Hollyoaks fans everywhere were left with teary eyes as Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass) said goodbye and left the village of the same name in a rather sudden and unexpected move.
Popular character, a mainstay of the Channel 4 soap from 2023had planned to elope with longtime love Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis) after rekindling their romance.
Lucas is serving time in prison for abusing his father Ste (Kieron Richardson), WHO started a secret affair with his son’s lover last year.
Dillon had asked Ste to be his sponsor after his ordeal of exploitation and had confided in him that he had developed feelings for her, while Ste subsequently slept with the young boy.
Lucas and Dillon’s romance then exploded, with the former being arrested for attacking Ste. Dillon, however, began to develop feelings for his ex and how they reconnected in prison, he decided to run away with her.
Lucas’ life was put in danger last week when cellmate Sully (Harry French) threatened to kill him if Donny Clark (Louis Emerick) didn’t retract his statement, so Froggy Black (John Middleton) hatched a plot to get Lucas out of the trap before it was too late.
“Dillon tries to break Lucas out of jail and he realizes very quickly that without Lucas, he doesn’t have much left in the village, so it might come as a surprise to some people,” star Nate said of his exit scenes.
Despite the prospect of reuniting with his one and only soulmate, Lucas ultimately decided to stay put and serve his time, which devastated Dillon who – after a kiss and a heart-to-heart with his one true love – decided to leave Hollyoaks in the rearview mirror, leaving the village in emotional scenes.
Nate called his final scenes ‘beautiful’.
“I got some really nice scenes with Oscar, Anya and the Maalik/Clarke family,” he enthused, “which was a really nice way to end my Hollyoaks time here.”
Discussing leaving the show, the star added: “It’s been three years for me and I’m absolutely gutted that every day I won’t be able to come in and see everyone.
“I’ve built so many great relationships here, so I’m really sad about that and I’m going to miss playing Dillon, he’s a character I’ve been with for three years, but I’m also ready.
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“Ready to see the world and play other characters, but who knows maybe one day I’ll get to play Dillon again.”
We certainly hope so!
Nate said working on the Channel 4 soap has ‘taught’ him a lot and he feels like a better person as a result.
“Hollyoaks was a massive part of me growing up,” he concluded. “I joined when I was 20, now I’m 23, when I first joined I felt like I was 15, moving to Liverpool and being here has taught me a lot.
“I’ve grown up and come out with a new relationship, new friendships which is amazing. I think I’ve just come out of it as a slightly better person.’
Metro previously confirmed that Oscar Curtis, who plays Lucas, will remain on the show. Lucas is currently in prison and the Oscar star is on a break, but fans will no doubt be eager to know what the future holds for the character in a post-Dillon world.
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday from 6am Channel 4‘s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
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