'Hollyoaks' have announced plans to release their Christmas and new year episodes early.
Ellis Hollins
Christmas is literally coming early for fans of the Channel 4 soap as the show is to make four festive eps, including the Christmas one-hour special, and the hotly-anticipated New Year's Eve flash forward special, available on All 4 from Friday December 20th.
A 'Hollyoaks' spokesperson said: "In a soap first we are thrilled to be releasing the Christmas and new year episodes on All 4 ahead of TX, allowing fans of the show to catch up at anytime over the Christmas period."
The first episode in the box set is the Christmas Day one-hour special, which will air on December 20th on E4.
It will see Luke Morgan (Gary Lucy) and Cindy Cunningham (Steph Waring) sit down for an awkward dinner, and Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) will make sure it's her best Christmas yet - but there will be family secrets revealed.
The E4 Boxing Day episode will follow, and the third ep is all about New Year's Eve in Hollyoaks village.
The episode will zoom 12 months into the future to New Year's Eve 2020 and show how life has changed dramatically for the teens in village who have been affected by county lines.
And finally, the E4 December 30th episode will complete the box set.
It will see Mandy Morgan (Sarah Jayne Dunn) partying in The Loft with Cindy and Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) following a shock New Year's Eve revelation, and Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins) will follow his heart after a kiss the day before.
Ellis recently admitted the flash forward episode is "so ballsy", but he hopes he is not an "XL by the end of the year".
The 20-year-old star told BANG Showbiz: "It's so ballsy. It's on par with a live episode I think. Without the kind of immediate urgency of it. No one can gain weight, lose weight, go bald, get more hair, have a baby.
"Everyone has got to stay the exact same, which will be a big ask. That's why I think it's really ballsy.
"I'm hoping we have the dedication to do that, and I fully believe we will.
"We'll have to see but let's hope I'm not an XL by the end of the year."
What's more, in November 'Hollyoaks' achieved its highest ratings in almost three years with a massive 0.8m 16-34s tuning in across Channel 4 and E4 across the month.
And Channel 4 claim 'Hollyoaks' is also the only soap to see year-on-year uplift in either individual or 16-34 volume.
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