Hollyoaks is AXED from Channel 4 after 28 years: Programme will move permanently to alternate station with episodes also going on YouTube in bid to make it ‘Britain’s first national digital-led soap

Channel 4 has just announced that they will not be airing Hollyoaks episodes for the first time in 28 years on its main channel. 

Bosses have pulled the plug on Hollyoaks from being aired on it main channel Channel 4, in a new digital strategy to freshen up viewing experiences with the state-owned broadcaster.

The broadcaster announced today that the new schedule pattern launches on Monday 25th September and promises viewers ‘a massive stunt week of spectacular and standout storylines’ with ‘scenes shot in sensational new locations’. 

But, fans of the soap, which started in 1995, may be relived to hear that the show is not being axed, but moved to its sister channel E4 in a bid to shake-up the schedule. 

The most devoted of the soap based in the drama-filled Chester village will still be able to catch the weekly omnibus which will continue to be broadcast on Channel 4.

Episodes will also be uploaded onto Youtube to suit younger audiences, and will be made available to watch on YouTube the week after streaming and broadcast on E4.

Channel 4 has just announced that they will not airing Hollyoaks episodes for the first time in 28 years

Channel 4 has been the home to Hollyoaks for nearly three decades, and this latest change suggests an effort to keep up with a digital age, and reflects the increasing appetite for on-demand entertainment. 

64 per cent of viewers watched the soap by streaming episodes or E4 this year which meant that 556 million minutes of the show being streamed in the first half of the year – signalling a shift in viewer habits. 

The broadcaster has dubbed Hollyoaks as the ‘UK’s first streaming-led soap’, by making episodes available to stream the day before they are broadcast on E4.

Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer, Ian Katz said: ‘Hollyoaks has always been the youngest and most innovative soap so it’s fitting that it should be the first to embrace the changes in the behaviour of younger viewers and switch to a genuinely digital-led release pattern. 

Hollyoaks were spotted filming emotional scenes in Brighton in January this year with fan favourites Juliet Nightingale and Peri Lomax 

Fan favourites Juliet Nightingale and Peri Lomax were spotted filming emotion scenes in Brighton, where they spent the weekend together

‘It was the first UK soap to move to a stream-first model last year and this is the next phase of that evolution. 

‘We hope making Hollyoaks available on YouTube, as well as our own platforms, will introduce a whole new generation to the show.’ 

The soap’s young fan base has propelled the broadcaster to put its demographic at the heart of its new streaming decisions, after it was discovered the number of people streaming episodes before they were aired on TV went up by 53 per cent on the equivalent period last year.

Channel 4 move towards a more digitally-led experience comes as the broadcaster received record viewing via streaming after releasing programmes, such as Married at First Sight UK and Married at First Sight Australia, aimed at a younger audience.

Some social media users suggested that this latest move was a part of the beginning of the end of the traditional TV, as more people become switch to on-demand programmes and apps. 

One user posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘It’s astonishing people actually still watch telly to be honest. 

‘You have a massive variety of content to watch how when and where you want. From YouTube to Netflix to Prime to NowTV. Surely TV is on its last legs?’ 

The broadcaster said that Hollyoaks will continue its use its digital content to bring real-life focus to the fictional stories on-screen, which include the BAFTA-nominated Hollyoaks IRL, which tells the stories of real people affected by the show including themes around mental health, knife crime, violence against women and conversion therapy. 

This week, fans of show can look forward to a one hour special that aims to grip audiences with the uncovering of sordid secrets and murder plot twists. 

The broadcaster hinted at an ‘explosive turning point’ in the love triangle between Felix, his girlfriend Mercedes and best friend Warren, while a disturbing secret is uncovered about influencer Rayne, that could ultimately lead to her downfall.