The new year begins with a bang on Hollyoaks in a spectacular week built around an explosion in an hour-long special that changes the village forever.
With the locals gathered at the Salon de The for a charity event, a huge blast destroys the cafe. As flashbacks throughout the week reveal what caused the carnage, the McQueens, Deverauxs and Nightingales are at the heart of the action. Who doesn’t make it out of the rubble – and who is to blame?
Here is your day-by-day guide to Hollyoaks’ big week, featuring the soap’s most ambitious stunt in years, running from 7th – 14th January 2022 (including E4 showings).
Friday 7th January – 7pm, E4/Monday 10th January – 6.30pm, C4
!["EMBARGO]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/MAYA-AND-ETHAN-5-0c68095.jpg?quality=90&crop=35px%2C25px%2C5557px%2C3701px&resize=620%2C413" "\"EMBARGO")
Ten hours before the first flash forward, Marnie Nightingale (Lysette Anthony) ropes Romeo Nightingale (Owen Warner) and Juliet Nightingale (Niamh Blackshaw) in to help at the Salon de The’s fundraiser for Dee Valley Hospital staff, while James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) tries to avoid getting involved.
Suspicious Maya (Ky Discala) makes her move against Ethan Williams (Matthew James-Bailey) after discovering his betrayal which has explosive repercussions, and Goldie McQueen (Chelsee Healey) struggles to explain herself to Prince McQueen (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) after Olivia Bradshaw (Emily Burnett) revealed a family secret.
Monday 10th January – 7pm, E4/Tuesday 11th – 6.30pm January, C4
!["EMBARGO]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/HO-C4-EP-5762-MERCEDES-SYLVER-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-4TH-JANUARY-17348b8.jpg?quality=90&crop=38px%2C27px%2C3923px%2C2613px&resize=620%2C413" "\"EMBARGO")
Still in flashback from the explosion looming on the horizon, Sylver McQueen (David Tag) makes the devastating decision to end his marriage and leave the village for good, as Bobby Costello (Jayden Fox) buries his head in the sand and Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) is none the wiser.
Tormented Toby Faroe (Bobby Gordon) is about to confess everything to his family only to be interrupted by a shocking event, Yazz Cunningham (Haiesha Mistry) accidentally blabs to Peri Lomax (Ruby O’Donnell) about Juliet’s plan, and Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) gives Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) a reason to smile!
HOUR-LONG EPISODE Tuesday 11th January – 7pm, E4/Wednesday 12th January – 6pm, C4
!["EMBARGO]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/5762-63-Celeste-Toby-3c4ce79.jpg?quality=90&crop=132px%2C0px%2C1621px%2C1080px&resize=620%2C413" "\"EMBARGO")
In a gripping extended instalment the cause of the blast is finally revealed as several big stories come to a head when the Salon de The is engulfed in a ball of flames, putting several villagers lives in danger and bringing secrets bubbling to the surface…
Celeste Faroe (Andrea Ali) and Toby pay the price for Lisa’s death as the Deverauxs reel from a confession, Peri’s life is on the line but can she make amends with Juliet? Mercedes rescues Cher McQueen (Bethannie Hare), trapped Marnie and Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna) grow closer, while Ethan and Maya’s relationship reaches the end of the line. Who will survive the sizzling Salon inferno?
Wednesday 12th January – 7pm, E4/Thursday 13th January – 6.30pm, C4
!["EMBARGO]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/5762-63-Felix-f6bd7c3.jpg?quality=90&crop=22px%2C0px%2C1621px%2C1080px&resize=620%2C413" "\"EMBARGO")
The residents pick up the pieces from the previous night’s tragic events as Mercedes’ worst nightmare comes true when another flashback reveals a jaw-dropping truth. And which of the McQueens is still missing?
Martine Westwood (Kelle Bryan) has upsetting news for Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood) which results in a bitter confrontation, not helped by another villager with their own agenda against the clan.
Tragedy strikes for the Nightingales when Juliet is rushed to hospital for an emergency operation, and Ollie Morgan (Gabriel Clark) fears him and Becky Quentin (Katie McGlynn) could be responsible for the fire.
Thursday 13th January – 7pm, E4/Friday 14th January – 6.30pm, C4
!["EMBARGO]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/HO-C4-EP-5762-MERCEDES-PRINCE-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-4TH-JANUARY-1-9a9f845.jpg?quality=90&crop=38px%2C19px%2C3923px%2C2613px&resize=620%2C413" "\"EMBARGO")
As the emotional week draws to a close Cher and John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) try to make Mercedes see sense in the aftermath of the explosion, but will she listen?
Angry James finds video evidence of who might have caused the chaos and vows to make them pay, Martine makes a big decision, Ollie tries to outsmart the police, Sally St Clair (Annie Wallace) unites the community and Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox) is suspicious about Maya.