Oscar Curtis has been cast in the role of Lucas Hay on Hollyoaks for a mature new storyline involving his sexuality.
Lucas is the teenage son of village stalwart Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) and had been played by William Hall since 2014.
"I've felt so welcome at Hollyoaks, the cast and crew feel like a real family," said Curtis. "My first day was so exciting and I'm ready for the fans of the show to see the new Lucas. You can definitely expect drama, emotions and everything in between."
Executive producer Lucy Allan explained to Inside Soap: "William Hall did a brilliant job for us, but we needed to cast someone slightly older for where the story was going.
"We're bringing in Oscar Curtis, who's the spitting image of Kieron aged 16! Lucas is getting to the age where he is difficult to manage, and he's grappling with his sexuality. There's also a new teen coming into the show in the form of Misbah's nephew, Dylan."
The new Lucas will make his debut in the episode airing on March 15 on E4 and March 16 on Channel 4.
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