Hollyoaks actor Nathaniel Dass has broken his silence after his character Dillon Ray made an abrupt exit from the Channel 4 soap, leaving fans of the 'HayRay' couple heartbroken. The 23-year-old, who played Dillon for three years, admitted he was 'absolutely gutted' as his final scenes aired on Monday.
In a surprise twist, Dillon said goodbye to his on-off boyfriend Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis) and left the village for good. Dass expressed sadness at leaving the cast but said he was ready for new opportunities. 'I'm absolutely gutted that every day I won't be able to come in and see everyone,' he said. 'I've built so many amazing relationships here.'
The actor praised his exit storyline, which saw Dillon attempt to break Lucas out of prison before realising he had little left in the village. 'I thought my exit was lovely,' Dass said. 'I got some really beautiful scenes with Oscar, Anya and the Maalik/Clarke family.' He added that the departure might surprise some viewers.
Reflecting on his time on the show, Dass said Hollyoaks had been a major part of his growth. 'I joined when I was 20, I'm 23 now,' he said. 'Being here has really taught me a lot and I've come out as a bit more of a better person.' He left the door open for a possible return, saying, 'Who knows, maybe one day I'll get to play Dillon again.'
