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Hollyoaks star reveals future on soap after cryptic ‘farewell’ post sparked rumours he’d secretly QUIT
Earlier this year, the actor took a career break to return to his roots
A HOLLYOAKS star has revealed their future after sparking rumours they had secretly quit the soap.
Richard Blackwood, 51, shared a cryptic post saying goodbye to the city of Liverpool - where Hollyoaks is filmed - after performing a comedy gig.
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He wrote: "Last night was like a homecoming and a farewell at the same time!
"I ended up doing two shows back to back and both audiences were amazing, showing so much love!
"Liverpool has been my home for the last four years and I have some great people there that I genuinely Love and will miss dearly!
"Thank you for making me feel at home in your great city and please know I’ll be back soon! Blessed and always grateful."
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Rumours swirl
A representative for Richard denied he is leaving Hollyoaks and said the actor would be back filming in the Liverpool suburb of Childwall soon.
In January, rumours swirled that Richard's character Felix Westwood would be killed off.
The TV star's scheduled comedy tour led fans to believe that he was leaving the popular Channel 4 soap.
He said at the time: “It’s going down people! My first stand-up tour in 23 years. Get your tickets and enjoy. I am actually quite funny.”
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And it wasn't long before fans began to comment on his return to the ‘old job.’
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They said: "It's defo you getting killed off in Hollyoaks if you’re going back to stand up for a wage.”
Another said: “Does that mean that Felix is dead in Hollyoaks?”
Meanwhile, another person asked: “Does this mean you’ve left oaks?”
On-screen drama
Before his break from the show, Felix was involved in a car crash involving three other vehicles, leading to the death of Ella Richardson.
At the time, Felix, who was driving, confronted his best mate Warren and fiancée Mercedes McQueen over their affair.
In dramatic scenes, Warren and Felix both agreed to take a paternity test to determine who was the biological father of Mercedes' twins.
Blackwood, who has previously appeared in EastEnders, Holby City and in the West End production of Shrek, joined Hollyoaks in 2020 as hardman Felix.
He’s had some compelling storylines since being on the show, but at first, the comedian admitted that he wasn’t sure how to play such a complex character, who struggles to deal with his emotions.
He said: "When we first started doing it, I wasn't sure. I was thinking, 'How do we play this?'
"As we started doing it, I realised I know people and I grew up with people who deal with their emotions in that way. I think a lot of guys will be able to relate.”
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Last year, he was nominated for two categories at the Inside Soap Awards, cementing his status as one of Britain’s most high-profile soap performers.
Having started his comedy career in the early 90s and endured the choppy waters of showbiz, Blackwood has relished returning to his comedic roots.
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