Hollyoaks newcomer insists ‘she’s still the same Leah’ as Charlotte Riley makes debut

Charlotte Riley has opened up on joning Hollyoaks as Leah Barnes(Image: Lime Pictures)

Hollyoaks star Charlotte Riley has made her debut as Leah Barnes and there’s plenty of drama ahead.

It was confirmed earlier this year that the former Coronation Street actress would be taking over the iconic role of Ste Hay’s (Kieron Richardson) daughter.

Fans will remember Leah, who was originally played by Ela-May Demircan, left the village to study in the US, leaving her newborn son James behind.

In recent scenes of the Channel 4 soap, Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana) proposed to Leah after they both shocked their families by returning to Chester as a couple after bumping into each other on their travels.

It was confirmed earlier this year that the former Coronation Street actress would be taking over the iconic role of Ste Hay’s daughter(Image: Lime Pictures)

Opening up on taking on the recast role, Charlotte said: “It’s just one of those things where life changes, people change and grow and that’s just what’s happened with Leah, really.

“She’s gone into this new era of life and it’s a fresh start coming back with Imran. She’s still the same Leah underneath but as you come in obviously you’ve got this front up and you want to show off how well you’ve worked and she’s got all these ideas in her mind and she wants to do this project and work with people and it’s like coming back to old friendships.”

Before leaving the village, Leah slept with her brother Lucas Hay’s (Oscar Curtis) boyfriend Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass) and fell pregnant. She later gave birth to baby James and Lucas was left heartbroken when he learned the truth.

Imran Maalik and Leah returned to the village last week as a couple(Image: Lime Pictures)

Addressing Leah and Lucas’ relationship now she’s back in the village, Charlotte explained: “I’m yet to film with Oscar [Curtis] but I’m sure that the brother and sister relationship is definitely going to still be there.

“I know obviously things happened with Dillon [Hay] but as we’ve already seen in the show, she has forgiven and forgotten and it’s family and you’re never going to lose your family over things like that and you always get through the hard times together.”

The actress continued: “Leah’s not forgotten about James. He’s gone travelling with his dad so she’s kind of put it to the back of her head at the moment and she’s kind of just focusing on everyone else’s relationships as a bit of a distraction from what’s really going on.

Lean and Imran are set to tie the knot(Image: Lime Pictures)

“Leah’s come back to a village where she left where she gave birth and coming back to that place is going to be all these little reminders when she goes around the village and she just has to put up this front really and that’s what she’s doing at the minute.

“We’ve obviously got the big wedding and people are a bit confused to why she’s got money and are second guessing things she might be doing and saying and no matter what, the truth always comes out in the end, so it’ll all come out.”