Hollyoaks legend Alex Fletcher quits her role after 16 years – and is filming her final scenes soon
Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks icon Alex Fletcher has reportedly quit the Channel 4 soap after 16 years and is set to film her emotional exit in the coming months.
Alex joined the show in 2010 as Diane Hutchinson and has been part of some of Hollyoaks’ biggest storylines, from marrying Tony Hutchinson and the various challenges of their marriage, to developing obsessive-compulsive disorder and facing a terrifying baby swap ordeal.
According to The Sun, Alex told Hollyoaks bosses that she planned to leave the show towards the end of last year, and is set to film her emotional exit in the coming months.
It is not known exactly how Diane will leave the village, but the publication speculated that she could be killed off.
A source told The Sun: “Alex is one of the show’s most popular characters both on and off screen – everyone just adores her.
“She has been at the heart of Hollyoaks alongside Nick [Pickard] for more than a decade, and bosses are gutted she’s leaving.
“But they are doing everything they came to come up with a memorable and fitting exit for her much-loved character.”
Alex first rose to fame in 1990 playing Jacqui Dixon in Brookside, before the show ended in 2003.
She joined the cast of Hollyoaks seven years later, and has been a regular and beloved cast member until now, with only a brief break away from the soap in 2016.
Alex also made a brief appearance on Doctors in 2006 and had roles in Murder Investigation Team, Suburban Mayhem, and the short film Wake.
In 2010, the star appeared on Celebrity Masterchef, making it to the first round of quarter finals.