Hollyoaks bosses have revealed the soap will finally return to screens next month after being off air for three months during lockdown.
The programme will return to Channel 4 on September 7, after the cast and crew resumed filming last month with strict social distancing rules in place.
Last month bosses announced production crew would return to the set in Liverpool and filming would resume in full from July.
It’s back! Hollyoaks bosses have revealed the soap will finally return to screens next month after being off air for three months during lockdown
Production on the soap was stopped at the end of March just before the UK went into lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Behind the scenes a racism row rumbles on, as Imran Adams has became the second black cast member to leave the show this week.
It was revealed on Friday that the star, who plays Mitchell Devereux, will bow out of the soap shortly after his character gets married.
Long awaited: The programme will return to Channel 4 on September 7, after the cast and crew resumed filming last month with strict social distancing rules in place
A spokesperson for the show told MailOnline: ‘Imran Adams will be leaving Hollyoaks later this year at the end of his current contract.’
Insiders have told The Sun Imran is ‘happy to move onto new projects’ after appearing on the show for less than two years.’
Rachel Adedeji was the first black actor to quit the show following the racism row – she played Imran’s onscreen cousin Lisa Loveday.
Moving on: Imran Adams has left the soap as Mitchell Deveraux becoming the show’s second black cast member to leave since the racism row
Imran joined the show in February 2019 and during his stint, his character has discovered he has a secret twin brother, his dad, played by Richard Blackwood is a hard-hitting gangster and he has come out as gay.
In June, it was reported that the cast were ‘at war’ following Rachel Adedeji’s accusations of ‘behind-the-scenes’ racism and claims that co-star Lysette Anthony is ‘actual trash’.
Bosses are now reportedly having a ‘string of meetings’ as there is a ‘real divide’ between the cast.
Delay: Rachel Adedeji (pictured) left the show last year after making accusations of ‘behind-the-scenes racism
Lysette Anthony quit Twitter after facing backlash amid the show’s racism row.
The actress, 56, who plays Marnie Nightingale, was branded ‘actual trash’ by Rachel Adedeji, 28, who quit the soap following accusations of ‘behind-the-scenes’ racism.
Lysette deactivated her profile after her former co-star Charlie Clapham, 28, shared a screenshot of a text allegedly from her hitting out at cast members who supported Rachel.
In the messages, Lysette appeared to claim stars who supported Rachel were ‘traitors,’ before adding: ‘Sorry but we’re not going to have a job to come back to if this stuff keeps being disseminated.’
A spokesperson for the show told MailOnline: ‘Imran Adams will be leaving Hollyoaks later this year at the end of his current contract’
Charlie – who played Freddie Roscoe on Hollyoaks from 2013 to 2017 – shared the series of messages which appeared to be discussing Rachel’s decision to speak out about her experience on the soap.
Rachel has accused the show of ‘behind-the-scenes’ racism after criticising their response to the recent furore over the Black Lives Matter movement, leading soap bosses to apologise and announce a plan to ‘stamp out discrimination.’
In the messages, Lysette – who joined the soap in 2016 – wrote: ‘Well, to be fair they both have that embittered, traitor vibe going on.
‘Sorry but we’re not going to have a job to come back to if this stuff keeps being disseminated.’
Troubled: Bosses are now reportedly having a ‘string of meetings’ as there is a ‘real divide’ between the cast
Re-posting the messages Charlie angrily posted: ‘Dear @chezLysette if supporting a former castmate, whilst she speaks of being racially discriminated against, makes me a traitor… then so be it.
‘As for embittered, you’re currently finishing (finished) where I started out. Salty much? – Best, CC/FR.’
Equally furious at Lysette’s comments, Rachel responded to Charlie’s tweet with a GIF of someone throwing rubbish into a bin.
In the messages, Lysette – who joined the soap in 2016 – wrote: ‘Well, to be fair they both have that embittered, traitor vibe going on.
Drama: Stephanie Davis quit her role in June saying it was ‘not what she wanted but what she knew was right’
‘Sorry but we’re not going to have a job to come back to if this stuff keeps being disseminated.’
Re-posting the messages Charlie angrily posted: ‘Dear @chezLysette if supporting a former castmate, whilst she speaks of being racially discriminated against, makes me a traitor… then so be it.
‘As for embittered, you’re currently finishing (finished) where I started out. Salty much? – Best, CC/FR.
She wrote: ‘@chezLysette you are actual trash.. Charlie, you are a King and a true ally!! Love you my bro! X x.’
Rachel made the decision to leave the show last year, with a Hollyoaks spokesman saying the show was ‘saddened’ by her departure.
The announcement came one day after Hollyoaks also released a statement in response to Rachel’s accusations of racism while working on the show.
Bosses detailed they were ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ by issues detailed by Rachel, and stated the soap has a ‘zero tolerance on racism or any form of discrimination.’
Upset: IUn June, Lysette Anthony quit Twitter after facing backlash amid the show’s racism row
Drama: Ex-Hollyoaks star Charlie Clapham shared a Whatsapp exchange in which Lysette appeared to make the comments relating to Rachel’s recent claims
Fury: Equally furious at Lysette’s comments, Rachel responded to Charlie’s tweet with a GIF of someone throwing rubbish into a bin
The show detailed a series of steps they have launched in order to ‘stamp out discrimination.’
The statement comes after Rachel slammed the show’s response to the recent furore over the Black Lives Matter movement.
The star took to her Twitter to say she doesn’t agree with Hollyoaks’ recent post addressing the movement, noting it wasn’t progressive after revealing she was aware of racial slurs and injustices happening on set.
Hollyoaks uploaded a video of actress Kelle Bryan, who plays Martine Deveraux, discussing the movement’s issues.
Fuming: Charlie shared the messages with a tweet slamming Lysette’s comments, which was quickly supported by Rachel and several other stars (pictured in May 2016)
A recent surge in interest of the Black Lives Matter movement was kickstarted by the senseless killing of George Floyd, who died after a white policeman, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
This prompted Rachel to talk about her own experience of racism.
The soap star said she was ‘disappointed’ and directly called the show out over racist incidents she says happened during her time on Hollyoaks.
Actress Mandip Gill, who played Phoebe McQueen in Hollyoaks until she left in 2015, replied to Rachel’s statement with a series of clapping emojis.
Departing: Rachel confirmed that she had quit Hollyoaks after four years on the soap. She filmed her exit scenes before the country was placed in lockdown
Racism: Rachel had slammed the show’s response to the recent furore over the Black Lives Matter movement, detailing racist incidents she says happened backstage
And Karl Collins, who played Rachel’s onscreen father Louis Loveday in Hollyoaks until 2019, showed his support and praised her ‘bravery.’
Amanda, who portrayed Holly Cunningham on the show from 2013 to 2019, took to Twitter and Instagram on Sunday to implore her former colleagues to put forth a more concerted effort, amid protests over racial injustice sweeping the globe.
A Hollyoaks spokesperson previously said: ‘We are really concerned to read Rachel’s comments on social media about Hollyoaks this evening. We will be in touch with Rachel directly.’
Meanwhile, Stephanie Davis revealed in June that she had quit Hollyoaks after 10 years on the soap as Sinead O’Connor .
The 27-year-old actress admitted it was ‘not what she wanted but what she knew was right’.