it, offering to mentor Lucas as he resumes the conversion therapy tactics that he’d previously told John Paul he’d put a stop to.

This storyline will continue for the foreseeable, with things set to get quite dark. ‘I think Lucas is going to get surrounded by negative emotions, feelings, actions and thoughts’, Lucas star Oscar Curtis told Metro.co.uk.

‘Everything around Lucas is negative – apart for Dillon – but Lucas is being told from Carter that Dillon has to go, that he can’t be with him. Dillon is something that’s “bad” for him, so I think Lucas will take a step back from Dillon. It’s like villainising the person you love because there’s so much passion there.’

With Dillon suspecting that Lucas isn’t being honest about what he’s going through, will he perhaps do some digging and find out what Carter is up to?

And is a happy ending on the cards for Lucas and Dillon?

Romance at last for John Paul and Carter?

Can John Paul help Carter to accept who he is? (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Much like Lucas, Carter is struggling to accept his sexuality and has fought who he really is for most of his life, which is what led him down the wrong path with practising conversion therapy.

The head teacher, however, didn’t expect to fall for John Paul, with the two having slept together on various occasions thus far. Carter started to envision a life with his colleague but he’s now being blackmailed by Gareth, who is ordering him to stay away from the man he’s falling far.

Will this spell the end of any future that JP and Carter have together? It’s a likely possibility because, as mentioned earlier, Carter is set to return to his old ways of practising conversion therapy, which John Paul previously asked him to stop.

Can John Paul get through to him and make him see that what he is doing is wrong? Or will Carter go too far in what he’s doing with Lucas, thus rendering any hope of a redemption arc futile?

Imposter ‘Kitty’ debuts

Iz Hesketh plays the role (Picture: Lime Pictures)

One of Hollyoaks’ most intriguing storylines to come was born out of the crash chaos this week. As viewers know, a fourth vehicle was involved in the Dee Valley bypass collision, with a character named Kitty subsequently being pronounced dead.

Her fellow passenger stole her identity and debuts in upcoming scenes, having assumed Kitty’s identity.

The imposter narrative, with West End star Iz Hesketh at the centre, will no doubt get tongues wagging, with ‘Kitty’ set to befriend Dian Hutchinson, as previewed in the new trailer.

But just how exactly will this pan out? We’ll just have to wait and see but I couldn’t be more excited about this one!

Scheming Dilly exposed as Patrick ‘returns’

Dilly’s lies will inevitably catch up with her (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Dilly Harcourt unintentionally claimed the life of husband Rafe when he tried to back out of her scam to destroy Sienna Blake.

Sienna remains in the dark about her would-be husband’s demise, believing that he jilted her on the day of their wedding – with Dilly using her vulnerability to try and build a relationship with her. And she’s getting dangerously close to exacting her revenge.

The reason why Dilly wants to ruin Sienna remains unknown but Hollyoaks has confirmed that it has something to do with Patrick Blake, who will make an appearance or two in upcoming scenes, presumably as a hallucination of Dilly’s.

But will Dilly succeed in crushing everything Sienna holds dear?

Sienna is, after all, the queen of scheming, so I imagine it’s only a matter of time before she works out what Dilly is up to. But by that point, will it be too little, too late?

Hope for Sienna and Ethan?

Is a reunion on the cards? (Picture: Lime Pictures)

In her mission to wed Rafe and win his affection, Sienna repeatedly crushed former flame Ethan Williams, who made it quite clear that he was still head over heels in love with her.

There was outcry among fans of the show, and me (sorry not sorry), with just about everyone able to see than Sienna and Ethan truly belong together.

With Rafe now out of the picture, will Sienna find herself drawn back to the one man who really does have her best interests at heart? The man who loves her because of her chaos, not in spite of it?

If this prove to be the case, will Ethan be willing to forgive and forget all the hardship she’s put him through? The characters are very much two sides of the same coin and their chemistry is aplenty, so I’m hoping it’s only a matter of time before they’re drawn back into each other’s orbit.

Could Ethan perhaps prove to be the one to save Sienna from devilish Dilly? He’s proven to be perceptive in the past so it’s certainly a possibility.

Yazz finds out the truth about ‘Gordon’

Tom is set to come clean Picture: Lime Pictures)

Yazz Maalik has been enjoying steamy text conversations with podcast fan ‘True Crime Gordon’, unaware that it’s secretly her husband Tom Cunningham, who was trying to add a little spice to their marriage.

Tom was left utterly broken when he realised that Yazz didn’t know he was the online user as this means that she’s essentially cheating on him. But the former market owner decides it’s time to come clean in upcoming scenes as he spills the beans.

How will Yazz take the news? Will this spell the end of their marriage, which has been on the rocks for much of the past year? Or can the once-happy couple move past this?

Romeo faces the music as Prince is released

Will Romeo go to prison? (Picture: Lime Pictures)

With the police having caught up with Romeo Nightingale following his involvement in Rayne’s murder, Prince McQueen is finally released from captivity.

While justice prevails in the end and Prince is released, there is still the fact that Romeo allowed him to take the fall for a crime that he knew full well he didn’t commit so will the best friends ever get past this?

And with Romeo now in police custody, will he plead guilty or not guilty? Is his time in Hollyoaks coming to an end? If so, how will James cope with losing another loved one so soon after Juliet’s death?

McQueen shenanigans galore

The McQueens are back – and just as brilliant as ever! (Picture: Lime Pictures)

Lock up your husbands and grab the lippy, the McQueens are back in town!

With Cleo, Theresa and Myra back in the fold, the beloved clan are operating at full power for the first time in years and as a result fans can expect them to get involved in all sorts over the coming weeks and months, leaving chaos in their wake at the every given opportunity.

We wouldn’t want it any other way.

Hollyoaks streams weeknights at 7:30pm on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4. 

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It’s going to be a mammoth year in everyone’s favourite fictional Chester village.