LIFE in Chester has been nothing short of explosive as 2023 first began.

And with plenty of fresh drama ahead, here's your guide to all the comings and goings in Hollyoaks.

Romeo Nightingale (Owen Warner) – returned

Hollyoaks viewers will remember Romeo Nightingale told his sister Juliet he was planning on leaving the village in pursuit of his girlfriend Theresa.

The latter had previously moved to Spain, realising she wasn't happy in Chester.

Romeo followed through with his plan, departing the eponymous village in December, 2022.

The storyline allowed actor Owen Warner to focus on his stint in I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

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The soap star was one of many celebrities to jet off to Australia and even became a runner-up in the program before heading back to Hollyoaks.

This years, new romance could be in the cards for Romeo as he gets to know newcomers Lacey and Rayne.

Could Theresa still be in the picture?

Bobby Costello (Jayden Fox) – leaving?

As one of the main villains of 2022, Bobby Costello seemed undefeatable due to his young age.

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But Goldie McQueen eventually saw right through him and uncovered all of his crimes.

Hollyoaks fans will remember that Bobby is responsible for multiple deaths in the village and even tried to get rid of Felix Westwood when he got too close to Mercedes McQueen.

Bobby was recently turned into the police by DeMarcus Westwood for setting Price Slice ablaze – which prompted the youngster to admit he murdered Verity Hutchinson.

The young boy left his mother Mercedes shocked beyond words as he was charged and jailed for decades for his actions.

Is this the end of the road for Bobby?

Silas Blissett (Jeff Rawle) – left

Shockingly, one of Bobby's main victims was none other than serial killer Silas Blissett, his own grandfather.

The criminal returned to Hollyoaks in late 2022, ready to wreak more havoc and cause trouble for the McQueens.

Unfortunately for him, Silas was beaten at his own game by Bobby.

Silas' reign of terror ended for good after more than a decade when the lad pushed him onto his electrified chess board, killing him.

Verity Hutchinson (Eva O'Hara) – left

Viewers had no clue Bobby would be responsible for another death in Hollyoaks.

After three years in the village, Verity met a tragic demise in December, 2022, as she was investigating her brother Eric.

The beloved character was attacked at her place of work before being crushed by a bookcase and everybody believed the radical misogynist may be to blame.

Verity somehow mustered up the strength to pull herself out from under the bookcase and walked out onto the village in agony.

She collapsed in her brother Tony's arms before being rushed to hospital but she unfortunately slipped away in the ambulance.

A flashback later confirmed Bobby was responsible for her death as he knew she'd been trying to build a case against him following Goldie's request.

Shaq Qureshi (Omar Malik) – left

Many villagers were deeply affected by Verity's death, the first being her boyfriend Shaq.

The hunk was set on proposing to her after his failed wedding ceremony with Nadira Valli.

For several weeks, Shaq has had to adapt to life in the village without his other half – which turned out to be too much of a challenge for him.

In January, 2023, Shaq made the difficult decision to leave Hollyoaks, heartbroken and unable to cope.

Could he come back in the future?

Hunter McQueen (Theo Graham) – returning

Theo Graham will be heading back to Chester for his second stint on the soap following in the same footsteps as his on-screen brother, Prince who is played by Malique Thompson-Dwyer.

His return was confirmed in October 2022.

Hunter last appeared on the show in 2018 where viewers saw him leaving with his girlfriend Asha Kaur.

As part of his return plot, Hunter will move into a new shared house which will be central to the show over the next few months.

Lacey Lloyd (Annabelle Davis) – joined

The daughter of Warwick Davis, Annabelle, will be appearing as brand new character Lacey.

Lacey heads to the village for an interview at Dee Valley Law with James Nightingale – but can she impress him?

Lacey will also be moving to the brand new shared house that will see the younger cast band together to help facilitate an abundance of storylines.

Speaking of her housemates…

Rayne (Jemma Donovan) – joined

Lacey will be settling down for a new life in Hollyoaks with her best friend Rayne, portrayed by former Neighbours star Jemma Donovan.

Rayne shakes things up immediately, catching the eyes of brothers Hunter and Prince McQueen – but both have vowed never to let anybody come in between them.

The outgoing influencer moves into a house with Lacey, Nadira Valli, Prince McQueen and Romeo Nightingale.

And on her part, Rayne feels sparks begin to fly with her roomie Romeo.

However, her turbulent past could stop her from getting into a new relationship.

What is she hiding?

Olivia Bradshaw (Emily Burnett) – left

Olivia left the soap in a bombshell episode set on her wedding day.

Her secret of kissing Hunter was finally revealed and caused shockwaves.

It left Olivia's marriage truly hanging in the balance. 

The wedding eventually descended into chaos with Prince calling Olivia out for her vile behaviour.

This prompted a heartbroken Olivia to leave the village altogether.

Could she return?

Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence) – leaving?

Scott Drinkwell was eager to become a foster father but received quite a challenge when Vicky Grant was sent to him on an emergency placement.

Actress Anya Lawrence made her Hollyoaks debut in May, 2022.

As soon as she arrived, Scott enrolled her at Hollyoaks High School, determined to give the young teen a life she deserved.

But Vicky had a rough time at school, more particularly due to Charlie Dean including her in his "fit list."

To make matters worse, one month later, Vicky's manipulative boyfriend Joseph rocked up Hollyoaks, demanding to spend time with her.

Over the festive season, and once Joseph was caught out for Saul Reeves' death, Vicky began to question her future in Hollyoaks after her mother expressed her wish to reconnect with her.

Sadly, next week's spoilers have confirmed Vicky's life will be hanging in the balance after a teen camping trip turns into a nightmare.

Luke Morgan (Gary Lucy) – left

Luke's death had been announced by soap bosses with months in advance, forcing fans to make peace with his demise.

Actor Gary Lucy had been a part of the Hollyoaks line-up for more than two decades.

In 2019, two years after one last return to the village, Luke was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

At this point, he had found love in the arms of Cindy Cunningham who continued to stand by him after his diagnosis.

Luke and Cindy became engaged as a result, with the former convinced he had found the love a lifetime.

But amid a heart-breaking storyline – which also involved former EastEnders actor Matt Lapinskas for a brief stint as a villain – Luke was killed off during his stag do on June 9, 2022.

Luke was enjoying a trip to Mallorca with his loved ones when his dementia took hold of him and he fell from a cliff.

He passed away from his injuries in hospital, surrounded by friends and family and while teary-eyed fans waved him goodbye.

Luke made a brief appearance following his death in a video shown in July, 2022, but Cindy remains inconsolable.

Scarlett Morgan (Susie Amy) – guest

Many villagers were impacted by Luke's tragic passing and attended his funeral for one last goodbye.

But to their shock and Cindy's horror, his ex-wife Scarlett made an appearance, dressed to the nines and despite not having been invited.

Actress Susie Amy returned to Hollyoaks for the first time in two years in July, 2022, as her character fought with Cindy who kicked her out of the church.

But Scarlett didn't stay long in the village.

When her son Ollie revealed he'd be moving to Canada by the end of the week, Scarlett offered to move with him but he turned her down.

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Hollyoaks airs daily on Channel 4.

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