←2007 2008 2009→ |
2008 was Hollyoaks's fourteenth year of production.
Overview[]
Bryan Kirkwood remained in the producer role, as did Carolyn Reynolds and Tony Wood in their executive producer roles, for third year. 2008 saw the transmission of the first spin-off commissioned under Kirkwood's tenure, Hollyoaks Later - a five-episode spin-off linked to the main series. This would continue annually until 2013. In its week of transmission, all Hollyoaks and Hollyoaks Later episodes were the top 10 most viewed on E4.
Long-running characters Jake Dean, Max Cunningham, O.B. and John Paul McQueen departed from the soap in May, July and October 2008 as actors Kevin Sacre, Matt Littler, Darren Jeffries and James Sutton decided to depart from the programme. Roxanne McKee decided to take a break from the programme and character Louise Summers was supposedly killed off in December 2008. Return scenes were filmed for McKee's impending return in March 2009, but McKee decided against returning to the programme.
Meanwhile, Stephanie Waring reprised her role as Cindy Cunningham for a permanent stint from June 2008, Sarah Jayne Dunn returned as Mandy Richardson for six months, whilst Guy Burnet reprised his role as Craig Dean for a McDean sunset ending, departing for good in Hollyoaks Later.
2008 was mostly dominated by the Niall Rafferty storyline, who sought revenge on Myra McQueen for abandoning him as a baby. The main climax to the storyline which saw Niall detonate bombs in a church reached 2,200,000 viewers. Niall was killed off in Hollyoaks Later.
Events[]
Hollyoaks events[]

Niall Rafferty blows up a church.
- 2nd January - Nancy Hayton is arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.
- 3rd January - Valerie Holden is arrested for assault after a fight with Katy Fox.
- 8th January - Kathy Barnes is arrested after she is revealed to be the person targeting the Ashworth family. Kieron Hobbs arrives in the village. (First appearance of the character)
- 9th January - Amy Barnes is attacked by her boyfriend, Ste Hay.
- 10th January - After being rejected by her family, Kathy Barnes leaves the village. (Last appearance of the character until 2017)
- 18th January - Tina Reilly discovers that she is pregnant.
- 22nd January - Charlie Dean is diagnosed with leukemia.
- 31st January - Michaela McQueen collapses following an overdose of heroin administered by Niall Rafferty, combined with over-consumption of alcohol.
- 7th February - Gilly Roach proposes to Beth Clements, who accepts.
- 14th February - Nancy Hayton and Jake Dean marry. However, after the ceremony, Jake attempts to rape Nancy, and is stopped by his sister, Steph Dean.
- 20th February - Jack, Frankie Osborne, Barry Newton and Louise Summers are held hostage inside The Dog in the Pond by Carl and Anthony.
- 21st February - Darren Osborne is shot whilst trying to save Jack, Frankie Osborne, Newt and Louise Summers from being held hostage inside The Dog in the Pond.
- 27th February - O.B. decides to move to London with Summer Shaw. (Final appearance of Summer Shaw)
- 28th February - Mike Barnes is injured after being accidentally knocked off a ladder by Sarah Barnes.
- 3rd March - Calvin Valentine unintentionally proposes to Carmel McQueen, who accepts.
- 4th March - Myra McQueen is charged with benefit fraud.Marlena McQueen is attacked by Niall Rafferty. Calvin Valentine intentionally proposes to Carmel McQueen, who accepts again.
- 5th March - Niall Rafferty attempts to strangle Nana McQueen but is interrupted by Carmel McQueen.
- 11th March - Charlie Dean's christening takes place.
- 12th March - Jake Dean is arrested for attempting to rape his wife, Nancy Dean.
- 14th March - Jake Dean attempts to kill himself and adoptive son, Charlie, by gassing them in his car. Nancy rescues Charlie but leaves Jake to die.
- 21st March - Dom Reilly is attacked by a gang of girls, and is saved by Russ Owen.
- 24th March - After Tom Cunningham eats a hot cross bun which Max has hidden a ring inside, Max Cunningham proposes to Steph Dean using his hospital scans, which Steph accepts.
- 2nd April - A body is found in the woods by Barry Newton and Lauren Valentine.
- 4th April - The body found by Barry Newton and Lauren Valentine is identified as Sean Kennedy.
- 7th April - Warren Fox is arrested for the murder of Sean Kennedy. Elliot Bevan is rushed to hospital after suffering from hypothermia, having run away from home.
- 10th April - Unable to keep the secret of her brother, Warren Fox, being the murderer of Sean Kennedy, Katy Fox leaves the village. (Last appearance of Katy until 2017)
- 17th April - Rhys Ashworth and Beth Clements are arrested after their incestuous affair is discovered by Michaela McQueen.
- 18th April - Rhys Ashworth and Beth Clements decide to run away together, but whilst driving, the camper-van is involved in a head-on collision with a lorry. Beth is killed in the accident. (Final appearance of Beth Clements)
- 23rd April - Sasha Valentine takes an overdose of heroin.
- 25th April - Louise Summers is arrested on the suspicion of murdering her ex-husband, Sean Kennedy.
- 5th May - Carmel McQueen proposes to Calvin Valentine, who accepts.
- 15th May - Jake Dean falsely confesses to the murder of Sean Kennedy.
- 20th May - Ravi Roy arrives in the village. (First appearance of the character)
- 5th June - Amy Barnes is hospitalised after being attacked by her boyfriend, Ste Hay.
- 9th June - Cindy Cunningham returns to the village with her daughter, Holly. (First appearance of the characters since 2004)
- 16th June - Newt and Eli set off a bomb in The Loft.
- 20th June - Max Cunningham proposes to Steph Dean, who accepts. Eli is revealed to be a vision in Newt's mind.
- 24th June - Leila Roy arrives in the village. (First appearance of the character)
- 25th June - Mandy Richardson returns to the village for the wedding of her step-brother, Max Cunningham. (First appearance of Mandy since 2007)
- 26th June - Max Cunningham is rushed to hospital with chest pains. Max's mother, Angela Cunningham, arrives for his wedding. (First appearance of Angela since 2006)
- 27th June - Max Cunningham and Steph Dean marry. However, after the ceremony, Max is struck by a car whilst saving his half-brother, Tom Cunningham, driven by a drunken Niall Rafferty, who crashes the car into a brick wall. Max dies from his injuries.
- 30th June - Niall Rafferty is arrested for the murder of Max Cunningham.
- 1st July - Tina Reilly is pushed down a flight of stairs by Niall Rafferty.
- 2nd July - Tina Reilly gives birth to a son via an emergency caesarean-section. (First appearance of Max Owen)
- 10th July - Max Cunningham's funeral takes place. Angela Cunningham leaves the village afterwards. (Final appearance of the character)
- 11th July - O.B. leaves the village, seeing the ghost of Max Cunningham. (Last appearance of Sam O'Brien until 2016 and final appearance of Max Cunningham).
- 16th July - Eamon Fisher dies in the carpark of The Dog in the Pond from alcohol poisoning. Jack Osborne attempts suicide by overdosing.
- 17th July - Jack Osborne decides to fake his own death on the suggestion by Darren Osborne, after Darren discovers the body of Eamon Fisher.
- 22nd July - Sasha Valentine goes missing.
- 24th July - John Paul McQueen proposes to Kieron Hobbs, who accepts.
- 25th July - Amy Barnes discovers she is pregnant.
- 29th July - Ste Hay is injured after falling off scaffolding.
- 31st July - The missing Sasha Valentine is found.
- 5th August - Jack Osborne's funeral takes place, which his daughter, Ruth Osborne, returns for. (First appearance of Ruth since 2004, and final appearance of the character)
- 8th August - Jack Osborne's family discover that he is still alive.
- 11th August - Barry Newton is diagnosed with schizophrenia.
- 12th August - Eamon Fisher is reported as a missing person.
- 14th August - Nige Foster stabs Calvin Valentine, who beats Nige to death.
- 15th August - Leila Roy is arrested for theft.
- 20th August - Steph Cunningham suffers an epileptic seizure.
- 2nd September - Jack Osborne suffers an angina attack caused by the stress from faking his own death. Craig Dean returns to the village. (First appearance of the character since 2007)
- 4th September - Kieron Hobbs discovers that Niall Rafferty is the long lost son of Myra McQueen.
- 5th September - Niall Rafferty kills Kieron Hobbs after spiking his drink. (Final appearance of Kieron Hobbs)
- 10th September - Danny Valentine leaves the village with his mother, Valerie. (Final appearance of Danny)
- 16th September - Calvin Valentine and Carmel McQueen marry.
- 19th September - Niall Rafferty's attempt to kill John Paul McQueen goes wrong when the drinks are swapped and Niall drinks John Paul's poisoned drink.
- 8th October - Niall Rafferty attempts to beat Myra McQueen with an iron but is interrupted by the McQueen family.
- 10th October - Mercedes McQueen is kidnapped by Niall Rafferty.
- 13th October - Tina Reilly is kidnapped by Niall Rafferty.
- 14th October - Niall Rafferty kidnaps the rest of Myra McQueen's children.
- 15th October - Jack Osborne is beaten unconscious by Niall Rafferty.
- 16th October - Niall Rafferty blows up a church with Myra, John Paul, Michaela, Mercedes, Tina, and Jacqui McQueen, Carmel Valentine and Jack and Darren Osborne inside.
- 17th October - Tina Reilly dies after being crushed by rubble in the church explosion. Niall is supposedly crushed by a falling statue, but keeps his survival secret.
- 20th October - Jack Osborne is arrested and charged with fraud. John Paul McQueen leaves the village for Dublin. (Last appearance of John Paul until 2012)
- 21st October - Darren Osborne is arrested after confessing to the police about his role in the faked death of Jack Osborne.
- 22nd October - Malachy Fisher proposes to Mercedes McQueen, but she rejects.
- 4th November - New Hollyoaks Community College student Archie Carpenter arrives at the student halls. Leila & Ravi Roy's father, Govinda Roy, arrives in the village. (First appearance of the characters)
- 6th November - Tina Reilly's funeral takes place.
- 10th November - Bel Roy arrives in the village, applying for the stylist job at Evissa. (First appearance of the character)
- 11th November - Anita Roy moves into 65 Christleton Terrace with her family. (First appearance of the character)
- 20th November - Warren Fox attempts to kill Mark Gascoyne by beating him to death
- 21st November - Ash Roy arrives in the village. Nige Foster is revealed to have survived the beating from Calvin Valentine, and has been paid by Warren Fox to keep hidden. (First appearance of Ash Roy)
- 24th November - Tony Hutchinson meets and has a one-night-stand with Theresa McQueen. Nancy Dean, Sarah Barnes and Zoe Carpenter are involved in a car accident. Eamon Fisher's funeral takes place. Malachy and Kris Fisher meet old friends Cheryl Brady and Lynsey Nolan. (First appearances of Theresa, Cheryl & Lynsey)
- 25th November - Niall Rafferty kidnaps Tom Cunningham. Anita and Ravi Roy meet Gaz Bennett. (First appearance of Gaz)
- 26th November - Malachy Fisher proposes to Mercedes McQueen, who accepts. Dom Reilly meets Loretta Jones. (First appearance of the character)
- 27th November - After kidnapping Tom Cunningham, Steph Cunningham and Craig Dean, Niall Rafferty commits suicide by jumping off a cliff. (Final appearance of the character)
- 28th November - Mercedes McQueen and Malachy Fisher marry. Craig Dean leaves the village to Dublin to meet with John Paul. (Final appearance of the character)
- 1st December - Tony Hutchinson is arrested for sexual activity with a minor when his one-night-stand with Theresa McQueen is revealed.
- 22nd December - Louise Summers discovers she is pregnant.
- 23rd December - Spencer Gray arrives in the village for his foster brother Warren Fox's wedding. (First appearance of the character)
- 26th December - On the day of his wedding to Louise Summers, Warren Fox discovers her plan to kill him and kills Louise by suffocating her with a pillow. Mandy Richardson leaves the village for Laos with her ex-husband, Tony Hutchinson, after reconciling. (Final appearance of Louise and last appearance of Mandy until 2010)
- 31st December - Zak Ramsey and Ash Roy are arrested for assault after Gaz Bennett punched himself to frame them.
Real life events[]
- 2nd March - Hollyoaks: Summer's Got a Secret is transmitted on T4.
- 23rd March - The Hollyoaks Music Show is transmitted on T4. This was a pilot episode and would later be succeeded by annual series of 10-15 episodes up to 2011.
- 6th October - The Hollyoaks Wiki is created.
- 24th November - First ever episode of Hollyoaks Later airs.
Cast changes[]
- Leah Barnes was recast from Magic Hurst to Jessica Croft-Lane.
Debuts[]
See also: Category:2008 debuts.
Returns[]
See also: Category:2008 returns.
Departures[]
See also: Category:2008 departures.
Episodes[]
See also: Category:2008 episodes.
See also[]
←2007 2008 2009→ |