Hollyoaks fans are still puzzling over the sudden disappearance of Ste Hay, who vanished in a shopping centre weeks ago. Meanwhile, actor Kieron Richardson has taken on a new role far from the soap, voicing a key character in the CBeebies animated series Rafi The Wishing Wizard.
A new challenge in animation
Richardson, who plays Jake, one of Rafi's dads, told Metro: 'It's been good for me to be nervous again! To play a completely different character in an opposite genre, and to get involved in a new area of the industry for me. It's been a long time since my first day on the job and I loved getting to see the behind the scenes and how much passion and creativity goes into animation.'
The show follows seven-year-old Rafi and her two dads on daily adventures. Richardson described it as 'colourful, magical, it's funny, it's got loads of heart. And at the centre of it is Rafi and her family…. Living in Manchester, running a bakery with one wish a day!'
A role his children can watch
In real life, Richardson has two children with husband Carl Hyland. He said: 'I'm the sensible dad who airs on the side of caution. It's actually really nice for me to play a role that my kids can watch. Jake gets a lot more attention in our house than I do…. The kids would love it if 'Jake' could pop round one day as his baking is far better than mine!'
The actor, who has played Ste for two decades, noted the show's groundbreaking approach: it doesn't explain why Rafi has two dads. 'Having not just a show but an animation with "Two Dads" is huge! We can hopefully just call ourselves "Parents" soon. As more of the world recognises that is what we are. The feedback from the LGBT+ community has been overwhelmingly positive. To see and hear how happy it's made little ones, and families seeing families like theirs on screen is such a wonderful feeling. I'm so proud of what team Rafi have achieved.'
Busy times and Ste's fate
Rafi The Wishing Wizard, which debuted in February, has been a hit, with new episodes released on BBC iPlayer this month. Richardson is also busy with Hollyoaks, presenting Hollyoaks Unwrapped, and a podcast with Anna Passey. 'I'm super thankful to be able to do such a variety of things,' he said.
On Ste's storyline, he teased: 'It's a mySTEry? My lips are well and truly sealed, but what I can say is Hollyoaks is never afraid to be the first to try something new!'
All new episodes of Rafi: The Wishing Wizard are available on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer now. Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4's streaming platform, or airs on E4 at 7pm.
