Gillian Taylforth makes her last appearance in Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks star Gillian Taylforth bids an emotional farewell to her on-screen sons as her character Sandy Roscoe decides to leave the village.

The ex-EastEnder joined Hollyoaks just over a year ago as district nurse Sandy - arriving with her sons Robbie, Freddie, Jason, Ziggy and Joe, and Joe's fiancee Lindsey Butterfield.

Gillian's exit scenes will premiere on E4 tonight (August 21) as Sandy shocks her wayward sons by telling them she needs some time away from them and has decided to leave.

Eldest son Joe (Ayden Callaghan) has just been released from prison, while brother Freddie (Charlie Clapham) was revealed as the murderer of Sandy's villainous husband Fraser Black. Sandy is also mum to long-standing Hollyoaks character Darren Osborne.

Gillian announced her decision to leave Hollyoaks in March, revealing that she wanted to spend more time with her real-life family.

She said: "I have loved the role of Sandy Roscoe playing mum to six gorgeous boys, all of whom I will miss desperately, but the time is right for me to spend more time with my own family.

"It has been enormous fun and hugely rewarding to be part of settling in a new Hollyoaks family and it fills me with pride that they have so quickly been taken to viewers' hearts.

"I am really happy that I will still be able to pop back to check on the Roscoe boys, but it's now time for them to fend for themselves."

Hollyoaks boss Bryan Kirkwood has confirmed Sandy will make guest appearances whenever her sons need her support in the future.

Meanwhile, Ayden told All About Soap: "We're really sad to see her go. Gilly is such a warm, funny woman, and it's a pleasure to be around her. I'm sad to see her go on a personal and professional level."

Sandy's exit will premiere on E4 and screen on Channel 4 tomorrow (August 22) at 6.30pm.

 

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.