Hollyoaks star Nick Rhys has left the show after a year in the role of Lockie Campbell, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.
The actor made his final appearance in Monday's E4 first look episode(January 18), which saw Lockie's dark storyline with his villainous brother Cameron come to a head.
Lockie had been held captive in an abandoned shack by Cameron since Christmas, after discovering that his scheming sibling had deliberately caused an explosion which ultimately claimed the life of Ziggy Roscoe.
Things looked up for Lockie when he finally managed to escape, but Cameron soon found a way to discredit him by taking misleading photos showing him in a compromising position.
A defeated Lockie's final scene saw Cameron appear to take pity on his brother by offering to drive him somewhere new. When he refused to go along with it, Cameron angrily chased after him in his car - leaving fans to wonder exactly what Lockie's fate would be.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy today (January 18), Rhys commented: "It's been a great honour and pleasure to help create and play Lockie onHollyoaks. He arrived in quite literally an explosive fashion! Filming the train crash wedding was a real buzz for me. Getting to do all these stunts and big storylines so early on was brilliant.
"He was a complicated character and seemed to have the ability to get himself both into, and out of trouble, with equal ease. It was fun trying to find that balance.
"I think Lockie's relationship with his brother Cameron was a great part of my enjoyment on the show. I'm lucky to have such a great actor to work with in Cameron Moore, and even luckier to have him as a friend. I'll miss him. I will also miss so many great people on the show. It's been so fun to work with such a talented bunch."
Rhys also paid a touching tribute to his real-life girlfriend Anna Passey, who plays the role of Sienna Blake on the show.
He said: "Of course, the best part for me would be meeting my lovely, talented girl Anna, who is pretty much the best person I've ever met.
"I'll be sad to leave this part. I leave with so many great stories to remember. Lockie's marriage to Porsche and his subsequent antics with the rest of the McQueen family come to mind!
"Finally, thanks to the fans who have been so positive and supportive of me and the character - I'm glad you've enjoyed him. For better or worse, he always kept you on your toes!"
Rhys joined the Hollyoaks cast in late 2014, with Lockie causing an immediate stir with his constant cheating. He previously played the role of Leo Brodie on Scottish soap River City.
Original Source: Digitalspy (www.digitalspy.com)
