Hollyoaks stars Greg Finnegan and Kieron Richardson discuss James Nightingale’s dramatic return from the dead as characters come face-to-face

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Greg Finnegan and Kieron Richardson, who play characters on the show Hollyoaks, have talked about the surprising return of Kieron’s character, James Nightingale, and how their characters recently interacted on screen.

Last year, it seemed like James, portrayed by Greg, died in a car bomb explosion. But during the soap opera’s 30th anniversary episodes in October, viewers learned he had actually survived.

He’s about to be reunited with his husband, Ste Hay (played by Kieron), who thought he had died.

On Wednesday’s episode, James assisted Ste, who was fighting to stay awake after being unknowingly drugged by his son, Lucas. Ste initially thought what he was experiencing was a hallucination.

But he explained why he had instead fled the village, believing that Ste was in love with Rex. 

Greg described the scenes as a long-awaited moment for fans, as the two characters finally reunited on the soap opera.

As a huge fan, I was so excited to hear Keiron talking about James’s comeback! He put it perfectly – talk about perfect timing! New Year’s usually means a fresh beginning, but for these two, it’s about revisiting their history… It’s going to be amazing to see what happens next.

Ste is initially stunned by James’s return, but they also need to deal with everything that happened while James was away.

He’s been caring for his grandchild while navigating a difficult time, including dealing with mistreatment from someone named Lucas, complicated family dynamics, and personal grief.

Working with Greg has been a wonderful experience. His generosity and talent as an actor have made this project feel truly special.

Finally, the moment we’ve all been anticipating has arrived. James and Ste, who have a long and complicated history, are about to confront each other again after ten years.

They’ve experienced the full range of emotions – love, hate, happiness, and heartbreak. Now that James has returned, everyone is wondering what will happen next.

It was fantastic to be back on set with Kieron and the rest of the Hollyoaks team! I’m really excited for viewers to see the upcoming episodes.

On Wednesday’s episode, James and Ste finally meet in The Dog car park, but Ste thinks he’s actually hallucinating.

Ste is confused and sick after his son, Lucas, secretly poisoned him, and he’s having trouble understanding what’s going on.

Seeing that Ste was in serious trouble, James called for an ambulance and stayed by his side. He left quietly when Rex showed up, but first, he whispered to Ste that he loved him.

James unexpectedly showed up at Ste’s apartment, completely shocking him. Ste initially thought he was imagining things, but quickly realized James was actually alive.

I always understood why he distanced himself. Seeing Rex constantly at Ste’s side while he was in a coma… it really made me wonder how much Ste actually felt for him. Plus, with Romeo on the run and needing support, it felt like a lot was going on, and he just couldn’t handle being around then.

Ste is stunned and trying to process everything. The man he thought he’d lost, James, is back. But it turns out James deliberately made everyone believe he was dead.

Ste is now in an incredibly difficult situation. He’s finally close to achieving his dreams, but can he find a way to forgive the man who caused him so much pain?

You can watch Hollyoaks on Channel 4 starting at 7am from Monday to Wednesday. Alternatively, you can catch it live on E4 at 7pm.

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2026-01-07 10:18