Hollyoaks 2025 preview: 12 spoilers for the year ahead

The new year (is it 2025 or 2026 in the village now?!) is off to an explosive start with a sensational trailer teasing what’s in store, with the hard-hitting sibling sexual abuse storyline reaching the courtroom, the return of some old faces and tear-jerking tragedy all teased.

Dive in as RadioTimes.com previews all the big storylines set to rock the village in the year it celebrates its 30th anniversary…

Frankie faces JJ in court

Brave Frankie prepares to take the stand as JJ’s trial begins. Manipulative JJ turns the tables on his twin sister and claims she’s lying about the abuse, throwing the case into chaos.

Darren’s anger threatens to disrupt proceedings as the Osbornes anxiously await the jury’s verdict.

Whether or not Frankie gets justice, this is the just the start of another stressful year for the teen, who finds herself in a dangerous situation after the trial as someone else takes advantage of her vulnerability…

Dodger back with a secret

Mark ‘Dodger’ Savage has been on the run for a decade, but makes a spectacular return to the village in 2025 as Danny Mac reprises his breakout role.

Clean-cut Dodger is now a hardened undercover cop lurking in the shadows, but the mysterious case that brings him back to Hollyoaks is quickly compromised and he plunged into some decidedly hot water.

And that’s even before he’s reunited with twin sister Sienna, and meets his biological dad Jez and grandmother Martha for the first time…

Abe exposed – and murdered?

Evil Abe’s true colours are finally exposed as Cleo wakes up from her coma and Peri learns the terrible truth about her abusive fiancé, who then subjects her to a vicious attack.

With the net closing in as everyone learns he held Cleo captive for over a year, Abe abducts mum Marie and speeds off in a car – where is he taking her?

Determined to get revenge, Mercedes coolly suggests to Cleo, Peri and Leela there’s only one way to deal with Abe – they have to kill him!

Cleo and Joel get closer

Talking of Cleo, she’s got a lot to catch up on after being imprisoned while everyone believed she was living her best life in Bali. As her loved ones process what Abe put her through, Cleo looks to old flame, and Abe’s brother, Joel for support, and the trailer shows the pair getting very close and on the verge of kissing…

With their marriage already navigating choppy waters, will Joel betray wife Leela, who is carrying her own terrible secret?

Myra races to Mercedes's deathbed

One of the biggest shocks of 2024’s time jump was the revelation Mercedes was battling bowel cancer, and her health struggles continue in the new year as she faces another life-threatening crisis.

Mercy contracts a serious infection during her chemotherapy, and Misbah warns the devastated McQueens it’s not looking good. Myra rushes home to be with her ailing daughter as she starts to fade, will Mercedes make it?

Grace is back to Black

Grace proved how far she’s prepared to go to keep husband Freddie away from Mercedes by staging an attempt on his life just so she could save him, and that streak of ruthlessness grows this year as she returns to her bad girl gangster roots and resumes control of the village’s criminal underworld.

Rex pleads with his sister to go straight, but Grace has other ideas. With new and old enemies in her sights, get ready for Grace to go back to Black!

Killer Sienna seduces Prince

The mystery of Ethan’s death is finally resolved as Sienna confesses to Dilly she was responsible, and she’s not even sorry! While shocked Dilly wonders what to do with this incriminating info, it’s clear there’s no love lost between her and Sienna as Ms Blake sets out to seduce Prince!

What motive does sly Sienna have to bed her sister/cousin’s lover, who’s already playing with fire by messing around behind fiancée Zoe’s back? And how will twin brother Dodger’s return affect Sienna as she tries to stop her life falling apart?

Vicky's baby daddy drama

Pregnant Vicky appears to have chosen to settle down with Robbie, who can’t wait to be a daddy – except he has no idea the baby is actually his brother Freddie’s, who had a secret fling with the man-eating minx.

Discovering Vicky is still expecting comes as a shock to Freddie, who threatens to reveal the truth to Robbie. Can Vicky keep him quiet, or will she decide to come clean?

Ste and Tony's new adventure

Tony bursts with pride as he cuts the ribbon on the reopened Hutch restaurant, placing his culinary offerings back in the heart of the village in its original iconic location.

Ste is at his good mate’s side as the head chef, hoping to get back on an even keel after his recent psychological breakdown triggered by the loss of husband James, but will this fresh start and new focus help keep his demons in check?

Dillon's on a dark path

Ste’s grandson baby James, named after the late Mr Nightingale, is another reason for him to stay strong as the new year starts.

The little one is now living with his dad Dillon, but the new parent will struggle with his responsibilities in the new year and finds himself facing dangerous temptation which sends him off the rails.

Who leads Dillon astray, what will the consequences be for his son, and can Lucas save his soul mate from going to the dark side?

Donny is back on the force

The trailer shows Donny fully back in copper mode as he rejoins the police force and vows to clean up the mean streets of Hollyoaks.

Nice guy Donny is one of the most easy-going villagers and everybody’s mate, but his tough side emerges as he’s plunged straight into a high-profile case that involves a shocking secret. Will Donny’s crimefighting end up putting wife-to-be Misbah and daughter Vicky in the line of fire?

An arresting new romance

Pairing up with Donny to become Hollyoaks' answer to Starsky and Hutch is DI Banks, the soap’s resident copper who’s set to rise up the ranks to become a fully-fledged cast member this year.

The no-nonsense Scotsman plays bad cop to Donny’s good cop, but we might get a glimpse of a smile across that grumpy face as he lets his guard down and attracts the charms of a local lady – who could that be? And will a romantic distraction take the DI’s mind off the job and let the bad guys run riot?

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