Gemma Merna is reportedly returning to Hollyoaks, twelve years after her character was killed off.
The actress, who is 41, played the role of Carmel McQueen in the Channel 4 soap from 2006 until 2014.
The character was at the centre of some hugely dramatic storylines while living in the village, including her rollercoaster of a relationship with Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle), and the plot that saw Carmel left with injuries after a tanning machine exploded in her face.
In 2014, Gemma’s character died during the show’s train crash episode.
While soaps have brought characters back from the dead in the past, this won’t be the case for Carmel, as she is allegedly going to appear in a dream sequence as part of John-Paul McQueen’s (James Sutton) final story, as reported in The Sun.
‘It’s a real treat for the fans getting Gemma back’, a source added to the publication.
Metro has contacted Hollyoaks for a comment.
In 2024, Gemma returned to the wonderful world of soapland, this time to play a character called Rebecca in Coronation Street.
The character was part of a love-interest plot involving solicitor Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson). She only appeared in a handful of episodes, as the storyline was short.
Taking to Instagram at the time, Gemma shared a picture of her outside the Rovers Return Pub to confirm the news. She is wearing a mint green suit and black heels, which could well be from her character’s wardrobe.
In the caption alongside her Instagram image, Gemma proudly wrote: ‘The news is out. I’ve been keeping a little secret. I am thrilled to announce that I’ve landed my dream job on @coronationstreet!
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‘Can you believe it?! I’ve wanted to be on Coronation Street since I was a little girl. Being born and bred in Manchester, it’s truly a dream come true for me. It’s been on my vision board for over 10 years, and finally, I got the chance to walk the cobbles. I can’t even believe I’m writing this.’
She added: ‘I think the best part was ringing my mum and telling her. To my dad, nana, grandad, and grandma, who all watched it for many years, and were huge fans. I hope you’re proud of me up there. Rebecca will be gracing your screens in the next coming weeks.’
