The festive season will be rather eventful for the Hollyoaks residents, with shocks, surprises and emotional scenes aplenty, making for quite the viewing as the annual Christmas boxset returns.
With big deaths and sad goodbyes aplenty, it’s certainly been a dramatic and traumatic year for the villagers and Christmas, in typical Hollyoaks fashion, is shaping up to be no different.
This holiday season will unfold through the eyes of four of the show’s key families who are all harbouring secrets and struggles, with an episode dedicated to each of the clans in question.
Unexpected joy will be on the cards for some, though clearly not for everyone, with the festive offerings set to be explosive, leaving plenty of stories for the Channel 4 soap to explore into the New Year.
In what has become a much-welcomed yearly tradition for Hollyoaks, all four special episodes will be available to stream first from Monday December 22 in the form of a boxset – and here’s what’s in store!
Pearl and Jack’s Christmas mission
As Christmas Day dawns, Jack (Jimmy McKenna) is suited and booted with a special mission up his sleeve in a bid to make the festive season that little bit extra special.
With some help from the Hutchinsons, the patriarch organises a table for just himself and Pearl (Dawn Hope), who has a plan of her own as she has two sacks of presents to deliver throughout the village – as four families experience a festive season they’ll never forget…
The pair are the uniting thread through all four episodes, making appearances in every festive episode and, after accomplishing their goal, they dance the night away to Sinatra by the Christmas tree.
Later, Pearl has something she wants to get off her chest.
Nancy and Darren (Jessica Fox and Ashley Taylor Dawson), meanwhile, put the pain of the last year behind them and are hopeful for the future.
Elsewhere, Sully (Harry French) seeks solace at the Osbornes, but Frankie is on a mission as she calls Dodger and tells him to record their conversation. In tense scenes, Frankie attempts to get a confession out of Sully over JJ – but will she succeed?
When is Hollyoaks on over Christmas? Boxset information and more
If you enjoy a good binge-watch then you’re in luck as you can stream all of Hollyoaks festive offerings in the form of a boxset from Monday December 22 at 6am.
The episodes in question will also air on E4 at 7pm as usual. Here’s when you can catch the drama on telly.
Monday December 22: Hutchinsons episode
Tuesday December 23: McQueens episode
Monday December 29: Maalik/Clark episode
Tuesday December 30: Lomax/Hay episode
Hutchinson horror underneath the tree
After everything they’ve been through this year, Diane (Alex Fletcher) attempts to put together the perfect Christmas for her and Tony (Nick Pickard), grateful to still have her one true love by her side.
Tony, as audiences will know, was shot by Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) on his wedding day – and Diane knows the truth and thus has been working with Gemma Johnston (Tisha Merry) to take Mercy down.
But the matriarch’s attention will be elsewhere on Christmas, as Dee-Dee hides a gift and Ant (Brooke Debio) continues to cause disruption in the household. Upset over the prospect of having to set the table, he later uncovers a burner phone, which he swiftly hides.
The big day culminates with a shock as the Christmas gift uncovered by Eva sends the family into turmoil, with Ant forced to reveal a secret that leads to many, many questions.
Just what has been revealed?
A very McQueen Christmas
Christmas Day is a very different experience for the McQueen clan, though happiness is similarly far away for some.
Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) isn’t in the celebratory mood as she feels unable to face the day without the anxiety pills she has been taking. As the children are excited, Mercy forces a smile – but she’s very much not feeling the festive spirit.
Jack and Pearl arrive with their presents and festive cheer, while Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) soon follows in a Santa suit. Mercedes has forgotten her matching elf outfit, which changes the mood somewhat. When she spots Gemma outside the fence, she asks for more pills.
What will Gemma’s answer be?
John Paul (James Sutton), meanwhile, takes charge of the cooking while Prince (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) worries about the turkey portions.
For Theresa (Jorgie Porter), romance could be in the air as she’s excited ahead of Dodger’s (Danny Mac) arrival. As Mercedes admits to T that she has doubts about whether her or Warren are meant to be, Dodger turns up for dinner.
Dodger, however, doesn’t get the memo about the PJ dress code but he’s quick to rectify that so that he can join in for his daughter – and Theresa’s wish is subsequently granted after a knock on the door.
Frosty festivities for the Maalik-Clarks
Over at Christleton Terrace, tensions are rife between Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi) and Donny Clark (Louis Emerick).
With his two daughters by his side, Donny is determined to make it a day to remember – and it certainly proves to be just that, though not exactly for the right reasons.
The detective is tense as his phone is blown up with messages from the sex worker he recently spent the night with – and a knock on the door sends him into panic mode. To his relief, it’s Pearl and Jack, who bestow good will and festive cheer upon the family.
But festive cheer doesn’t last very long in this house on the day in question.
Gemma is on to Donny, knowing he’s hiding something and she orders him not to stray from Misbah again. Speaking of Misbah, Dee Valley’s devoted doctor is delighted when Donny gifts her a beautiful bracelet.
However, things take a turn when the sex worker turns up on the doorstep, demanding money. Will the truth out?
Holiday heartbreak at the Hays?
Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) is spending Christmas alone at the flat and a visit from Pearl and Jack does little to make him feel better.
His lack of festive cheer is catching, as Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey) is emotional at The Loft.
Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter), despite the tough year she’s had, is determined to give Clara, Daniel and Lucas (Oscar Curtis) a Christmas to remember.
With Ste having lied about beating him up in order to protect him – thus causing a rift in the family – Lucas asks Leela to stop blaming his dad.
Leela isn’t so certain that her brother deserves a second chance but, with Peri on her mind, she ultimately pays him a visit, telling him that Lucas is home – and wants to spend Christmas with his dad.
Ste turns down the invitation at first but he ultimately reconsiders, turning up at the Lomax residence for dinner.
But is trouble brewing?
Dillon (Nathaniel Dass) is once again on Lucas’ mind and thus he messages him, hoping they can meet, unaware that his ex has been sleeping with his dad. Speaking of Ste, he goes for a private walk with Rex, who pleads with him to reveal the truth about what Lucas has done.
The question is: will the truth come out?
What’s more, will Lucas get his chance to speak to Dillon? And either way, just how will Dillon feel about Ste spending time with Rex?
Talking to Metro earlier this year about what fans can expect from the festive season, Dillon star Nate told me: ‘Christmas is a time for family and togetherness.
‘If you’ve got a lot of family with a lot of secrets and demons, when you bring them together and put them in a bit of a melting pot, it could overflow… and could explode.’
Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
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