Hollyoaks confirms Emma Rigby's return as Hannah Ashworth

Hollyoaks spoilers and discussion of eating disorders follow.

Hollyoaks star Hannah Ashworth is coming back to the soap, as actress Emma Rigby has been photographed on the set.

The Sun has shared photos of Rigby on the set, including one of her sharing a hug with Ste Hay actor Kieron Richardson.

Digital Spy can confirm Ashworth's return, with a source telling us the soap has some "exciting" scenes planned.

hollyoaks actress emma rigby in a black dress with white dots on it
Dave Benett - Getty Images

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Emma played Hannah between late 2005 and early 2010, with some major storylines that included a relationship with John Paul McQueen that ended when he announced he was gay, a motorbike accident, nearly being burned alive in The Loft, and a marriage to Darren Osborne.

But her most memorable story was a harrowing one in which Hannah experienced anorexia and bulimia. The storyline saw Hannah's friend Melissa die of a similar eating disorder, while Hannah was sectioned and had a slow and difficult road to recovery.

The storyline was praised for raising awareness of the subject, while Emma won Best Actress at the British Soap Awards in 2008.

emma rigby
Karwai Tang - Getty Images

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Since then, Emma has appeared in the likes of Prisoners' Wives, Ripper Street, and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

It's not yet known exactly what storylines Hannah will be involved in when she returns, or how long she'll be back for.

Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that.

Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.

Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage


Beat is a charity which raises awareness and understanding of eating disorders, and supports those affected by them. It has a one-to-one secure messaging service, and details of its phone helplines can be found here.

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