Jonny Labey has confirmed his departure from Hollyoaks.
The actor, who found fame as Paul Coker in EastEnders, has played Rex Gallagher in the E4 soap for the last two years.
His exit follows a dramatic cliffhanger in last Wednesday’s (15 July) episode. An unknown assailant approached with a gun – only seen through a shadow – and fired the weapon.
This came just hours after his reunion with husband Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), who urged him to head to the garage for a late-night call out. He screamed out, but it was too late.
In today’s (20 July) episode, cabbie Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor-Dawson) was stunned to find Rex’s body on the floor of the garage. Donny Clark (Louis Emerick) leapt into action to investigate the crime, and broke the news to a heartbroken Ste.
His sister Leela Dexter (Kirsty Leigh-Porter) identified the body.
A summer trailer, which was released this month, revealed that Ste’s ex-husband James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) will be back on the scene within weeks.
Now, in a new video released on the serial drama’s social media, Labey has confirmed that he has finished filming on the show and that these were his final scenes.
“Hello Hollyoaks fans, if you’re watching this you’re probably six weeks ahead, it’s no longer 33 degrees and you’ve just found out that Rex has unfortunately died,” he began.
‘Thank you for loving Rex as much as you have. Thank you for all your comments and all your support.
“And for all of your rooting for him because he started off as a bit of… he had some questionable things about him! So thank you for seeing this beautifully complex, troubled, but all in all loveable character, that I’m going to miss so, so, so much.”
Labey also recalled a number of memorable moments from his time: from dancing through the garage and embracing his femininity, to sharing scenes with Tamara Wall, who played his ‘sister’ Grace Black.
Of course, in true Hollyoaks style, it was later revealed that she was his mother.
The actor also praised co-star Richardson, calling him a “true legend”.
Hollyoaks is available to watch on Channel 4 catch-up and airs Monday to Wednesday, from 7pm on E4.
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
