Bryan Kirkwood has revealed that the show will be revisiting James and Mac Nightingale's dark abuse storyline.

Fans were heartbroken last year when James revealed that he was beaten by his villainous father when he was a child.

While the storyline has been on the back-burner in recent months, Hollyoaks will be delving back into the plot sooner than you might have expected.

Kirkwood confirmed the news at Royal Television Society panel 'LGBTQ in Soap: Job Done?' yesterday (July 12), also revealing that Sally St Claire will be getting involved in the story.

He said: "Mac Nightingale had a history of beating up his infant son, who 'wasn't man enough'.

"That story is about to come full circle in the next couple of months – and that will involve Sally's character."

James's traumatic past was first explored last September, when Mac subjected him to a vicious beating at The Dog In The Pond.

When James's love interest John Paul McQueen realised what had happened, it transpired that this was far from the first time that Mac had been violent towards his son.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Times recently, Gregory Finnegan – who plays James – revealed: "James and Mac have no communication at the moment but I suspect down the line we'll explore their troubled past and the abuse again."