Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) vanishes while en route to a spa day in Hollyoaks, prompting a village-wide search and placing suspicion on James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) and Sienna Blake (Anna Passey). The chef has been struggling since the murder of his husband Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey) and the return of James, who Ste blames for Rex's death.
What happened during the spa day trip?
In episodes airing next week, Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) and Leela Dexter (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) take Ste for a spa day to lift his spirits. However, Ste convinces them to stop for a bathroom break, then heads to a nearby shopping centre, where he becomes disoriented and unable to find his way out. Mercedes and Leela remain in the car, unaware that Gemma Johnson's (Tisha Merry) heavies have followed them.
Gemma, who wants to win Warren Fox's (Jamie Lomas) affection, sees the day as an opportunity to get rid of Mercedes. As tension builds, Ste crosses paths with several characters, including a brief encounter with Phoenix Gulzar Brown, before vanishing into the crowd, leaving no trace.
Filming details and star reactions
The special episode, set to air on Wednesday September 2, was filmed at Runcorn Shopping City. Kieron Richardson described the experience: 'I loved filming Ste vanishing in Runcorn Shopping City with real-life shoppers, over 70 supporting artists and an amazing crew. People will see how busy the shopping centre was on the day, it really is like searching for a needle in a Ste Hay-stack.'
He added: 'Predominantly all shot in one take. It felt very different and quite unexpected…which is quite apt for this missing story. Just when you think you know what is going on, expect more of the unexpected.'
Who is suspected and what happens next?
Following Ste's disappearance, Leela and Mercedes return to the village for answers. Ste is considered a vulnerable person after his recent relapse, so the community unites to uncover the truth. However, in classic Hollyoaks fashion, many characters become suspects, with James and Sienna – recently released from prison after her May arrest – at the top of the list.
The storyline will continue throughout Autumn, with a notable peak in October centred on Chester city centre. A new Autumn trailer will be released on Monday (September 7), offering a closer look at the upcoming drama.
Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4's streaming platform, with episodes airing on TV at 7pm on E4.
