Hollyoaks winter trailer bombshells – including Leela heartbreak and Cleo’s escape

Hollyoaks fans are in for a treat as the Channel 4 soap’s Winter trailer promises plenty of festive drama. Santa Jez, played by Jeremy Sheffield, brings holiday cheer to the Chester village, while Tony Hutchinson, portrayed by Nick Pickard, hosts a lavish Christmas meal at The Dog.

Donny Clark, played by Louis Emerick, leads the toast and the McQueens steal the show with their dazzling festive attire. But the holiday spirit can’t mask the sinister events unfolding in Hollyoaks village.

An escape plan is hatched, friendships turn sour, and a shocking confession is on the cards this Christmas. Cleo McQueen, played by Nadine Mulkerrin, has been held captive in a flat for over a year by her abuser Abe Fielding, played by Tyler Conti.

He has manipulated her into believing she caused his mother Marie Fielding’s death, played by Rita Simons, and that hiding is her only safety – when he is the real danger. After uncovering his lies, she devises a plan to escape.

Cleo McQueen plots her escape from Abe Fielding in Hollyoaks ( Image: Lime Pictures)

Using crime books given to her by Abe, she convinces him she’s dying and he agrees to marry her the night before in the folly. The trailer ends with Mercedes McQueen, played by Jennifer Metcalfe, demanding the police arrest Abe, reports the Liverpool Echo. But will Cleo’s plan succeed?

After sending her family to the McQueens, suspecting them of believing she killed her husband Ethan Williams, Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) is relieved to have the backing of her estranged grandmother Martha Blake (Sherrie Hewson), who returns to the village. However, Martha has a shocking secret – she confesses to Sienna that she was the one who murdered Ethan.

Will Freddie Roscoe and Mercedes McQueen leave the village for good? ( Image: Lime Pictures)

Meanwhile, village heartthrob Freddie Roscoe (Charlie Clapham) wins over Mercedes, who reveals her vulnerable side to him as she undergoes chemotherapy. The pair plan a romantic getaway, much to the delight of her McQueen family and mother Myra McQueen (Nicole Barber-Lane).

But there’s a hitch – he’s married to Grace Black (Tamara Wall), who won’t take this lying down. What was once a source of support for Mercedes during her treatment now becomes her worst nightmare.

Fans will finally learn what happened to Leela Dexter during the “missing year” ( Image: Lime Pictures)

As if that wasn’t enough, the trailer also hints at an ongoing romance with his brother’s girlfriend, Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence). Additionally, Mercedes’ Christening for the Marias is suddenly disrupted by a distraught Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed), who suspects his wife Leela (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) of infidelity and questions the paternity of their daughter, Clara.

An emotional rollercoaster unravels onscreen as she wipes away tears, leaving viewers anxiously questioning what secrets are tormenting Leela and the events of the elusive “missing year”. Meanwhile, a fraught atmosphere surrounds The Osbornes as they brace Frankie (Isabelle Smith) for the harrowing sibling sexual abuse trial scheduled for January.

With Nancy (portrayed by Jessica Fox) struggling to keep her head above water alone, the tension escalates. In an unexpected hideaway, Darren Osborne (played by Ashley Taylor Dawson) is holed up in Charlie’s uni accommodation in London, where he’s jolted by witnessing his wife Nancy’s televised plea, which ends shockingly with her on-screen collapse—spun by the overwhelming pressure of holding their world together. Is this catastrophe enough to spur Darren into action?

Darren Osborne has been hiding from his family ( Image: Lime Pictures)

As the countdown to New Year begins, Tony and Diane Hutchinson (characters brought to life by Nick Pickard and Alex Fletcher) are plagued by anxiety when they discover their son, Ro Hutchinson (Ava Webster), incapacitated by alcohol. Diane is cloaked in worry about losing Tony who remains unaware of Diane’s truth. Can she buffer Ro without sacrificing what’s left of their fractured family unit?

And as the saying goes, your first love never truly leaves you; Dillon Ray (Nathanial Dass) is seemingly holding onto hope for a romantic reunion as the New Year looms. But the critical question hangs in the air: Is Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis) ready to pardon past deceptions and carve a path for their future?