Former Coronation Street star Sonia Ibrahim has joined the cast of Hollyoaks as the mystery identity of ‘J’ has finally been revealed.
The actress, 35, played Mel Maguire in the ITV soap between 2016 and 2017, an associate of Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper) who groomed Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon).
Mel lured Bethany into working at Nathan’s salon, and later tried to stop her from giving evidence to the police when they began investigating the paedophile.
At the time she said: ‘Some of the scenes are very dark – when we’re doing them it can be horrible but it’s also good to be doing it honestly and tackling it because the more it is brought to people’s attention, the more people it will hopefully help.’
She later starred as Jamilah Omar in BBC school-based drama Waterloo Road across three series.
Viewers can now see her in a new Hollyoaks role, which is airing now on Channel 4’s streaming service.
Her new character, Kat, has a mysterious connection to Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey).
Over the last few months we’ve seen Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) become convinced that Rex was hiding his late husband James (Gregory Finnegan)away.
James, as viewers know, was controversially killed off during the stunt week that yielded in a new era of the long-running soap in September.
A number of notes were found in his possessions signed ‘J’ – though we learnt tonight that these were all blank except one, which had been sent from someone called Jacob (Ethaniel Davy), who is being squirrelled away in a safe house with Kat.
We’re not yet sure who the newbies are, but it seems that Rex is trying his best to ensure they’re protected.
Earlier in the episode, Ste had held Rex captive in Dee Valley Law, convinced that he knew of James’ whereabouts. Clearly, his mental health is not in a good way and only son Lucas (Oscar Curtis) could talk him round.
At the safe house, Jacob protested: ‘I miss my friends Rex. I’m lonely here. I haven’t stepped foot out of this place since I got here.’
Kat then shut down his requests, before Rex assured him that he wasn’t being held prisoner and could leave the house whenever he liked… though he did warn of ‘the danger’ he is in ‘outside these walls.’It won’t be long before we find out why they’re kept there, as Rex promised it wouldn’t be long before they could leave.
What is he hiding, and does the situation have a connection to another villager?
