Hollyoaks star Zoë Lister is making a shock return to the soap as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
The actor portrayed Zoe Carpenter on the Channel 4 soap between 2006 and 2010, before making a brief comeback for a couple of episodes in April 2017.
Now, after over eight years away from the series, it has been confirmed that Lister will reprise her role for a guest stint in the lead-up to the soap’s 30th anniversary celebrations, which takes place in October.
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The actor confirmed the news via Instagram following Wednesday’s National Television Awards, writing: “Ridiculous fun at @officialntas celebrating all things telly with my @hollyoaksofficial family!
“Keep your eyes peeled for the return of Zoe Carpenter on your screens soon.”
Lime Pictures
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The announcement was welcomed by several colleagues and fans, with former co-star Hollie-Jay Bowes – who played Michaela McQueen – commenting: “Yessssssssss. We love to see it!!!! 😍”
“Can’t tell you how excited I am for Zoe Carpenter to come back,” wrote a fan of the soap, while another commented: “@zlister you should come back to Hollyoaks for good. They should bring back Jessica Harris too.”
Justin Goff Photos//Getty Images
Since her departure from the soap, Lister has become a viral sensation following her voice-over role in Jet2’s advertising campaigns, with one of the actor’s lines being used in memes across social media.
While the nature of Lister’s return is yet to be specified, the 30th anniversary celebrations will see spin-off series Hollyoaks Later brought back for a one-off episode, while a crossover between the soap and Brookside will also take place.
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“This episode is a love letter to both Hollyoaks and Brookside,” said executive producer Hannah Cheers. “Brookside gave birth to Hollyoaks – it grew up on the same site and eventually took over its sets.
“For everyone at Lime Pictures (originally Mersey TV), Hollyoaks’ history is deeply rooted in Brookside, and its legacy lives on through our crew and, of course, some of our cast. This special feels like both a moving and fitting tribute to our origin story.”
Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming 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.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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