Hollyoaks’ star Jon-Paul Bell has reportedly left the show after an incredible two years.
The actor joins the list of those exiting, following the show’s decision to axe 20 cast members. The hint of his departure comes as Jon-Paul, who has portrayed Beau since 2022, wiped all traces of Hollyoaks from his Instagram biography.
An insider revealed to The Sun: “His character has been seriously under-used recently. He’s looking forward to booking other jobs and moving forward in his career.”
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This revelation came after he posted a well-posed photo on his Instagram, teasing that he had a “busy few weeks ahead”, while tagging Hollyoaks. Jon-Paul recently showcased his talent in Apple TV+ Masters of Air, a compelling American war drama miniseries adapted from the 2007 book.
There is no official confirmation about Jon-Paul leaving the show as of yet. However, the actor’s reported departure comes amid a series of exits from the E4 soap, which is implementing major changes in response to falling ratings.
It has been disclosed that the number of weekly episodes will reduce from five to three starting this September. Executive producer Hannah Cheers announced that a massive cull of 20 cast members would take place as the format shifts from five to three weekly episodes.
To align this major change with the show’s story, writers will navigate through a “lost year” in Chester. Hannah added that this revamp will inevitably lead to saying farewell to “goodbye to some much-loved Hollyoaks villagers – and some earlier than we would have expected to.”
Jon’s exit follows Matthew James Bailey’s decision to leave the soap after a three-year stint as Ethan Williams. Ethan made his dramatic entrance into Chester by kidnapping Darren Osborne, having caught him robbing a jewellers with his girlfriend Maya Harkwell.
The plot thickens as Ethan begins to fear Maya, leading to a chilling climax when he shoots her after she attempts to murder his step-niece, leaving Maya fatally wounded. However, in recent times, Matthew’s character hasn’t been at the heart of any major storylines, leading some to speculate that this may have influenced his decision to depart.
In another blow to the show, Jonas Khan, who portrayed Zain Rizwaan, is also bidding farewell after two years. His character’s journey has seen Zain tie the knot with Misbaah and suffer a stroke.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
