As the festive tinsel is packed away, the residents of Hollyoaks are facing anything but a peaceful start to 2026. Channel 4 has confirmed a barrage of explosive storylines set to hit our screens in the New Year, featuring drug-related terror, a shocking stalker revelation, and secret affairs threatening to tear families apart.
Ste's Secret and Lucas's Dangerous Discovery
The fallout from Christmas continues to wreak havoc for the Hay family. Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis) is reeling after discovering the truth about the affair between his father, Ste (Kieron Richardson), and his ex-boyfriend, Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass). Despite Lucas's hopes for a fresh start, Ste has moved on to rekindle his romance with Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey), leaving a jealous and resentful Dillon in his wake.
In a tense encounter ahead of New Year's Eve, Ste checks on Dillon's sobriety and once again pleads with him to keep their fling a secret, desperate to keep Lucas in the dark. Unbeknownst to Ste, his son already knows the devastating truth. This betrayal pushes Lucas to a dangerous edge, leading him to pocket a bottle of medicine after Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) drops her bag in the village. What he plans to do with the pills remains a terrifying mystery.
A Stalker Unmasked and a Shooting Secret Exposed
Elsewhere in the village, fear turns to confrontation for Frankie Osborne (Isabelle Smith). As the Hutchinson kids plan a night at The Loft for New Year's Eve, Frankie is determined to face her fears. When Sully (Harry French) walks in, she publicly accuses him of being her stalker, believing he has been tormenting her to later play the hero. Sully denies everything, but the real culprit may be closer to home, with Dee-Dee (Chloe Atkinson) potentially holding the key to the truth.
Meanwhile, Mercedes is grappling with her own guilt after shooting Tony Hutchinson. She apologises to Diane Hutchinson (Alex Fletcher), but with Tony insisting on silence, Diane takes matters into her own hands. She reveals the full story to Darren and Nancy Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson and Jessica Fox). Darren's reaction is sure to be explosive, given he was wrongly arrested for the crime.
Proposal Plans Derailed and Awkward Returns
Mercedes's turmoil deepens as she struggles to contact Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas), unaware that he has slept with Gemma Johnston (Tisha Merry). When Mercy and Warren finally talk, she apologises for her harsh words on Christmas Day. Warren then drops a bombshell: he was devastated by her comments because he had been planning to propose to her.
Love is also complicated for Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) and Theresa (Jorgie Porter). Their romance hits an awkward snag with the return of Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin), who knows about Dodger's recent ordeal. For Cleo, however, things are looking brighter as her relationship with Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) continues to blossom.
As the countdown to New Year's Eve begins on Monday 30th December 2025, the stage is set for a chaotic and dramatic entrance into 2026 for the Hollyoaks villagers.
