But when Donna-Marie goes missing, is Leela right to be worried?
As Leela tells Joel he’ll smash the exam, Donna-Marie wakes up in a fog and can’t remember the previous day, having relapsed. But whilst Leela vows to not give up on her friend for Juliet, Joel is less keen as he knows how dependency works.
When Leela plans an intervention for Donna-Marie, Joel tries to push his fitness task back, confiding in Donna-Marie that he used to use drugs. Is he trying to convince her that she didn’t see him take his vital medicine?
Donna-Marie thinks that knowing Joel’s secret is going to help her get drugs, but he's adamant that he's not being blackmailed. And as Sharon supports Joel in wanting privacy with his diagnosis, he explains his fears over his dad Warren and new girlfriend Leela knowing.
But when Donna-Marie begs Joel to help her buy drugs and she will keep his secret, what will he do?
Later, when he spots a fire at the Lomaxes, Joel calls for help and saves Donna-Marie. At the hospital, Leela is impressed and whilst James is heartbroken, James is indifferent.
As Donna-Marie is treated in the hospital for smoke inhalation, she tries to explain her relapse, before Joel gives Leela an ultimatum. It's her or him.
Later, when Donna-Marie struggles with her health, Leela misjudges what she has done and Donna-Marie talks her into giving her back her phone so that she can see pictures of Juliet, by pledging to find a social worker.
Getting out, Donna-Marie bumps into Diane at the cemetery as she goes to see Juliet and apologies for relapsing.
And as Leela stays with Joel, Donna-Marie later goes missing, causing Leela to worry about her safety.
Hollyoaks continues Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm first look episodes available weekday mornings on Channel 4 and weekday evenings at 7pm on E4