What happened to Ste Hay on Hollyoaks? Storyline explained amid time jump

So, Ste has seen more than his fair share of drama and chaos, and now he must rebuild his life as the show has picked up a year on from his injuries.

But what exactly led up to these events, and what happened to Ste? Read on below as we delve into Hollyoaks' latest storyline for the long-suffering character.

What happened to Ste on Hollyoaks?

Ste was eventually forgiven for his fling with newcomer Rex (played by former EastEnders star Jonny Labey), and had happily reunited with husband James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan), with James relieved to learn that he wasn't dying, as he had believed for weeks.

Along with Ste's daughter Leah Barnes (Elá-May Demircan) and son Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis), Ste and James looked forward to a happy future together. But sadly, this was never to be.

Surprise gangster Blue, aka Dave Chen-Williams (ex Emmerdale star Dominic Power) had planted a bomb in Donny Clark's (Brookside icon Louis Emerick) car before being shot to death by Robbie Roscoe (Charlie Wernham).

Oblivious Donny lent his car to Ste and James when their own vehicle wasn't in working order - with Rex, who was aware of Blue's plan, having already disabled the bomb under James's car.

When James started Donny's car, it exploded. Hollyoaks left its audience with this almighty cliffhanger before jumping ahead to one year later...

Why was Ste in a coma on Hollyoaks?

The explosion claimed James's life, while Ste was said to have been rescued from the car and remained in a coma for an entire year, with his close friend Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) seen waiting for news.

Just as Leah went into labour and gave birth to a baby boy, Ste woke up in his hospital bed - at the exact moment Leah was screaming for her dad.

Meanwhile, Lucas was confirmed to be at Young Offenders due to a violent attack on JJ Osborne (Ryan Mulvey), who had been exposed for abusing his twin, Frankie (Isabelle Smith).

Pregnant Leela Dexter (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) opted to keep Leah and Lucas's situations quiet from Ste at first, instead tasked with telling him that James was dead.

In heartbreaking scenes, powerfully played by Richardson, Ste didn't believe Leela, claiming he knew James had been playing his favourite music at his bedside.

The person playing the tunes turned out to be a reformed Rex, who escaped jail time for his crimes associated with Blue - who was now presumed missing, meaning his body must have been quickly concealed by Robbie at the time.

Rex had since discovered that he and Grace Black (Tamara Wall) are siblings, and it was clear that he was in love with Ste.

But Ste hadn't been around to see Rex change his ways, and very much blamed him for everything that had happened, vowing revenge.

Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox) accidentally revealed Lucas's whereabouts, while Ste met his new grandchild, only to learn that Leah would be giving him up for adoption.

The baby's dark hair, coupled with Dillon Ray's (Nathaniel Dass) notable concern for Leah, left us wondering whether Leah had betrayed Lucas by sleeping with his boyfriend.

Although, according to Nancy, there might be a chance that Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan) is the baby's father.

But there was another shock for Ste when Leah revealed another option for her baby's future - Ste could raise the little boy while Leah leaves for university in America. Quite the ask, given that Ste is still recovering!

Read more:

• How Hollyoaks' new format proves why soaps can survive
• Hollyoaks' Jennifer Metcalfe reveals personal link to Mercedes' devastating cancer storyline
• Hollyoaks' Kieron Richardson on the "dangerous" side of Rex
• Hollyoaks legend Jamie Lomas on signing up for another soap: "Who knows?"
• Hollyoaks unveils explosive summer trailer teasing brand new gangster mystery

Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.