Hollie Jay-Bowes written out of Hollyoaks early

Hollie Jay-Bowes written out of Hollyoaks early (Image credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Hollyoaks actress Hollie Jay-Bowes has apparently been quickly written out of the soap despite her original plans to leave in six months time. The actress, who plays budding journalist Michaela McQueen, will film her final scenes on Monday and leave screens in August, soap bosses have confirmed. Earlier this month, the 21-year-old announced on Twitter: "This past 4 years have been incredible but I think its time to find myself again! I'm officially leaving Hollyoaks in the next 6 months!x" However, it is understood that scriptwriters have now penned her a much earlier exit that will coincide with the departure of another character. A spokeswoman for the soap said: "We never discuss artists' contracts. However, we can confirm she is on screen until August. She leaves Lime Pictures on good terms." Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop

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.