HOLLYOAKS star Matthew James Bailey has quit the show after three years.
The hunk – who plays Ethan Williams on the soap – is the latest in a long line of stars who have left the cast in recent months.
An insider said: "Fans have loved Ethan since he burst onto the soap as a kidnapper and he's had some brilliant scenes.
"He's decided to move on, but his character is not being killed off - so there is always the hope he can return in future."
Ethan first arrived when he kidnapped Darren Osborne - after he saw him and girlfriend Maya Harkwell robbing a jewellers.
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Things took a dark turn between him and Maya, as Ethan grew increasingly scared of her.
Their partnership came to an as Maya tried to kill his step niece - and he ended up shooting her dead.
The news of Matthew's exit comes as many of his cast mates are getting fired as Hollyoaks goes through a devastating round of cuts.
Fans were dealt a blow when the news came out that the series will be reduced from five weeknight episodes to three from September 2024.
Viewers will also have to wave goodbye to some of their favourite characters as a one-year time jump will push them out of the village.
Executive producer Hannah Cheers announced that 20 cast members would be axed during the transition between the five and three episode format of the show.
n order to facilitate the huge change making sense with the plot of the show, writers will skip through a "lost year" in Chester.
Hannah added this shake-up will sadly involve waving "goodbye to some much-loved Hollyoaks villagers - and some earlier than we would have expected to."
While some have been axed, others have made the decision to walk from the famous soap.
