Soaps’ most brutal axings – EastEnders star left ‘devastated’ by drowning to Hollyoaks legend booted off in OnlyFans row

SOAP deaths are astir ever shocking and melodramatic for fans - but sometimes adjacent the actors don’t spot it coming!

The Sun connected Sunday revealed Coronation Street fable Les Battersby volition beryllium killed off, off-screen, successful an upcoming occurrence - 17 years aft helium was past seen connected the cobbles.

Actor Bruce Jones, 71, played Les for 10 years until helium was suspended for allegedly getting drunk successful a restaurant, insulting fans and revealing plots.

Les was written retired arsenic a consequence, but die-hard fans person ever hoped the quality would instrumentality 1 day, particularly arsenic his girl Leanne and step-daughter Toyah are inactive successful Weatherfield.

But successful a caller interview, Bruce revealed however helium was told astir Les' demise successful an email a fortnight ago.

He said: "I really thought, good fine, I played him for 10 years. It gives maine closure.

"Maybe it volition halt radical asking maine each the clip erstwhile I'm going back, if I'm going back.

"People privation maine back, but it'll halt each that, successful buying centres, wherever I go.

"I'm pleased it's happening but I'm besides bittersweet astir losing a quality I played for 10 years. I'm grateful to the thoroughfare for that."

But he’s not the lone soap histrion to beryllium brutally axed, arsenic we reveal…

Ricky Norwood - EastEnders

Ricky Norwood joined the formed of EastEnders successful 2010, arsenic cheeky chappy Fatboy.

The comedy quality became 1 of the astir loved connected the square, moving successful with Dot Cotton who saw him arsenic a lad aft Nick Cotton died.

But helium became embroiled successful Vincent Hubbard and Phil Mitchell’s warfare - and agreed to fly the quadrate connected Christmas Day 2015, aft Vincent threatened Dot.

Unfortunately, Fatboy ne'er made it retired of Walford.

Ronnie Mitchell had made plans to person Vincent killed by stuffing him into a footwear and having the car crushed - but Vincent recovered Fatboy’s dormant assemblage successful the footwear instead, with Ronnie’s hitmen having got the incorrect person.

Fatboy’s axing wasn’t agelong aft an eight-minute Skype clip had been released of Ricky naked, engaging successful a enactment enactment and smoking cannabis.

He was fixed a two-month suspension and returned for a fewer months, earlier being killed disconnected for bully soon after.

Last year, Ricky returned to EastEnders successful a flashback, arsenic portion of Cindy Beale’s return.

He told Radio Times: "I was perfectly thrilled to beryllium asked by Chris Clenshaw to reprise the relation of Fatboy for a flashback country successful tonight's episode.”

Referencing the precocious June Brown - who played Dot - helium added: "Being backmost successful the Square felt similar coming location and it was truthful beauteous to spot aged friends and caller faces - but of people I missed not having Mrs B there.”

Georgia May Foote - Coronation Street

Georgia May Foote played Katy Armstrong successful Corrie from 2010 until 2015 erstwhile she discontinue the soap. 

Her exit saw her determination to Portugal with her lad Joseph Brown.

But 2 years later, Katy’s sister Izzy Armstrong received a telephone telephone telling her that Katy had died successful a car clang - and Joseph came backmost to the cobbles to unrecorded with his dada Chesney Brown.

When asked by fans successful a Q&A online, however she felt astir her off-screen axing, she said: "I wouldn’t accidental disappointed astatine all.

"I’m 1 of those radical erstwhile I permission a occupation I’m acceptable for the adjacent adventure. Corrie was an astonishing astir 5 years for me, I learnt truthful overmuch and volition everlastingly beryllium grateful for the show."

Georgia - who besides had a impermanent relation of Jess Burrows successful January 2010 - added: "Would I person gone backmost if I could? I can’t reply that due to the fact that I volition ne'er know. 

“But the clip I had determination was a peculiar clip successful my beingness and I volition everlastingly beryllium grateful for the accidental to person played not lone one, but 2 roles successful the show. It’s iconic."

Georgia has present discontinue acting, and is moving arsenic a nail technician successful her ain salon successful Manchester. 

Chris Fountain - Hollyoaks

Justin Burton is 1 of Hollyoaks’ astir iconic characters, having memorably had an matter with his teacher Becca Hayton arsenic a teenager.

Chris Fountain - who played Justin - was past seen on-screen successful 2019, but viewers hoped helium was making a comeback past twelvemonth erstwhile his and Becca’s present grown-up lad Charlie Dean went looking for him.

However, it wasn’t to be, arsenic each Charlie recovered was a gravestone which confirmed Justin had died successful October 2022.

While Chris hasn’t spoken retired astir Justin’s abrupt off-screen death, helium went connected to prima successful Corrie arsenic Tommy Duckworth successful 2011.

However, 2 years later, helium was axed from the ITV soap aft videos emerged which saw him rapping astir rape and unit nether the alias of The Phantom.

At the time, an ITV spokesperson said: "Chris Fountain’s declaration with ITV has been terminated arsenic a effect of the unacceptable comments helium made successful a fig of online clips." 

Chris issued a connection aft the incidental saying helium was “deeply ashamed by the lyrics”.

Speaking connected Scott Thomas’ podcast Learning As I Go, past year, Chris said: "That singular week successful August 2013 conscionable blew my full beingness apart. All the foundations of what I'd built arsenic a vocation conscionable wholly came crashing down.

“And it was the commencement of a existent downward spiral successful presumption of my intelligence health, my confidence." 

Samantha Womack & Rita Simons - EastEnders

One of the astir shocking soap axings of each clip was Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, played by Samantha Womack and Rita Simons.

The on-screen sisters were killed disconnected successful devastating scenes connected New Year’s Day 2017, connected Ronnie and Jack Branning’s wedding day.

Roxy jumped into a pool, and suffered a bosom attack, having taken drugs earlier successful the night.

Ronnie jumped successful to prevention her sister - but alternatively caused some sisters to drown underneath her wedding dress.

The occurrence ended with the sisters’ bodies successful the water, meaning there’s not adjacent anticipation of a classical EastEnders instrumentality from the dead.

The deaths sparked a large backlash with viewers - and Ronnie histrion Samantha has admitted she was besides “devastated” by then-producer Sean O’Connor’s decision.

She told John Bishop connected his podcast: “I was devastated due to the fact that I wasn't readying to leave. I was waiting to conscionable the caller producer. 

“He was coming in. I was excited due to the fact that I felt similar [Ronnie had] got truly acheronian and it'd go truly over-sensationalised.

"So I thought with this caller feline coming in, 'great,' I'd heard helium wanted to instrumentality it backmost to benignant of reality, little murders. And I was reasoning 'great, that's close up my street'."

Samantha added: "So I met him the archetypal clip and I said 'I deliberation she's excessively dark' and helium said 'I wholly hold with you truthful we're going to termination her' and I was similar 'what?!' First clip I ever met him. 

“So yeah, I had to drown myself. That was truly hard, having to termination idiosyncratic that I loved."

Sarah Jayne Dunn - Hollyoaks

Sarah Jayne Dunn played Mandy Richardson connected Hollyoaks connected and disconnected from 1996, not agelong aft the soap started airing.

But successful 2021, she was axed from the Channel 4 amusement erstwhile it emerged she was connected OnlyFans, aft a co-star allegedly complained astir her.

She told The Sun: “Apparently determination is 1 idiosyncratic who complained. I deliberation I cognize who that is now, I person my suspicions for sure.

“It was similar immoderate workplace — you get connected with astir people, but determination volition beryllium a mates that you don’t.”

Hollyoaks viewers were told Mandy had simply flown disconnected to Los Angeles each of a sudden, leaving her teenage girl Ella Richardson with her auntie Cindy Cunningham.

Ironically, Ella and Cindy - played by Erin Palmer and Steph Waring - person besides since been axed.

And past year, Sarah Jayne said she had nary regrets astir refusing to discontinue OnlyFans, choosing it implicit Hollyoaks.

Alongside a representation of herself modelling OnlyFans merchandise, she wrote connected Instagram: “Creative freedom. Unfiltered, physically and vocally. Financial stability. Control of my clip and my schedule. New breathtaking opportunities.

“Best determination I ever made. Actually I bash person 1 regret, not joining sooner!!”

Gemma Oaten - Emmerdale

Gemma Oaten archetypal joined the formed of Emmerdale arsenic Rachel Breckle successful 2011.

But an matter with Charity Dingle’s antheral Jai Sharma led to a lad Archie, arsenic good arsenic her exit successful 2014, erstwhile Charity framed her for an arson incidental astatine Home Farm, encouraging her to spell connected the tally with Archie.

The pursuing year, Rachel made a astonishment return, alongside Archie, arsenic a witnesser astatine Charity's trial. 

This led to a custody battle, which Rachel yet won - and she took Archie and moved to Liverpool with her sister Ali. 

Jai was allowed fortnightly supervised visits with his lad but mislaid interaction with him - until it was abruptly announced successful 2019 Rachel had died off-screen with an undisclosed cardiac illness.

When Rachel died, Gemma took to Instagram to wage tribute to her character.

She wrote: “And truthful Rachel has joined her soap household successful the sky. What a travel it's been. 

“I got the relation of Rachel Breckle successful Emmerdale wrong a twelvemonth of graduating from Drama schoolhouse and it changed my life. I ever dreamed I'd beryllium portion of the amusement 1 day, and arsenic galore of you cognize my struggles arsenic a teen, you'll recognize wherefore it truly was a imagination travel true. 

“Forever grateful for those 4 years playing her and the comfortableness of those jogging bottoms and hoodie (perhaps not truthful overmuch the scrunchy). 

“Thanks for each the beauteous comments since the quality came retired and for each the enactment I've had since I near the amusement successful 2015. You're a beauteous bunch! End of an era..”