Newcomer Jade to break up Hollyoaks' Tilly and Esther?

Hollyoaks is set to welcome a new student who could jeopardise Tilly and Esther's relationship.

Lucy Gape has been cast in the role of Jade, at university with Tilly Evans (Lucy Dixon) and Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks), who threatens to come between the couple.

Lucy will make her debut on the Channel 4 soap next week, when her alter-ego meets the two lovers at Freshers' Week at Hollyoaks Community College.

After Esther begins chatting to Jade, they appear to hit it off instantly, but Jade ignores Tilly when she introduces herself - and it isn't long until Tilly gets jealous of the closeness between the pair.

Tilly's emotions rise when she later discovers that Jade, who's described as someone 'who always lives for the moment', is her new housemate at the student house she shares with George Smith (Steven Roberts).

Lucy has also revealed she will also be seen in Hollyoaks Later in October.

She tweeted in August: "Wrapped on Later! So weird to think I'm done. It's been so so fun. Tune in October pals #hollyoakslater"

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.