Hollyoaks celebrated its 25th anniversary in October, which saw the return of some familiar face and explosive storylines.
The Channel 4 show has prided itself on having youthful cast members ever since it launched back in 1995.
Unlike other soap operas, Hollyoaks are known to focus on the issues of a younger generation and the serial drama is not one to shy away from taboo topics.
So have you ever wondered what happened to some of your favourite characters after they left the famous village?
Daily Star Online has taken a look at some of the show’s forgotten stars and what they look like now.
Izzy Davies (played by Elize du Toit)
Elize du Toit played the role of Izzy Davies from 2000 to 2005 (Image: Daily Record)
South African-born English actress Elize du Toit played the role of Izzy Davies from 2000 to 2005, with a brief return in 2007.
She won the role after an open audition, beating 40,000 hopefuls.
In 2008, soap siren Eliza started dating actor Rafe Spall after the two met in a bar through mutual friends.
The couple got married in August 2010 and are parents to three children.
The actress married actor Rafe Spall in 2010 and are parents to three children (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Elize appeared on rival soap Coronation Street In November 2011 as Jenny, the ex-girlfriend of Matt Carter.
The TV star has landed herself some decent acting roles since leaving leaving the soap, including a part in James Bond movie Skyfall as M’s assistant.
She also starred in a short film called Smile, which was shown as part of a number of short film festivals.
Michaela McQueen (played by Hollie-Jay Bowes)
Hollie-Jay Does is best known for playing Michaela McQueen (Image: Channel 4)
Hollie-Jay Bowes is best known for her roles as Dawn O”Maley in Grange Hill and Michaela McQueen in Hollyoaks.
Michaela was the first of the McQueen family members to be seen on-screen in 2006, and Hollie-Jay played the iconic role on and off until 2012.
During her time on the Chanel 4 soap, she allegedly clashed with show bosses over storylines.
Taking to Twitter at the time, the actress penned: “These past four years have been incredible but I think its time to find myself again! I’m officially leaving Hollyoaks in the next six months!”
However, a source revealed to Digital Spy that executives didn’t know Hollie wanted to leave the programme.
The soap babe sent pulses racing earlier this year when she logged onto Instagram to share a topless snap (Image: Hollie-Jay Bowes/Instagram)
Hollie sent pulses racing earlier this year when she logged onto Instagram to share a topless snap in view of her 20,000 followers.
Wearing nothing but a pair of tiny shorts, the star appeared to be lapping up the coronavirus isolation as she treated herself to a “she Sunday,” looking after herself.
Sitting on her bed, the blonde bombshell’s toned pins were on full display as she carefully covered her ample assets with her arm and iPhone as she snapped a mirror selfie.
Hollie-Jay, now 30, landed a role in the new series of Cold Feet in January.
Russ Owen (played by Stuart Manning)
Stuart Manning played Russ Owen in Hollyoaks between 2004 and 2009 (Image: Channel 4)
Stuart Manning looks completely different compared to when he played Russell Owen in the Channel 4 soap.
The 41-year-old actor starred in Hollyoaks between 2004 and 2009 and briefly reprised his role for a short stint in 2018.
The actor left fans with their jaws on the floor when he posted a selfie on Instagram yesterday revealing his massive beard and glasses.
He revealed his bushy facial hair was for a new role that had been put “on ice” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The actror is set for global fame after landing a part in new Hollywood TV series Glow and Darkness (Image: Instagram)
Hollyoaks axed Stuart for good when his character briefly returned only to be brutally murdered in a hammer attack, after he was exposed for cheating on Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) by sleeping with Goldie McQueen (Chelsee Healey).
However, Stuart is set for global fame after landing a part in new Hollywood TV series Glow and Darkness.
The medieval period drama, which is being filmed in Spain, is set to feature megastars Denise Richards and former Bond girl Jane Seymour.
Stuart has been sharing snaps on his socia media pages of his time on set at the big-budget production.
Amy Barnes (played by Ashley Slanina-Davies)
Amy Barnes was tragically killed off in a major whodunit storyline in 2017 (Image: Unknown)
Hollyoaks lost one of its favourite faces when actress Ashley Slanina-Davies left back in 2017.
Her character Amy Barnes was tragically killed off in a major whodunit storyline.
She was at the heart of a number of the show’s iconic plots including the discovery she was pregnant in 2006 and a dramatic car crash.
She was written out of the show in 2012 to allow her to continue her education, but the fans’ favourite made her comeback on-screen in 2016.
The soap star is now a Union Education Officer at UCL in London (Image: Instagram)
During her initial break from the show Ashley began a neuroscience degree, and has hinted she wants to work in brain research.
The soap star is now a Union Education Officer at UCL in London.
According to the university’s website, Ashley’s working to transform students’ educational experience by listening and communicating their needs to senior leaders .
Craig Dean (played by Guy Burnet)
Guy Burnet joined the cast of Hollyoks in 2002 as Craig Dean (Image: Unknown)
Guy Burnet joined the cast of Hollyoks in 2002 as Craig Dean and he played the role until 2008.
His character was the younger brother of Steph Dean (Carley Stenson) and best remembered for is on-off relationship with his best friend John Paul McQueen (James Sutton).
The pair started out as friends, and before John Paul came out to his friends and family, he and Craig shared a drunken kiss at a dance competition.
Craig was initially ashamed of his sexuality, and briefly bullied his friend for being gay after John Paul came out.
Guy (right) plays Casey in American crime drama Ray Donovan (Image: We Love TV)
The soap star has gone to to great success after Hollyoaks. As well as some notable stage roles, he appeared as Toby in musical comedy Pitch Perfect 3.
He has even rubbed shoulders with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Goldblum on the red carpet in Hollywood.
Guy, now 37, has also completed a number of roles in feature films and on the New York stage as well as small writing jobs..
As of 2019 he has a recurring role on the television series Counterpart, Ray Donovan, The Affair and the lead role on the Amazon Studios series The Feed.
Sarah Barnes (played by Loui Batley)
Sarah Barnes first arrived in Hollyoak village in 2005 (Image: Mersey Television)
Sarah Barnes first arrived in Hollyoaks village in 2005 and Loui Batley played the role until 2009.
Her character was put through a number of gripping storylines, including finding out her fiancé Craig Dean was having an affair with his best mate John Paul McQueen.
The twist and turns of Loui’s on-screen alter-ego were explosive as she embarked on lesbian relationships with Zoe and Lydia.
Soap bosses decided to mark Sarah’s departure from the village with a tragic skydiving death.
Loui has embarked on a very different project since leaving the popular soap behind (Image: Instagram)
Loui has embarked on a very different project since leaving the popular soap behind.
She is the one-half of performance double-act Verity & Violet alongside Jessica Bell.
The official website describes the pairing as “a sparking vintage-inspired singing duo, where old music meets new – sexy, fun & toe tapping!”
It was also announced on the band’s Twitter account that Loui had married Simon Lawson in 2013, who played Simon Crosby in Hollyoaks.
Ellie Hunter (played by Sarah Baxendale)
Sarah Baxendale played man-eater Ellie Hunter in Hollyoaks from 2002 until 2005 (Image: Mersey Television)
Sarah Baxendale played man-eater Ellie Hunter in Hollyoaks from 2002 until 2005.
The eldest Hunter child was a runaway living in Ibiza since 1999 without contacting her family before returning, not out of love, but rather because she had run out of money.
Ellie was responsible for the spread of an STD that Jamie Nash got the blame for and often caused trouble for her loved ones.
She married Toby Mills, who her family disapproved of, but this was a huge mistake, as he was in fact a serial killer.
Since leaving Hollyoaks, the actress has had roles in shows such as Doctors, Holby City and Benidorm (Image: Instagram)
Since leaving Hollyoaks, Sarah has had roles in shows such as Doctors, Holby City and Benidorm.
She often updates her Instagram grid with loved-up snaps of herself and partner James Wenham.
As well as continuing acting work, Sarah is also a voiceover star.
Louise Summers (played by Roxanne McKee)
Roxanne McKee quit her role as Louise Summers back in 2008 to focus on other projects (Image: Mersey Television)
Roxanne McKee scooped the role of Hollyoaks character Louise Summers in 2004 as part of Hollyoaks: On The Pull, a nationwide search to find a new actor, and appeared on our screens the following year.
After her contract ended in October 2008, the soap babe decided to leave the show in order to focus on other projects.
Roxanne made her final appearance as Louise in December 2008 when fiancé Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) murdered her on their wedding day.
The actress and model won the Sexiest Female gong at The British Soap Awards in 2007 and 2008, an award she had been nominated for in 2006 and 2009.
The model shared a busty snap on Instagram recently (Image: Instagram)
In 2008, she appeared in the Taio Cruz music video for She’s like a Star.
Roxanne was cast in a small role in online drama EastEnders: E20, playing bisexual character Pippa in 2010 and she also played of Doreah in Game of Thrones.
In May 2012, she was announced as being part of horror sequel Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines.
Roxanne, now 40, often keeps fans up to date with her life on her official Instagram account, which boasts over 63,000 followers.
Jude Cunningham (played by Davinia Taylor)
Davinia Taylor played party girl Jude Cunningham from 1996 to 1998 (Image: Unknown)
Davinia Taylor played party girl Jude Cunningham from 1996 to 1998 and made a brief return to the show in 2016 after an 18-year absence.
Jude led a colourful life, battling with drink and crippling debts., but she seemed to be never short of luck.
As she became increasingly desperate for money, the blonde bombshell began working as an escort but gave up after a few bad experiences with clients.
After getting involved in a dodgy scam, Jude had no choice but to leave the village for good leaving her family devastated.
often shares inspirational bikini snaps on Instagram after dropping from a Size 16 to 8 (Image: Instagram)
Actress Davinia, now 43, hit the headlines in September after she put her swanky seven-bedroom Marbella villa on the marker for an eye-watering £15.5million.
The mother of four is the daughter of multi-millionaire Alan Murphy who ran the AM Paper toilet roll factory.
She was famed for her position in the notorious Primrose Hill party set, where she joined her then-husband Dave in partying through the Nineties with pals including Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and Jude Law.
Fitness fanatic Davinia often shares inspirational bikini snaps on Instagram after dropping from a Size 16 to 8.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
