Hollyoaks child stars replaced in shake-up as characters take on major storyline

The Hutchinson family have taken centre stage in gripping Hollyoaks storyline but fans may have noticed something different about the child stars who play the younger members of the clan.

Diane (Alex Fletcher) and Tony Hutchison (Nick Pickard) were left in bits in recent scenes after Rose went missing on her 12th birthday following an argument with Dee Dee Hutchinson over the revelations made in a recent newspaper article and a search party scoured the village.

Tony was left wondering if village discovering that Rose and Dee Dee had been accidentally swapped at birth had led to the youngster's disappearance. "She'll be mortified that everyone's talking about her," Diane worried as the hunted high and low for the misper.

READ MORE: Want more showbiz? Daily Star has just the thing for you!

READ MORE: Want more TV? Daily Star has just the thing for you!

At Hollyoaks High, Carter Shepherd (Daves Ames) was shocked to find student Rose hiding in the school hall. She wanted to be left alone and the headmaster offered her some anger therapy in the form of football to change her mind. Carter later took her home to her relieved parents.

Tony was determined to get to the bottom of why Rose ran away and wanted to prove the Hutchinson family is stronger than ever, while Diane was left questioning her abilities as a parent. Tony hanged up a family portrait up in the pub as a gesture of his love for his family, however, with their backs turned, an angry Rose knocked it down.

For the big storyline, Ava Webster and William Thompson have taken over the roles of Rose and Ant, respectively. Dee Dee will still be played by Lacey Findlow. Isla Pritchard and Caelan Cobbledick-Manning, who previously played Rose and Ant, have now left the show. Aside from brief appearances, all three young characters have been largely absent from the show since 2020, when the roles of child actors were reduced during COVID restrictions.

It comes after Tony planned to get more customers at The Dog by arranging an interview with The Chester Herald, and even lies about helping those in need in the hope of making front page news.

His wish came true but not how he imagined, when an oblivious Jack Osborne told the journalist about all the skeletons in the Hutchinsons' closet. Unfortunately, the unsavoury article hits the headlines the day of Ant, Rose and Dee Dee's birthday celebrations, leaving a furious Tony determined to sort it out.

Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here

To make matters worse, the article mentioned Rose and Dee Dee being swapped at the hospital after they were born, causing tensions between the siblings. Dee Dee blamed her sister for taking her place when she was born, and the comments hit a nerve with a traumatised Rose.

Later on, Dee Dee and Ant let their horrified parents know that Rose had ran away.

Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here

Source: Read Full Article