Hollyoaks fans are in for a treat as Emma Rigby, who played Hannah Ashworth, has confirmed she is returning to the soap full-time. The actress first appeared on the show in 2005 and left in 2010, but recently made a brief comeback. Now, she has signed a year-long contract and is already filming new scenes.
Rigby expressed her excitement about the return, stating, "I’m absolutely thrilled to be back. Nothing has changed at all. It feels like I’ve been in a time vortex like it was yesterday that I was here in a school uniform." She teased that upcoming storylines will be "unexpected" and "relatable," promising to resonate with viewers.
Hannah's mother Suzanne Ashworth, played by Suzanne Hall, is also returning to the show after leaving in 2012. Rigby spoke warmly about reuniting with her on-screen mother, saying, "Suzanne is the most incredible woman. I was really close to all of my Ashworth family, we were really like a real family." She also noted the surprise of discovering that Hannah now has twin siblings.
Hannah's initial return saw her flee with a large sum of cash after being threatened by John Paul McQueen's secret lover, Carter Shepherd. However, she will reappear in the coming weeks and remain in the village. Rigby added, "I would just say it’s very unexpected which I absolutely love and I think it’s incredibly relatable."
Hollyoaks airs on E4 at 7PM on weekdays and is available to stream on Channel 4.
