The actor revealed that she was “very upset” about the decision to axe her character
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY CHANNEL 4
Trailblazing Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace has revealed that she will not be returning to the iconic soap after cuts were made to the number of episodes airing each week. Going down from five to three weekly episodes, Annie’s character Sally St Claire has been sadly axed.
Starring in the role for nine years, Annie Wallace made history by becoming the first trans actor to play a trans character in a British soap. Since then, her character Sally St Claire has been involved in a number of scandals on the show including the killing of George Kiss. She was nominated for a BAFTA in 2016 and even took home a DIVA honorary award for her work at the DIVA Awards 2024.
Speaking with Metro, Annie revealed that leaving the show had not been her own decision: “We were told at the end of March,” she said. “There was a big day when the cast were told [if they were staying or going]. Some people came out and said it and others kept it to themselves so I decided to keep it to myself – to let people find out in the fullness of time. I just carried on. It’s been mostly ignoring that it’s going to happen and carrying on with work.”
“My last day was 31 July, so I’ve had a month to decompress – and I have decompressed. I was very upset. There is no lying about it. It’s my career and I love the show.’
The star also revealed that she only got emotional towards the last few weeks of filming when she started to think about what costumes to take home. Annie said that Sally’s departure will be a “shock”, but fans can be reassured by the fact that it sounds like she isn’t being killed off.
When asked if she had any regrets on the show, Annie revealed that she wished that Sally had been able to find love like Coronation Street’s trans character Hayley Cropper. “I would’ve liked her to find her soulmate,” Annie lamented.
Hollyoaks will air on E4 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 pm. Episodes will be available to stream from 7 am on Channel 4.
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