Ho, ho... oh no! Christmas in Soapland can certainly be cruel - as fans of Hollyoaks charmer Ziggy Roscoe just found out.

A tragic storyline twist in the show's festive special saw Ziggy die suddenly as a result of a head injury he'd suffered in the recent explosion at Leela Lomax's flat.

Have you picked your jaw up from the floor and dried your tears by now? If so, read on to find out what Fabrizio Santino - who played Ziggy - had to say about his shock exit, in an exclusive chat with Digital Spy...

How are you feeling now that your time on the show is over?

"I'm sad! It's been a long three years and I've worked very hard. I've also built good relationships up with a lot of the cast. Hollyoaks is a big part of my life and leaving is not an easy thing to do, but I'm an ambitious guy and sometimes you have to move on."

What was the main reason for leaving?

"It just got to the point where I was in my third year and I was itching to do more. Hollyoaks is a great show and it was a good platform for me, but it's just one of those things where you know in your gut when you're ready to try something else. Being 33 myself, I kind of felt that it was time for another challenge and progression."

How did you feel about being killed off? Would you have preferred the door to have been left open?

"When they leave the door open, it's fantastic as it gives you a safety net. But I think this is a powerful ending for Ziggy. It's a graceful death, rather than a quick and easy one.

"I think I come out as the hero, too. That's exactly how I'd like to be seen, because Ziggy was never a malicious guy or a nasty person. He never really did anything bad, apart from cheat on all his girlfriends! When I heard that he'd have this graceful death, I accepted it and decided to make the most of it."

​Ziggy kicks down the door and calls for Leela to get out
© Lime Pictures
Nobody had a clue you were leaving. What kind of reaction are you expecting from the fans?

"Hollyoaks really wanted to keep it quiet, so I think it's going to be a massive shock to the system for the fans. I'm going to sound biased here, but the fans do love Ziggy. I judge that from my Twitter comments and the feedback I get on the street. I've never had a bad thing said about my character.

"I think a lot of those fans will be sad that they're not going to see Ziggy again. But at the end of the day, I hope that they'll always be my fans no matter what I do."

The other Roscoes had all of the dramatic storylines revolving around stunts, guns and gangsters. Did you ever feel like you were missing out?

"Good question! I'm a character actor, and a lot of my stuff was very dialogue-driven because it was comedy. I'm not like Ziggy, so I enjoyed getting into character and finding his idiosyncrasies.

"When I was given something physical to do, it was lovely. It was amazing hanging off drain pipes or window ledges, or getting to chase Danny Mac through the village! But I think on a performance level, it's more of a challenge tackling tough dialogue than having a gun in your hand or chasing someone down the road, put it that way."

How was your last day on set?

"It was a day filled with emotion, really. I was quite close to the other Roscoes, Jess Ellis and Kirsty-Leigh Porter in particular. I'd had a lot of intimate scenes with the two girls and we're good friends, so it's like losing your mate when you know that you're not going to see them anymore.

"On the last day even the directors got emotional - I couldn't believe it. All the team came down with a nice Hollyoaks plaque that everyone had signed with their thoughts and feelings about me. It was nice and a couple of speeches were given. I also gave a speech, just to thank them for employing me for three years and giving me the opportunity."

Ziggy is frustrated with Leela
© Lime Pictures
Who do you think was 'The One' for Ziggy out of Leela and Tegan?

"God, how can I answer that one? Before Tegan came into the picture, it was Leela that he wanted. Then one day he went: 'Whoa, I think I fancy your sister as well!'

"I think Ziggy likes the challenge. If you make it too easy for him, he'll get bored of you. I don't think I can possibly choose between Leela or Tegan, because I think he loved them both very, very much. Towards the end he wanted Tegan more, but the question is, how long would he have stayed with her? That's the question you should be asking me!"

Where would you like to be in two years' time?

"Like I say, I love character-driven roles. I'd like to go back to film and possibly some period drama. I don't know about soap, because I've done it. It was fantastic, but I think I'd like to do something else. I'd even like to do a good bit of theatre. That will discipline any actor, because you tend to get a bit lazy on a soap."

Ziggy has a great time at the club, unaware that he's in a gay bar
© Lime Pictures
Would you like to look into opportunities over in the US?

"Who wouldn't? I think that's every actor's dream. I have been approached to go over there, but I'm not in any rush because I've got other things I need to do first. I speak full Italian, so I was even thinking of seeing if I can work over in Italy as a British-Italian actor. So I've got lots of thoughts. I'm having meetings with my agent constantly about different plans."

Do you have any final thoughts on playing Ziggy?

"Before I joined the show three years ago, I was a struggling actor. But I guess they had faith in me and the boys when they cast us. Let's not forget that 2,000 people applied for the roles of the Roscoe brothers and 5 got the parts. When you've been doing it for 3 years, it's a really hard meeting to have when you need to say that you want to move on. But Hollyoaks was an unforgettable experience and I hope they don't forget about me!"