Hollyoaks has unleashed a double twist on its viewers by revealing the identities of Alfie Nightingale's biological parents.
Alfie (Richard Linnell) was first introduced to the Channel 4 soap last month as the adopted son of The Dog's new landlord Mac - but now it's clear that there's much more to the story.
Friday's E4 first look episode (November 20) saw Mac forced to confide in his eldest son Nathan, revealing that he's actually the biological dad of Alfie.
The shock secret is the reason why Mac (David Easter) adopted Alfie and has gone to such great effort to make him feel like part of the Nightingale family.
In a further bombshell, Mac admitted that Cindy Cunningham is Alfie's mother - an explosive secret which looks set to spark a major new storyline for long-serving cast member Stephanie Waring.
Hollyoaks cast members had previously teased that there was much more to learn about Mac and Cindy's history, but the Alfie secret was kept well under wraps before transmission.
Mac came clean after Nathan found his secret divorce papers, which revealed his marriage to Cindy.
When Nathan questioned whether Mac came to the village to be with Cindy, the pub boss denied it and insisted that he made the move for Alfie's sake.
Upcoming Hollyoaks episodes will see Nathan struggle badly as the news about Alfie's parents sinks in.
Unwilling to keep such a huge secret, Nathan will repeatedly urge Mac to tell Alfie the truth, but is Mac ready to change the family's lives forever?