Hollyoaks actors Kieron Richardson and Gregory Finnegan have spoken about the dramatic return of James Nightingale, who was believed dead after a car explosion in September 2024. Fans have been waiting for this reunion since James' apparent death, though viewers learned he was alive during the soap's 30th anniversary episodes in October.
In Wednesday's (January 6) episode, Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) thought he was hallucinating when he saw his husband James, who explained he had fled the village believing Ste was in love with Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey). Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) also knew James was alive but was bribed to keep silent.
Richardson said: "Talk about timing for James’ return. It’s New Year, which normally means fresh starts but for these two we have to go back. Ste has to get over the shock of James returning initially but then there is also everything that has happened during him not being there to unpack. He has been raising his grandchild, dealing with abuse from Lucas and complex relationships, while grieving."
Finnegan added: "The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally upon us. James and Ste, two characters who have been circling each other for a decade, are about to come face once more. They’ve loved, they’ve hated, they’ve had joy and they’ve had plenty of sadness… so what does the future hold for them now that James is back on the scene?"
In upcoming scenes, an overwhelmed Ste struggles to process that the man he mourned has returned after faking his own death. The question remains whether he can forgive the husband who let him grieve.
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm, with first-look episodes available on Channel 4 from 7am.
