Hollyoaks kills classic character off screen in tragic twist
We didn't see this coming.
Hollyoaks has killed off a classic former character, revealing that Justin Burton, who was played by Chris Fountain, died off screen last year.
Justin was the biological father of village teen Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan) – the result of an affair between Justin and his married teacher, Becca Dean (Ali Bastian). But after Justin ensured that Becca was sent to prison for her actions, Becca was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate when Charlie was just a baby.
While Charlie's aunt Nancy (Jessica Fox) and her husband Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) have raised Charlie as their own son, Charlie has been feeling increasingly side-lined by them, and his mental health began to suffer after a traumatic few months.
Charlie has been smoking weed in a bid to numb his torment, and Justin's name soon came up when a furious Nancy compared his troublesome behaviour to that of his dad's. Charlie was devastated, and although he and Nancy made up, this week he had a huge row with Darren which spurred him on to track down Justin.
He was so lost that he didn't feel he knew who he was, and Darren felt helpless. When Charlie discovered that Justin had moved to a town in Wales last year, he claimed to have booked himself on a train to see him. But it wasn't long before another look on social media revealed that Justin had already passed away – as Brooke Hathaway (Tylan Grant) was seen showing Darren.
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Tributes to Justin revealed that he had been killed in a road accident, as there was a warning post not to drink and drive.
Justin starred in Hollyoaks from 2003 to 2009, when he left girlfriend Hannah Ashworth (Emma Rigby) behind and was never seen again. During his later years on the show, Justin was friends with mainstay Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), and we've previously seen Ste covering for Charlie after the latter attacked classmate Mason Chen-Williams (Frank Kauer).
How will Charlie cope with the news that Justin has died before he could get to know him? And can Darren find a way to reach out to him?
Read more:
- What happened to Justin Burton in Hollyoaks?
- 8 Hollyoaks spoilers next week: James manipulates Maxine and Misbah gets a visit
Hollyoaks is available to stream on All4 and airs every weeknight at 6:30pm on Channel 4 and 7pm on E4. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.
