Hollyoaks finally confirms the father of Leela Dexter’s baby
Leela and Joel learn the truth.
Hollyoaks spoilers follow for Wednesday’s episode (February 5), which is available to watch now on streaming service Channel 4 and hasn’t yet aired on TV.
Hollyoaks has finally confirmed the father of Leela Dexter’s baby Clara, in the show’s latest episode.
Viewers discovered that Leela was heavily pregnant after the show jumped forward a year in time, and in November she gave birth to her daughter Clara.
It soon became clear that Leela was hiding a big secret, and the show eventually confirmed the shocking truth that she was sexually assaulted by Joel’s brother Abe around the time of Clara’s conception.
Leela only recently discovered that Abe was the culprit, and she kept her ordeal hidden from Joel out of fear of his reaction – until he heard Abe confess on Cleo and Peri’s livestream.
Thankfully, Joel was nothing but supportive towards his wife and reassured her that he would always be Clara’s dad, whatever happens.
This week, after Joel crashed into Abe on the road, Marie gave him an envelope addressed to Abe with Clara’s paternity results, as he had secretly done a DNA test.
In today’s episode, the couple decided to open the results, and were delighted to find out the good news that Joel is Clara’s biological father.
Actor Rory Douglas-Speed, who plays Joel, has explained what this huge update means for his character, as Abe’s story has also come to an end.
“This storyline has been in the works for a while due to the time jump,” he said. “It’s been pandemonium for the audience as they have been left wondering who Clara’s dad is – and of course they want it to be Joel, especially because of the horrific circumstances.
“When Joel finds out, it’s a huge relief. When you think of his journey after losing Noah, then being on drugs, it’s really shaped his life, so I think this was just sorely needed for him. These last couple of blocks of episodes tied up nicely with that news.”
But as Leela and Joel begin to rebuild their lives, Douglas-Speed teases whether this could be the start of a happier period for the couple.
He said: “We are finally seeing Leela and Joel being a happy family as an ending. But obviously it’s Hollyoaks, so who knows what’s around the corner?”
