Hollyoaks fans are soon to lose one of their most well-loved characters, as Owen Warner has announced his decision to quit the soap after six years.
The 24-year-old on-screen star - known for having played chaos-causing bad-boy Romeo Nightingale since 2018 - broke the news to The Sun today (31 January), describing his departure as a 'really sad thing to do'.
In fact, Owen has already filmed his final few scenes on the long-standing high-drama soap - which is set to move from Channel 4 later this year after 24 years - and has teased an absolutely nerve-shattering exit.
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"It’s Hollyoaks, there’s always a twist," he told the publication. "When I was told what it was going to be I was like, ‘Are you joking?’"
Despite not yet revealing any details on how exactly Channel 4 bosses will orchestrate his exit, he insists fans will be left on the edges of their seats.
Owen continued: "I had to look the producer in the eye and say, ‘Are you serious? I feel like I’m being had on here, I don’t know how this is real. Surely not.’
"There’s loads of twists and safe to say, it’s a memorable one."
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Throughout his time on the award-winning show, Owen has seen through several tear-jerking, high-intensity storylines.
When he first joined the big-name cast, Romeo portrayed a troubled youngster, born into a life of corruption, crime and prejudice.
He arranged illegal raves, embarked on an affair with Lily McQueen (played by Lauren McQueen) behind her terminally ill husband's back and was at the centre of an investigation into his grandfather Mac's (David Easter) gruesome murder.
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The ex-I'm A Celeb runner-up was also involved in a handful of hugely emotional plots which launched him into a fan-favourite position with viewers.
He received high praise for his portrayal of a abuse victim during his turbulent relationship with father James (Gregory Finnegan).
"Romeo’s been through so much, with the loss of his sister, all the stuff before that, a girlfriend who’s abusive and then her death, and it all just got so much so he just needed to get out to be honest," Owen reminisced.
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Despite his exit, the actor claimed he'd always be open to the possibility of a return to the show in the future.
"I’d always say to the producer that if possible I would love for the door to be left open but you never know what could happen," he admitted.
"Could always do a Lazarus if he does get killed off.
"That’s the thing that’s really sad about leaving Hollyoaks, the fans are so lovely. It’s going to be sad to walk away from because they are really lovely, loyal fans."
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For now, however, Owen is setting his sights on the future and is open to whatever acting gigs he can get.
"I’ve done Hollyoaks years now and when I first started acting I’d do plays and short films and I’d pick the craziest characters to play and I love playing a wide assortment of characters," he added.
"And while I’ve loved playing Romeo, I’ve played the same character for a long time now so it’d be nice to play some different people.
"Just put myself in some different shoes and do all sorts like that."
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity, Channel 4
Rhianna Benson