Yahoo News Hollyoaks pays tribute to Helen and Gordon Cunningham 16 years after their deaths
Hollyoaks now has a permanent tribute to classic characters Helen and Gordon Cunningham.
The married couple are perhaps best known to current viewers as the occasionally-mentioned parents of Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins). Helen was also Mandy Richardson's (Sarah Jayne Dunn) mum, while Gordon was Cindy's (Stephanie Waring) dad.
Helen and Gordon were mainstays of the soap until they were notoriously killed off in a 2004 storyline, when they were involved in a car crash. Two years ago, the soap revealed that the crash was actually caused by Cindy's lodger Milo Entwistle.
Milo later left the village after redeeming himself to the Cunninghams by saving Tom from being crushed by a car. He hasn't been seen since — but the show has now revisited the deaths of Cindy and Tom's parents.
Tuesday's first-look episode (February 18) included quite a sweet tribute to Helen and Gordon as Tom and Cindy opened their "eco-friendly, carbon-neutral, sustainable bazaar".
The village gathered as Tom shared a sweet salute to his parents: "We dedicate this market to our mum and dad, Helen and Gordon Cunningham, who died 16 years ago, this week.
"I don't have many memories of them because I was just a kid. I'm not saying that for sympathy. You see, I've never really wanted for anything in life thanks to my sisters, Tony, Jack and Darren.
"You made this village my home. You made it special. I could have gone off to uni, or travelled the world. But there's just no place like home."
The moment was particularly special because it was one of the first things his love interest Yasmine Maalik (Haiesha Mistry) actually heard with her new hearing aids.
"[I heard] loud and clear! You were perfect," Yazz beamed before the two shared a kiss.
The post-credits sequence of Tuesday's first-look episode was also a solemn tribute as Tom approached a plaque he'd had made for his parents.
"I hope I did you proud," he wished aloud.
Hollyoaks airs Mondays through Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look episodes airing on E4 at 7pm.
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