{"id":532790,"date":"2026-07-04T14:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T14:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/532790\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T14:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T14:21:09","slug":"hollyoaks-star-james-sutton-is-officially-done-at-the-soap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/532790\/","title":{"rendered":"Hollyoaks star James Sutton is officially “done” at the soap"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hollyoaks<\/a> star James Sutton has stated that he isn’t coming back to the Channel 4 soap after he most recent departure, insisting that he is properly “done” this time.<\/p>\n

The actor first played John Paul McQueen in 2006, before leaving in 2008 to join Emmerdale for a few years. He then returned to Hollyoaks for a second stint from 2012 to 2017, before leaving again for two years and coming back in 2019, with his third exit airing earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Speaking on The Marvyn Harrison Podcast<\/a>, Sutton admitted that while he has left and come back “a couple of times”, this time, he’s gone for good.<\/p>\n

\"sylver<\/p>\n

Lime Pictures<\/p>\n

Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney+, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV<\/a><\/p>\n

“Yeah, I’m done,” he said. “I’m very much done.”<\/p>\n

Explaining why he decided to quit the soap this time, Sutton stated: “I think I’d exhausted everything that there was left to do with that character, and the show changed a lot in the last couple of years.”<\/p>\n

One change Sutton discussed was the reduction from five episodes per week to three<\/a>, which happened in 2024. “The way that the contract is set up on Hollyoaks, you get paid per episode, so if you’ve got two less episodes a week…” he said before trailing off. <\/p>\n

“The direction of travel I didn’t feel was a positive one for me, and it’s no shade on the guys there,” Sutton added. <\/p>\n

“They work incredibly hard. It’s a tricky beast to get a show like that on the air. Three nights a week is no mean feat, so massive respect.”<\/p>\n

\"john<\/p>\n

Lime Pictures<\/p>\n

Related: Exclusive: Hollyoaks star shares emotional Nana McQueen update<\/a> <\/p>\n

Sutton also stated that he “wanted autonomy over everything” he was doing. <\/p>\n

“For the longest time, when you’re working on a show like that, you outsource everything,” the actor explained. <\/p>\n

“Someone else writes the lines, someone else writes the story, the character, everything, someone else tells you what to wear and stand there and look that way. It’s very formulaic.<\/p>\n

“I think, to a degree, you outsource your value as well because if you’re not in a big storyline, you’re thinking, ‘Who am I?'”<\/p>\n

Since leaving the soap, Sutton has focused on his “self-trust” project Protocol<\/a> and his OnlyFans account.<\/p>\n

Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming<\/a> premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.<\/p>\n

Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage<\/a><\/p>\n

Visit our Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n

The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online<\/a>.<\/p>\n