Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring has revealed that her jaw 'dropped to the floor' when she learned that Cindy Cunningham was Imran Maalik's mystery ex, a twist that was kept under wraps until its onscreen reveal. The identity of Imran's former lover was confirmed on Wednesday (October 14) when Imran made contact with her after an incident involving Lucas Hay, and it was Cindy who turned up.
Stars shocked by the twist
Stephanie Waring, who staged a historic Hollyoaks return earlier in the year, told Metro that she found out about the storyline about three weeks after coming back. 'I knew there was going to be something else I was going to be involved in that was massive apart from the Maddox storyline,' she said. 'When the producers called me to the office to tell me, they were super excited about it, my jaw dropped to the floor.'
Waring explained that originally it was just that Cindy had a relationship with Imran in LA, and the standalone episode was revealed later. She praised the decision to keep the twist under wraps, saying it unfolds in real time rather than being teased beforehand.
Imran's perspective
Ijaz Rana, who returned to screens as Imran just months ago, admitted he was 'surprised' by the identity of his alter-ego's ex flame. 'Imran's always had a crush on Cindy but never did I think they could take it a step further,' he recalled. 'It seemed out of the realm of reality. But when I heard about it and then you hear the justification and the reason or why it happens, it kind of makes sense.'
Waring said Cindy's feelings for Imran are genuine, which is why she decided to 'let him go'. 'She just wanted what was right for him and wasn't going to use him and do what she usually does – chew men and spit them out or gold digging,' she explained.
Imran's choice and special episode
Ijaz said that between Leah and Cindy, Imran would ultimately choose Cindy. 'The reason is that the whole thing with Leah was more thought about,' he said. 'With Cindy, it kind of just happens. That's true love at first sight.'
Fans will see the love story unfold in a special episode on Monday (October 19), set in LA, which will fill in the blanks regarding Imran and Cindy's relationship. Waring expressed her excitement about carrying the episode with Ijaz, despite filming in the canteen. 'It's been one of the best shoots that I've done,' she said.
Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4's streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
