Perdita
15-03-2009, 12:05
TEN Hollyoaks stars are facing the axe as bosses plan a big shake-up of the Channel 4 soap.
Some of the show’s hottest names such as Jennifer Metcalfe and Gemma Merna, who play strumpet Mercedes and dippy Carmel McQueen, could be under threat.
The ten characters who will go haven’t been named yet. But it means no one is safe.
Even Hollyoaks legend Nick Pickard—who has played Tony Hutchinson since the Chester-based soap was launched in 1995—has been told there is a question mark over his role.
One of the worried cast revealed: “It’s a nightmare. Everyone’s character is under scrutiny and there will be around ten changes so a lot of people are looking over their shoulders.”
It means the future of show favourites such as Carley Stenson (Steph Dean), Ricky Whittle (Calvin Valentine), Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay), Zoe Lister (Zoe Carpenter), Anthony Quinlan (Gilly Roach) and Emma Rigby (Hannah Ashworth) could be in doubt.
Heart-throbs Jamie Lomas (bad boy Warren Fox) and last year’s Dancing On Ice runner-up Chris Fountain (Justin Burton) have already announced they are quitting the show next month.
Jamie, (pictured top) who is dating Corrie actress Kym Marsh, is planning a stint in Los Angeles to pursue his dream of breaking into US telly. The cull will start in April and continue until October as individual contracts run out.
Our source added: “There are going to be a lot of changes. No one is safe but the last thing you want is to be out of work in the current climate.
“Everyone’s keeping their head down and doing their best in the hope they’ll be saved from the chop.”
The shake-up is being planned by new producer Lucy Allan who took over in January and is planning some radical changes to make the show more gripping.
But our source joked: “A few of us are calling her the Grim Reaper. Obviously she wants to put her stamp on the show and bring in new people.”
Last night a Hollyoaks spokesman denied the changes were anything to do with saving cash. He said: “There are no planned cutbacks for Hollyoaks. The nature of the show is that people come and go.”
From NOTW
Some of the show’s hottest names such as Jennifer Metcalfe and Gemma Merna, who play strumpet Mercedes and dippy Carmel McQueen, could be under threat.
The ten characters who will go haven’t been named yet. But it means no one is safe.
Even Hollyoaks legend Nick Pickard—who has played Tony Hutchinson since the Chester-based soap was launched in 1995—has been told there is a question mark over his role.
One of the worried cast revealed: “It’s a nightmare. Everyone’s character is under scrutiny and there will be around ten changes so a lot of people are looking over their shoulders.”
It means the future of show favourites such as Carley Stenson (Steph Dean), Ricky Whittle (Calvin Valentine), Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay), Zoe Lister (Zoe Carpenter), Anthony Quinlan (Gilly Roach) and Emma Rigby (Hannah Ashworth) could be in doubt.
Heart-throbs Jamie Lomas (bad boy Warren Fox) and last year’s Dancing On Ice runner-up Chris Fountain (Justin Burton) have already announced they are quitting the show next month.
Jamie, (pictured top) who is dating Corrie actress Kym Marsh, is planning a stint in Los Angeles to pursue his dream of breaking into US telly. The cull will start in April and continue until October as individual contracts run out.
Our source added: “There are going to be a lot of changes. No one is safe but the last thing you want is to be out of work in the current climate.
“Everyone’s keeping their head down and doing their best in the hope they’ll be saved from the chop.”
The shake-up is being planned by new producer Lucy Allan who took over in January and is planning some radical changes to make the show more gripping.
But our source joked: “A few of us are calling her the Grim Reaper. Obviously she wants to put her stamp on the show and bring in new people.”
Last night a Hollyoaks spokesman denied the changes were anything to do with saving cash. He said: “There are no planned cutbacks for Hollyoaks. The nature of the show is that people come and go.”
From NOTW