Hollyoaks secures permanent return for James Nightingale

Hollyoaks star Gregory Finnegan has returned to the soap as a regular cast member, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.

The actor has signed up to reprise his role as James Nightingale on a permanent basis, less than two years after the popular character was seemingly killed off.

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Viewers have seen James pop in and out of the show since Hollyoaks‘ 30^th anniversary episodes last October, when it was revealed that he’d miraculously survived a car bomb explosion.

While those appearances have been fleeting, fans can look forward to seeing much more from James in the coming weeks and months as he returns to the village for good.

“Gregory is already back filming as a regular cast member again,” explains our Hollyoaks source. “It’s great news for fans, who were devastated when he exited the soap amid the 2024 stunt plot and one-year time jump.

“Producers saw how much viewers had missed James, so the opportunity to bring him back with a shock on-screen reveal last year was impossible to resist.

“Some people had started to wonder whether his recent guest appearances would be all we’d see of him, but it’s just been a waiting game to bring him back to the village full-time.”

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Back in March, Gregory explained that he’d started work as a school drama teacher when he received the call to return to Hollyoaks.

This meant that he could only film for the show during school holidays, which explained why James kept coming back for brief stints before disappearing again.

“It has been a bit manic – teaching by day, resurrecting myself by night – but genuinely joyful to see so many old pals again, and the school couldn’t have been more supportive,” Gregory told The i Paper.

However, Digital Spy understands that Gregory has now completed his contract with the school, freeing him up to return to Hollyoaks on a permanent basis.

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James’s recent appearances have explored his unresolved feelings for his ex-husband Ste Hay, who is now married to Rex Gallagher.

Once James is back, is there still a chance for him and Ste or will he have to make a fresh start with someone else?

“There’s plenty to explore with James – with Ste still in the village, a new-look Leah on the scene and Lucas coming back soon too,” our insider adds. “Also, with the crime rate in the area as high as ever, the residents could definitely do with a good lawyer!”