Positive Hollyoaks cast news at last as show legend signs the dotted line
Positive Hollyoaks cast news at last as show legend signs the dotted line
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Hollyoaks legend James Sutton has signed on to appear in the Channel 4 soap for another year, it has been revealed. Sutton, 41, has played fan favourite John Paul McQueen across three stints since 2006. The character is currently in a relationship with serial killer Jez Blake (Jeremy Sheffield), blissfully unaware that he’s bumped off Dilly Harcourt (Emma Johnsey-Smith) and is ready to strike again.
![[John Paul McQueen and Hannah Ashworth in Hollyoaks]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_188275706-dd4f.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
John Paul is also supporting sister Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) who is battling an aggressive form of bowel cancer. Last week, after falling seriously ill with sepsis, she announced that she was going to keep fighting. Hollyoaks’ future has been up in the air for some time, following last year’s mass cast exodus and further cost-cutting across the board at Lime Pictures’ production base in Liverpool.
![[John Paul in The Dog in Hollyoaks]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_93570182-630f.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The changes, which were implemented in September, saw episodes trimmed down to 20 minutes, now only airing three times a week. A time jump – devised as a way to propel storylines into the future and explain a number of sudden cast departures – also occurred.
![[John Paul talks to Hannah in Hollyoaks]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_188275657-ef00.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
At the time, it was reported that these decisions were made to secure the soap’s future in a new multi-year deal with Channel 4. Show boss Hannah Cheers said: ‘It is with a heavy heart that the move to a three episode per week pattern means an inevitable reduction to the brilliant and talented Hollyoaks team.’.
