Has Matthew-Jesus left Hollyoaks for good?
John Paul and his son parted ways in tearful scenes, but will they reunite?
One of the younger Chester residents has left Hollyoaks in a recent episode, bidding a tearful goodbye to his father John Paul McQueen.
Matthew-Jesus (played by Matthew Clohessy) was last seen in scenes aired on Channel 4 last week, riding to the airport in a taxi accompanied by his grandma Sally (Annie Wallace).
Following John Paul's (James Sutton) recent relapse, the McQueens agreed it would be best for the young boy not to witness his dad's battle with alcohol addiction. Despite John Paul's reluctancies, Sally and Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) were keen on having Matthew-Jesus off to Spain, where he would temporarily live with his grandma Myra (Nicole Barber-Lane).
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Who is Matthew-Jesus?
Matthew-Jesus is the son of John Paul and the adoptive son of Craig Dean (Guy Burnet) The pair hired surrogate Chloe Chance (Susan Loughnane) to carry the baby.
The boy's first months were marked by uncertainty following John Paul and Craig's split. Nine months into Chloe's pregnancy, Craig broke up with John Paul, who decided he didn't want to have a baby on his own.
Chloe gave birth to Matthew-Jesus on Christmas Day 2012. John Paul left him outside the McQueens residence for Jacqui (Claire Cooper) to find. Myra and Carmel (Gemma Merna) took care of the baby, with John Paul keeping his paternity a secret.
He lated told Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox) and Myra, who urged him to tell the truth before the baby would be placed in foster care. After some hesitancies, John Paul made up his mind and took Matthew-Jesus in.
The following year, Chloe blackmailed John Paul, lying about Craig being the biological father of Matthew-Jesus. She asked for money not to take the boy away, but John Paul took a DNA test confirming Matthew-Jesus to be his biological son.
Why did Matthew-Jesus leave Hollyoaks?
In a storyline aired in February 2023, John Paul started drinking again after accidentally taking a sip from Mercedes's cup at the McQueens' anti-Valentine party.
The man quickly slipped back into his old, harmful habits, with Matthew-Jesus and the rest of his family bearing the brunt of his addiction. After letting Matthew-Jesus down and breaking the promise to go to a theme park, John Paul tried to make it up to him by taking him out of school and to the playground.
Visibly drunk, John Paul tumbled into Matthew-Jesus, who fell to the ground and got bruised as a result. After the boy had to make sure his dad got home safe, it became clear for Mercedes that John Paul was in no fit state to take care of his child.
Initially opposed to the idea of sending his son to Alicante, John Paul acknowledged it would be for the best and let him go. The two hugged as they said their goodbyes, with Matthew-Jesus leaving a present for his dad: a drawing of John Paul in a superhero costume.
Will Matthew-Jesus return?
Just before John Paul saw Matthew-Jesus off, he made sure to let his son know this separation would only be temporary.
At present, however, there hasn't been an official confirmation as to when Matthew-Jesus would be back. RadioTimes.com has reached out to Hollyoaks' production company Lime Pictures, but they haven't responded yet at the time of writing.
This isn't the first time John Paul and his son have been forced to part ways, as Matthew-Jesus was left in the care of the McQueens when his dad landed in jail in 2014.
Then played by twins Malachy and Connor Birchall, the character left Chester in 2017 to follow John Paul to Singapore, where he reconciled with Craig. In 2020, Matthew-Jesus, now played by Clohessy, returned to the village with his father.
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Hollyoaks is available to stream on All 4 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 to see what's on tonight.
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