Imran Maalik and Leah Barnes are both returning to Hollyoaks

The characters fell in love offscreen!

Hollyoaks has announced that Ijaz Rana will make a dramatic return to the soap in the coming months, reprising his role as Imran Maalik and reuniting with Harvey Virdi, who plays his onscreen mum, Misbah.

Imran returns to the Chester village arm in arm with his new girlfriend, Leah Barnes, as Charlotte Riley makes her Hollyoaks debut, taking over from Elá-May Demircan, who played the role for 13 years. Leah is the daughter of Ste Hay, played by Kieron Richardson.

Imran left the village in 2023 to move in with his brother Sami, with an exciting job opportunity in London, whilst Leah headed off to university in America back in 2024.

Their families share a difficult history as, back in 2019, Ste was groomed into a far-right radicalisation group and targeted the Maalik family. However, brand-new images of the young couple tease a happy new beginning.

On returning to Hollyoaks, Ijaz Rana said "Coming back to the village feels like home. It’s an honour to step into Imran again, and he hasn’t been quiet off-screen… I can’t wait for everyone to see what he’s been up to."

To which newcomer Charlotte Riley added "It feels like a dream to be joining Hollyoaks. I'm looking forward to viewers seeing a new side to Leah Barnes."

Hollyoaks continues Monday to Wednesday at 7pm on E4 with first look episodes available at 7am on Channel 4 streaming