Gregory Finnegan is hoping some former ‘Hollyoaks’ viewers will return to the soap follow its recent success.
The Channel 4 show scooped Best Soap at the British Soap Awards and the Inside Soap Awards this year, and the 39-year-old star – who plays James Nightingale – is delighted the programme has been recognised.
He told BANG Showbiz: "It’s been a good year. It’s been surprising, I think for everyone concerned.
"We felt like we’d had a good year but for that to be recognised at various award shows is great.
"We’ve lost out a lot of times, so to start winning a few is lovely.
"I hope they’re coming back, if they did leave the show at any point, and seeing that we are doing good work that is up there with all the other soaps.
"It’s not just a 6.30pm kids show. It can be for everyone.
"We’re at top of our game and hopefully that will continue."
Jennifer Metcalfe – who plays Mercedes McQueen – also admitted she is "proud" of the soap’s recent success.
She added: "I remember going to soap awards three or four years ago and everyone is like, ‘This is our year, this is our year.’
"I always thought, ‘Yeah, we’re good, we’re good.’
"But honestly, right now, I believe in the show so much. Not that I didn’t before.
"It’s vibrant, it’s young, it’s very current. Our soap looks different, and I like the way it looks.
"It’s something I’m proud to be a part of, and I think it’s very fitting and very right that we’ve been recognised this year."
Gregory’s latest big storyline has seen his character James named as one of the seven suspects in the Who Shot Mercedes whodunit after Mercedes was gunned down in The Loft.
But the star recently admitted he didn’t even realise his alter-ego was going to be a part of the plot until he was called to do a promo photoshoot.
He said: "We got called in to do a photoshoot and I didn’t know what it was for.
"So I was like, ‘What’s all this?’ They said, ‘It’s for the Who Shot Mercedes story,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, great, OK. Am I part of that then?’
"I had a meeting with Bryan the next day and he spelled out what my involvement would be.
"We all got pulled in individually because he wanted to keep the circle tight, so it doesn’t get revealed before it has to."
Gregory Finnegan hopes Hollyoaks fans will return after success
