Rick Spencer (Victor Gardener)

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks will introduce a new regular character next month as actor Victor Gardener joins the show as bar owner Rick.

Rick makes his first appearance on screen in mid-May when he meets existing regulars Holly Cunningham (Amanda Clapham) and Jason Roscoe (Alfie Browne-Sykes).
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Victor Gardener as Rick in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Victor Gardener as Rick

Holly will land herself a job in Rick's bar after experiencing a turbulent few weeks, which kick off on Monday (April 21) when she and Jason are horrified to find a dead body in the river next to The Dog in The Pond.

Further on down the line, Rick will come into the village itself - and there could be a surprise in store as a few people are shocked to see him.

Further storyline details are being kept under wraps for now, so viewers will have to wait and see which characters will be affected by Rick's arrival.

Gardener's previous acting credits include roles in Mr Selfridge, Fast & Furious 6 and Law & Order: UK.

Rick's first scenes will air in the week commencing Monday, May 12.

[tammyy2j]

Could he be Jason and Robbie's dad?

[lizann]

he brings holly and jason back to hollyoaks and punches sonny for threatening jason

[lizann]

sienna seduces him

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks bosses have killed off another character.

Rick Spencer, played by Victor Gardener, meets an untimely end in the first official episode of 2015 - which had a first look airing on E4 on New Year's Eve.

The show's hour-long New Year Eve special had seen Rick find himself in jeopardy when he fought with his son Robbie Roscoe, prompting the teenager's eldest brother Joe to intervene by punching Rick.

The ferocity of Joe's attack left Rick in a critical condition, and although he later began to regain consciousness after being rushed to hospital, his fate was sealed when an unidentified medical staff member injected him with potassium chloride.

After Doctor S'avage, Celine McQueen, Tegan Lomax and Kim Butterfield were unable to resuscitate Rick, he was pronounced dead and Joe was arrested for murder.
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Victor Gardener as Rick in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Victor Gardener as Rick

The shocking events at the hospital marked the first appearance of 'the gloved-hand killer', who will be at the centre of a long-running mystery storyline throughout 2015.

As announced in November, someone with access to the patients believes they have a right to decide who deserves to live and die - which could spell trouble for a number of characters in the coming months.

Digital Spy understands that suspicion will fall on several of the regular medical staff members as the storyline develops, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Hollyoaks' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood recently told DS: "We are immensely proud of our issue stories, but I also love our big blockbuster soap storylines as well and the gloved hand came about six months ago in story conference when I was worried about whether we were balancing our stories evenly enough.

"We have a brilliant writer called Steve Hughes, and he and I are always swapping memories of camp '80s soaps. The gloved hand story developed from those conversations.

"We have a hospital set populated with characters and primed for a big gothic plot. We love a mystery, but this story won't just be a whodunit, it will be a 'who's next?' packed with tension and plenty of red herrings."

Gardener appeared on screen as Rick for just over seven months, making his first appearance on the show in May.