The McQueens are reeling from John Paul's homophobic attack in new scenes of Hollyoaks.

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While the former teacher played by James Sutton is debating whether to go to the police, his family found themselves with unexpected trouble on their hands. They embark on a feud with James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) when he refuses to help Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe), but how long will it take before things go too far?

Meanwhile, Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins) and Yazz (Haiesha Mistry) need to discuss their priorities after realising they want different things when it comes to starting a family.

And finally, Rayne Royce (Jemma Donovan) continues antagonising Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell), who's determined to expose the influencer's lies.

Read on for more Hollyoaks spoilers for episodes airing on Channel 4 between Monday July 24th and Friday July 28th.

1. John Paul opens up to Freya

John Paul in Hollyoaks
John Paul in Hollyoaks. Lime Pictures / Channel 4

John Paul is unsure about going to the police in the wake of the horrific hate crime he's suffered.

As his family insist he should report the attack, he seeks advice from Freya Calder (Ellie Henry).

After having caused the minibus accident that left her paralysed and having got away with it, John Paul is worried it may seem hypocritical of him to go to the police. But Freya reminds him he didn't intend to cause the crash, unlike the men who attacked him who knew exactly how vile their actions were.

2. Lacey helps Mercedes

Annabelle Davis as Lacey Lloyd in Hollyoaks.
Lacey agrees to help Mercedes. Lime Pictures/Channel 4

Mercedes finds herself in a terrible position when she hears that her son Bobby (Jayden Fox) has been attacked at the children's home.

She asks for James's legal support to make sure Bobby is moved to another house, but the lawyer refuses after what Mercedes's son did to his late colleague Verity Hutchinson (Eva O'Hara).

Mercedes finds an ally in Lacey Lloyd (Annabelle Davis), who vows to help her as long as James doesn't find out.

When her boss does inevitably discover where she is, he rushes to the McQueens to order her back to work in the office... And so the feud with Mercedes begins.

3. Tom and Yazz want different things

Tom and Yazz sat at a table
Tom and Yazz have a difficult conversation. Lime Pictures/Channel 4

The couple aren't on the same page about wanting children.

With Yazz's birthday approaching, she's shocked to discover her husband had mentioned plans of adoption to Peri. Upset, Yazz bails on her own birthday celebrations, with Tom looking for her to have an honest chat.

As Yazz is convinced to not want children, she suggests she and Tom spend some time apart to reflect on their future. After asking friends and family for advice, Tom says he can let go of the adoption talk, while Yazz is open to change her views to keep him by her side.

4. Peri exposes Rayne's lies

hollyoaks peri lomax
Peri knows something doesn't add up in Rayne's story. Lime Pictures/Channel 4

Rayne continues lying about her social media, choosing not to disclose she's bought followers, but is caught redhanded when Prince (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) reads a notification on her phone.

Meanwhile, Rayne also has blocked Peri's number on Romeo's (Owen Warner) phone, and the nurse wants to know what is going on with Juliet's (Niamh Blackshaw) brother.

Peri suspects Rayne has lied about a male t-shirt found in her bedroom, saying it belonged to her late boyfriend Brent. The influencer defends herself, with Romeo promising his girlfriend she comes before anyone else.

After some research, Peri drops a bombshell: the top in question was only made after Brent's death. How will Rayne get out of this one?

5. It's James vs the McQueens

hollyoaks mercedes
The McQueens are up in arms against James's accusations. Lime Pictures/Channel 4

James has been struggling since Juliet's death, finding some solace in the video message his sister recorded for him.

His husband Ste (Kieron Richardson) tries to reason with him following the row with the McQueens.

However, Ste's advice accounts for very little when Dee Valley Law gets trashed. A furious James goes to confront the McQueens, who he thinks are the culprits, and offers them a chance to make amends. Nana (Diane Langton) refuses, providing an alibi for all of the girls.

At the office, Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) and Lacey clean up the mess, but realise in horror that the memory stick has been destroyed, erasing Juliet's video message.

A devastated James cries on Ste's shoulder, admitting his sister was making him a better person. Later on, Ste questions James's motive when he goes to meet Lord Rafe Harcourt (Chris Gordon) about extending his property portfolio.

Seeing his husband on a self-destructive path, Ste speaks up after James throws Donna-Marie (Lucy-Jo Hudson) out of the flat for having relapsed. Will the lawyer listen?

6. Rayne accuses Prince

Prince McQueen and Rayne Royce
Prince McQueen and Rayne Royce in Hollyoaks. Channel 4/Lime Pictures

Following a party, the 20-something gang find a distraught Rayne, who insists Prince has tried it on with her.

Prince has no memory of what happened and is unable to defend himself.

Angered, Romeo kicks him out.

7. Joel is keeping a secret from Leela

Joel in Hollyoaks
Joel in Hollyoaks. Channel 4/Lime Pictures

Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed) makes it through to the next stage of the Fire Brigade, but continues lying about his diabetes diagnosis.

An unaware Leela (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) reveals she's heading back into the service too, throwing her support behind Joel.

She tells him she's brought his firefighter trial forward and throws him a picnic in the park with Ste to celebrate the future.

8. Maxine and Beau hit it off

Maxine and Beau in Hollyoaks.
Maxine and Beau got close in recent scenes. Channel 4/Lime Pictures

Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) plays Cupid with Maxine and Beau (Jon-Paul Bell).

He brings the teacher to Maxine's self-defence course, making an excuse to leave them alone. Then, the two are thrown together for a hike for the Earl of Dee awards. Will sparks fly?

Read more:

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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