List of Hollyoaks characters introduced in 2019

Mitchell Drinkwell-Deveraux (also Deveraux), portrayed by Imran Adams, first appears in episode 5100, broadcast on 8 February 2019. The character and Adams' casting details were announced on 16 December 2018. Mitchell's introduction sees the character move into his cousin, Lisa Loveday's (Rachel Adedeji), flat with Martine and his grandfather, Walter Deveraux (Trevor A. Toussaint), annoying Lisa. Daniel Kilkelly of entertainment website Digital Spy reported that Mitchell would begin a relationship with a member of the McQueen family, Mitchell appears as a stripper at a themed night in The Dog in the Pond public house, organised by Cleo's grandmother, Nana McQueen (Diane Langton); this leads to him asking Cleo on a date. Toby resents Martine and Mitchell for the former's decision to keep Mitchell and not Toby. Gordon said that Toby and Celeste have "ulterior motives", but did not believe that they were villains. The character departs in episode 5476, broadcast on 24 November 2020. His exit story sees him blackmailed into leaving the village by Toby and Celeste. == Stuart Sumner ==

Stuart Sumner, portrayed by Chris Simmons, first appears in episode 5109, broadcast on 21 February 2019. Simmons announced his casting on Twitter on 2 January 2019, but soon deleted the tweet, which expressed his excitement about joining the cast. The character and further details were announced on 20 February 2019, prior to Stuart's introduction. Stuart is connected with The Teahouse café and shares scenes with Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson). Hollyoaks worked with Home Office-related organisations, Prevent and ExitUK, to produce the story and raise awareness for the subject. The character was killed off in an extended episode of the soap, episode 5301, broadcast on 18 November 2019, marking Simmons' final appearance. Keen to portray himself as the respectable owner of the Teahouse, Stuart was actually the leader of a dangerous Far Right Organisation with the intention of grooming vulnerable young men into fostering Islamophobic beliefs. Along with his right-hand man, Jonny Baxter (Ray Quinn), Stuart successfully groomed Ste over the course of a year and fuelled his hatred of Maalik family. Once Stuart had isolated Ste from the Lomaxes, he planned to detonate an explosive device in a Muslim community centre - but it accidentally detonated in the Maaliks' back garden, causing Yasmine Maalik (Haiesha Mistry) to go deaf. After that, Stuart began to realise that Ste no longer believed in the Far Right cause and became suspicious of him. Although Stuart tried to keep Ste locked in the house, his son, Sid Sumner (Billy Price) reluctantly let Ste out to see Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) and Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell). Realising Ste could no longer be trusted, Stuart and Jonny abducted Ste and Sami Maalik (Rishi Nair) and drove them to the clifftops - where he planned to kill them both. However, the police arrived and Sid pushed Stuart to his death to save Ste's life. == Shahid Shirani ==

Shahid Shirani, portrayed by Alex Williams, first appears in episode 5124, broadcast on 14 March 2019. Shahid is introduced as part of a far-right extremism story when he becomes the victim of a racist attack from a gang including Stuart Sumner (Chris Simmons), Jonny Baxter (Ray Quinn) and Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson). Williams expressed his excitement at joining the soap and featuring in the story alongside Richardson and Quinn. He called his first scenes "hard-hitting". == Babs Drinkwell ==

Babs Drinkwell (credited as Babs), portrayed by Samantha Mesagno, appears in episode 5144, broadcast on 11 April 2019. Details about the character's appearance were announced on 1 April 2019. Babs is created as Lily's mother and the sister of Diane Hutchinson (Alex Fletcher). Her backstory states that she was terminally ill and died, which resulted in Lily's arrival in the village. McQueen explained that Babs' illness "forced [Lily] to grow up before her time". The character appears in flashback scenes set in 2006 as Lily, in the present day, reminisces about her childhood while dying from sepsis. == Amir Shirani ==

Amir Shirani, portrayed by Naveed Choudhry, first appears in episode 5155, broadcast on 26 April 2019. The concept of the character was announced on 15 April 2019, Amir is introduced as the brother of Shahid Shirani (Alex Williams) who appears as part of a far-right extremism story. == Sid Sumner ==

Sid Sumner, portrayed by Billy Price, first appears in episode 5164, broadcast on 9 May 2019. The character was announced on 30 April 2019. Sid is introduced as the son of Stuart Sumner (Chris Simmons) and a new student at Hollyoaks High School. Price is initially contracted in a guest role, before being promoted to a regular character in October 2019. Sid returns as a regular during the following month and producers then plotted the character in the show's year-long county lines drug trafficking storyline. == Sadie Cressington ==

Sadie Cressington, portrayed by Alexa Lee, first appears in episode 5179, broadcast on 30 May 2019. The character and Lee's casting details were announced on 21 May 2019. Sadie is introduced as the former girlfriend of Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool). She is his alibi for the night that Grace Black (Tamara Wall) was run over in a stolen car, as the police suspect him for the crime. Lee expressed her joy at joining the soap, calling the experience an "absolute pleasure and privilege". Sadie leaves the village when Liam Donovan (Jude Monk McGowan) pays her to leave and not be Harry's alibi. Sadie returns to the village after receiving a call informing her that Harry is dying, but when she arrives, she discovers Harry is well. Lee told Alice Penwill of Inside Soap that Sadie is "torn whether to stay or go". Glasspool pointed out that the experience "happens so fast" and makes Harry reconsider his stance on Sadie and the baby, deciding to be involved in their lives. ==Levi Rochester ==

Levi Rochester, portrayed by Cerith Flinn, first appears in episode 5190, broadcast on 14 June 2019. The character and Flinn's casting details were announced on 7 June 2019. Levi is introduced as a specialist doctor in Maxine Minniver's (Nikki Sanderson) Munchausen's syndrome storyline. Flinn expressed his enjoyment at filming on the soap. He told Ellis (Inside Soap) that the relationship would be short-term, This marks the character's departure from the series, making his final appearance in episode 5223, broadcast on 31 July 2019. == Mr Reynolds ==

Mr Reynolds, portrayed by Jack Reynolds, appears in episode 5191, broadcast on 17 June 2019. The character is a guest role and appears in a single scene. Reynolds' appearance was announced on 8 April 2019 and he filmed his appearance on the same day. In his appearance, Reynolds' character approaches Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) and offers her "some words of comfort and sage wisdom". == Azim Desai ==

Azim Desai, portrayed by Nav Sidhu, first appears in episode 5255, broadcast on 13 September 2019. Azim is introduced as the half-brother of Sami Maalik (Rishi Nair), The character is billed as "flamboyant", "lively" and "fun-loving", He also liked that Sami had another character that is of a similar age. Sidhu explained that Azim recognises Ste's "cry for help" because he witnessed a friend experience a similar situation to Ste, but was unable to help him. Show scriptwriter Jonathan Larkin named the pairing as a potential new couple, although the romance was cut short by Richardson leaving the soap. While on a date, Scott and Mitchell are spotted by Azim, causing Mitchell to hide their relationship again. Azim and Scott are then paired romantically and begin dating. Ross Adams told Sarah Ellis, writing for Inside Soap, that unlike Mitchell, Azim accepts Scott and is "proud to be seen with him", something which is important to Scott. He added that Azim and Scott share similar qualities and are "comfortable with themselves", something which the actor thought made them a good pairing. Azim has an argument with Mitchell and afterwards, Scott is supportive of Azim but defends Mitchell. Ross Adams pointed out that this "upsets Azim a little bit". and it was confirmed on 11 February that Sidhu had completed filming with the show and would not return. == DS Naomi Cohen ==

DS Naomi Cohen, portrayed by Ariana Fraval, first appears in episode 5269, broadcast on 3 October 2019. Fraval's casting was announced by her agent on 23 August 2019, while details about the character were announced on 3 October 2019. D.S. Cohen is introduced as a detective sergeant who is investigating the murder of Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool). Fraval stars opposite her husband, actor Gregory Finnegan, who portrays Harry's boyfriend, James Nightingale, and her first scenes on the soap were with him. D.S. Cohen arrives to take James Nightingale to identify the body of Harry Thompson. However, after Joel is threatened, he informs D.S. Cohen that a random person attacked him and it was not Liam. She later informs Diane about the release of Harry's body. D.S. Cohen questions Liam about the disappearance of Mercedes, but they are stopped when Mercedes' cousin, Goldie McQueen (Chelsee Healey), discovers her unconscious body in The Loft nightclub, having been shot. She then questions Liam about the lack of CCTV footage in The Loft during the shooting. During the following day, she collects alibis from Sylver, Liam and Grace Black (Tamara Wall). After receiving a tip-off from Liam, she searches The Dog in the Pond public house for a gun, which Grace is able to hide. Sylver warns D.S. Cohen that Liam could have shot Mercedes, so when the police find the gun in Liam's car, she arrests him. She prepares to charge Liam for the shooting until James, his lawyer, intervenes and has the charges dropped. When blood is discovered at the shooting crime scene, Diane confesses to D.S. Cohen that it belongs to her. Diane also presents her with CCTV footage of her kissing Edward Hutchinson (Joe McGann) as her alibi, which also confirms the time of the shooting. After Breda McQueen (Moya Brady), who is a serial killer, anonymously hands in a written confession, D.S. Cohen runs forensics on the confession and assesses that Mercedes is the serial killer, so arrests her and clashes with Goldie. She then orders a search of Mercedes' home, but fails to find any evidence that could convict her. After a hostage situation at Breda's pig farm, where Breda is exposed as the serial killer (see Hollyoaks Later (2020 special)), D.S. Cohen tries to ask Mercedes for her version of events, but she is rebuffed. Following the death of Jesse Donovan (Luke Jerdy), D.S. Cohen returns his personal items to his wife, Courtney Campbell (Amy Conachan), and explains to his siblings, Grace and Liam, that Jesse died from alcohol poisoning. After reviewing the footage of Jesse drinking, she decides not to launch an investigation into his death. D.S. Cohen later arrests Mitchell Deveraux (Imran Adams) for homophobic abuse against Azim Desai (Nav Sidhu), but releases him when Azim drops the charges. Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard), who was Breda's prisoner for months and is suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result, asks D.S. Cohen about Breda's body; she reveals that it was mostly burnt, fueling his paranoia that Breda has returned. After learning the whereabouts of Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas), who is wanted by the police, D.S. Cohen arrests him, but soon releases him when Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward) confirms Warren's version of events. She later arrests Warren after witnessing him assault Liam. Acting as Warren's lawyer, James confronts D.S. Cohen about the arrest and has him released. When Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood) is attacked, D.S. Cohen questions his children, Mitchell, Toby Faroe (Bobby Gordon) and Celeste Faroe (Andrea Ali). Celeste lies that Mitchell was responsible for the attack, so D.S. Cohen arrests him. She then questions Mitchell and later, his boyfriend, Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams). == Edward Hutchinson ==

}} Edward Hutchinson, portrayed by Joe McGann, first appears in episode 5281, broadcast on 21 October 2019. while details about the character's introduction and McGann's casting were announced on 20 May 2019. Edward is introduced as the estranged father of established character Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard). McGann joked that his mother would be "really proud" of his surgeon status. His backstory states that after Edward left Tony, he had a breakdown and "reinvented himself", now calling himself by his middle name. In September 2019, it was confirmed that Edward's daughter would be introduced to the soap. She is billed as similarly villainous than Edward and a show spokesperson said that family would create an "exciting, fresh dynamic for Tony". Pickard expressed his excitement to work with his new on-screen family. In December 2020, it was announced that McGann had filmed his final scenes as Edward, and that his "explosive" exit would be aired later that month. It was stated that "he goes out with a bang", and explained his exit by saying "a character like that can only have a certain shelf life and fans are now ready for his comeuppance." == Woody Turner ==

Woody Turner, portrayed by Jake Quickenden, first appears in episode 5284, broadcast on 24 October 2019. The concept of the character and Quickenden's casting details were announced on 27 July 2019, while further details about the character were announced on 9 August 2019. Quickenden previously expressed his interest in a role on the soap in March 2018. Woody is introduced as a "hunky" builder who is involved in the show's annual stunt. He is described as "a liability" and "a cheeky chap". The character appears in a guest stint and Quickenden began filming on 7 August 2019. Quickenden was invited by producers to star in the soap and appears opposite Cindy Cunningham actress Stephanie Waring, who he starred with in reality TV competition Dancing on Ice. The actor felt at ease on-set because he was working with Waring. == Toby Faroe ==

}} Toby Faroe, portrayed by Bobby Gordon, first appears in episode 5309, broadcast on 28 November 2019. Toby is introduced alongside his "wife", Celeste Faroe (Andrea Ali), as they move in next to Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) and Mandy Morgan (Sarah Jayne Dunn), who they befriend. The twist was first teased prior to Toby's introduction, in September 2019, when it emerged that Mitchell has a twin brother. Having already kept his casting a secret, Gordon found it easier to keep the secret about Toby's parentage. Ali explained that Toby and Celeste have a close relationship and that Celeste relies on Toby. In the flashbacks, T'Jai Adu-Yeboah portrayed Toby as a teenager, while Caelan Edie portrayed a younger Toby. In February 2022, in previously unannounced scenes, Gordon made his final appearance as Toby. His final scenes see him arrested for the murder of his cousin Lisa Loveday (Rachel Adedeji) after being reported by his father, Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood). == Celeste Faroe ==

}} Celeste Faroe, portrayed by Andrea Ali, first appears in episode 5309, broadcast on 28 November 2019. The character and Ali's casting details were announced on 22 November 2019. Celeste is introduced alongside her "husband", Toby Faroe (Bobby Gordon), as they move in next to Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) and Mandy Morgan (Sarah Jayne Dunn), who they befriend. Celeste is a modelling agent and she and Toby are billed as mysterious, "manipulative" and "devious". Additionally, Celeste is described as glamorous, which attracts Mandy to her. Ali expressed her delight at joining the show's cast, calling it "one [of] the most amazing experiences". Johnathon Hughes of the Radio Times dubbed Toby and Celeste as mysterious, commenting, "Buckets of intrigue surrounded the recent arrival of Toby Faroe (Bobby Gordon) and his wife Celeste Faroe (Andrea Ali)". Producers created Celeste as the sister to Toby and Mitchell Deveraux (Imran Adams), making them triplets, and the daughter of Martine Deveraux (Kéllé Bryan), but her identity was not revealed until March 2020. Ali struggled to keep the secret, especially since she found viewers would "pick up on things very quickly". The story began in September 2019 when it emerged that Mitchell has a twin brother, and continued in the soap's 2019 Christmas episode when Toby is revealed to be the twin brother. Gordon said that Celeste and Toby have "ulterior motives", but did not believe that they were villains. He added that Toby has needed Celeste to "function" as she "protects him and allows him to be himself". Ali explained that Toby and Celeste have a close relationship and that Celeste relies on Toby. As part of the story, "disturbing" flashbacks depict Celeste and Toby's upbringing, where they were brought up in a social experiment. In the flashbacks, Murnaya Martin portrayed Celeste as a teenager, while Leah Mondesir-Simmonds portrayed a younger Celeste. Celeste was killed-off as part of the "Time Out" week on 12 January 2022. == Jordan Price ==

Jordan Price, portrayed by Connor Calland, first appears in episode 5329, broadcast on 30 December 2019. The character and Calland's casting details were announced on 10 December 2019. Jordan is introduced as the cousin of established character Sid Sumner (Billy Price). Jordan interacts with Leela's daughter, Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell), and finds that it takes a while to understand how to "play her". == Other characters ==