Hollyoaks teen Finn O'Connor makes a dramatic return next week with a new actor playing the part.
Keith Rice has taken over the role of Finn, who's at the centre of a big storyline from the outset as he is injured in a hit and run.
We recently chatted to newcomer Keith to hear more about Finn's return and his experience joining the show.
How are you finding life at Hollyoaks?
"I'm finding it so easy, to be honest with you. Working with Alex Fletcher (Diane) makes it very easy for me and it's the same with Steph Davis (Sinead). I feel quite settled in now.
"I've had experience with acting before, so I think everything comes to me quite naturally. But because it's such a big cast, it does take a couple of weeks to settle in and find your place. I've done that now, so I'm really enjoying it."
How do you feel about playing a character who's been recast?
"It's been okay - from his history, I know that Finn's got a child and in the past he's been quite settled within the family. With Finn coming back now, there's a lot more that can be explored. There's a lot we can look at in terms of Finn's place in the family and really getting to know him."
You've worked with Lime Pictures before on Rocket's Island, so did you have to audition or did they already have you in mind?
"I had to audition for Hollyoaks, but I did know a writer who had worked on the show called Nick Leather. He was a real help in terms of getting to know the casting director. I then got a phone call to come to an audition for a role, but they didn't tell me specifically who I was auditioning for.
"When I came into Lime, I thought I was auditioning for a member of the new Roscoe family. But obviously they'd seen that Finn could have been brought back in some capacity - and I was obviously a Liverpool lad auditioning. I think that's where it all came from."
© Lime Pictures
Finn's dramatic return scene
Finn's return scene sees him get run over by Sinead and Robbie. How did you feel about getting such a dramatic entrance?
"It's brilliant for me as an actor to come in with such a bang. There are some characters who come in and aren't really focused on, but straight away Finn has come in and he's got a storyline.
"First of all, Finn is run over and then he's got Robbie threatening him at the hospital not to grass his own sister up. It's quite a big decision straight away for Finn as to whether he tells the police what really happened, or whether he doesn't.
"That decision then sets the ball rolling for Finn in terms of future storylines, which is great as well."
How bad are Finn's injuries?
"Finn's injuries are quite bad, but it's not too much to set him back. A couple of weeks on, he'll be back to his normal routine - they won't keep him out for long!"
Why has Finn decided to come into the village at this point?
"Finn's father Rob has just had a baby, so he feels slightly pushed out. Other stuff has been going on too, so he just feels the need to come back to the Hollyoaks village and be back with Diane and Sinead. Finn calls Diane 'mum' even though she's not his biological mother, so I think that's what draws him back."
Is it easy to make friends among the cast?
"Extremely easy! Everyone's so nice, so it's very easy to settle in. As I said, it does take a couple of weeks to find your place, but I've done that now and I'm happy."
How does Hollyoaks compare to your previous work?
"I've never been part of something this big before. For me, the first week was definitely a bit of a blur!"
How did you get into acting?
"I'm the only person in my family who's actually gone into acting. It was through school that I was able to get into it - I was able to do film clubs after school and it was something that I was quite comfortable doing. I wasn't really good at Maths at school, but I was good at English and I always found stories to be quite interesting.
"I think it was quite a natural draw for me to take up drama. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I got a little part on Casualty 1907, where I played a little Cockney newspaper seller. It was working on that which opened my eyes to it. I was only 13 but I remember telling my dad that acting was what I wanted to do."
What are your interests outside of acting?
"I love football and I'm a massive Liverpool fan. If you check my Twitter out, I think it's all I tweet about - football and boxing!"
As you mentioned, regular viewers will know that Finn is a teenage father. Would you like that to be explored more?
"Well, when I spoke to the producer Bryan Kirkwood, this is one of the things that came up. When Finn has grown up and found himself, a storyline could be explored in terms of the baby coming back to his life. Obviously Diane is pregnant and Sinead is too, so it would be quite good. But that might be a bit of an O'Connor overload in terms of babies, so who knows what'll happen?
Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe