Hollyoaks legend breaks silence on ‘difficult atmosphere’ backstage after stars are axed in cast shake-up
JEREMY Sheffield has opened up about how fellow Hollyoaks stars are feeling after the shock news that many cast members would be axed.
The star is known for playing Patrick Blake from 2012 to 2016, and recently reappeared on the E4 soap as the character’s twin brother Jez.
Although show bosses offered him a new job, many of his co-stars are getting fired from theirs as Hollyoaks goes through a devastating round of cuts.
Fans were dealt a blow when the news came out that the series will be reduced from five weeknight episodes to three from September 2024.
Viewers will also have to wave goodbye to some of their favourite characters as a one-year time jump will push them out of the village.
Executive producer Hannah Cheers announced that 20 cast members would be axed during the transition between the five and three episode format of the show.
In order to facilitate the huge change making sense with the plot of the show, writers will skip through a “lost year” in Chester.
Hannah added this shake-up will sadly involve waving “goodbye to some much-loved Hollyoaks villagers – and some earlier than we would have expected to.”
Jeremy admitted these decisions have shocked the Hollyoaks cast, telling the Daily Star: “Everyone understands why things have to happen. But obviously people are losing their jobs, so it’s tough.
“People are having to rethink their livelihoods. There’s a difficult atmosphere.
“It’s tough for everyone. It’s a big change. There is pressure. We are making a big change so there is a lot riding on this.
“You have to be really good. You always want to do as best you can for the show and that feels highlighted now.”
However, he hopes the change will signal a positive shift for the soap, leading to an increase in viewers.
The star added: “The hope is it’ll be tighter and we’ll be able to delve into storylines in a more complex way. So people are excited about that.”
Hollyoaks is due to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025.
The news of a schedule reduction was welcomed with shock as the show temporarily shut down filming to give the Hollyoaks cast time to digest the bombshell.
Following the announcement, multiple unions issued their own statements about the change, with the head of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) deeming this decision “a huge loss for the whole sector.”