so digital spy and the hollyoaks website leaked that stephanie has been cast in a new family on the soap

you can read the article on the fan blog

and waiting for confirmation from stephanie herself

are you shocked / happy / unhappy about the role?

if you're wondering what I'm thinking... it's not my favourite telly programme, usually something I watch as an omnibus on a sunday after a heavy night out but I will definitely be watching it now and I think it is an appropriate soap for her to be in as it can be quite funny etc

Oh dear...

I LOVE Stephanie, but that was not what I was expecting.

I loved Hollyoaks in the days of Hannah/Melissa and JP/Craig.. even Sarah/Zoe.. but it's gone drastically downhill and everyone I know that watched it has stopped.

I can't believe she turned down Flashdance for it...

Here's hoping she makes it better?

She turned down Flashdance for Hollyjokes ....

difficult for many us I guess as MT fans and whilst I never really saw her as Dorothy she is a great singer and dancer which is a huge loss to MT. I suppose though from a career perspective it is a big deal so I can understand why she did it - but its a shame

I was a big fan of Stephanie on the show, but I always thought her acting was the weakest of her acting, singing and dancing. I think she would be amazing in Flashdance, because she is such a bold dancer and has a powerful voice.
I guess she can work on the acting, but I think she should have stayed in musical theatre. I hope she still gets a role in the west end after she finishes at Hollyoaks.

TwirlGirl, exactly, I think she is going to be awesome in it and hope she makes the show more watchable. I read last week that there is going to be an alien storyline.................................................

I don't really watch that many soaps tbf it is probably a massive deal. But we don't know how long she is going to be in it for yet though guys and I wouldn't expect Stephanie to turn her back on the stage yet! I don't think MT has lost a star

Also being young, it's probably quite a draw to do a job that is close to home rather than in london

I just really dislike Hollyoaks, but that is nothing against Stephanie. I may give it a watch just to see how she fares.

Personally I think (again, nothing against her) that maybe she wasn't quite ready for 8 shows a week, she is only 17 after all and her voice etc will still be maturing. Look at Niamh Perry, when she left IDA I would not have put her down for a lead in the WE, she wasn't, she did a few smaller things, and in a year she was Sophie in Mamma Mia.

Maybe Stephanie (and her agent) have decided that before she should do West End, she should get more experience and build on her acting skills.. and tbh, I'd rather she did this while keeping in the limelight rather than going into training where she'll come out with hundreds of others all going for the same thing.

couldn't agree more!

Stephanie WHAT? My lovely Zoe jumped ship for a reason..tis going down., down....
I stopped watching months ago.

Not saying Stephanie won't be great though.

and being honest once you've been in 'Hollyoaks' it seems to be hard to get work. Cause most people see it as the worst show ever. When you could be one of the most talented people ever, still it couldn't help you.

So yeah get ready for the crap that comes with it.

Well it wasn't quite what I was expecting..a bit suprised she turned down Flashdance though, 'cause I thought she would be really good in that!
Although I suppose it's good she is getting some experience in acting, but soap acting is a bit different to MT acting. My only worry is that she will get sucked into the acting world and get asked to do more of these kind of shows and then lose her MT side..but ah well, I'm sure she'll great in Hollyoaks

dunno what part she was offered in flashdance, it may have been an understudy or chorus part, not that there is anything wrong with that at all

sorta hope stephanie doesn't read this thread haha not gonna lie I wasn't trying to generate hate but I had a feeling the news would not go down well with some people but it's interesting to read what you all have to say

it would definitely be unwise to forget about MT

I guess we can't really tell what's going to happen

I wonder what kind of storylines she will get though...

has anyone else ever been in hollyoaks then doing musical theatre?

Emma Rigby. She played Hannah for 5 years-ish, and then decided she wanted to do MT.

She's starring in a new WE musical this summer, it's only for a month or two but it's a start. I love Emma as well so I hope she continues with MT.

Maybe Stephanie will follow suit?

O dear... bad career move! :/ Im sure she'll be great but still.... its hollyoaks!!!
However - Andrew Lloyd Webber himself was in it last year! http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...-of-music.html

Yeah, you're right, it could have been a side roll, but I doubt that seeing as Stephanie has got real talent in MT! And considering her talent that's why I was suprised she opted for being in a TV soap.
But if it keeps her in the limelight then it's all good. And after all, she will gain all different kind of skills from being in a soap!
I just really hope that after this she doesn't get too carried away and does then get back to MT.

I'm pretty sure people have been in HO then gone into MT..or maybe I'm thinking vice versa.

Funny thing...Gerard's just left Hollyoaks and he's going to be in Flashdance I believe!

It's more plays they do when they leave Hollyoaks (that's if they are lucky and one of the popular and great ones) still theatre though eh!

Sarah Jayne Dunn's been in quite a few plays including 'When Harry Met Sally'

Obviously Summer Strallen was in Hollyoaks..she's been in 'Sound Of Music' ' Love Never Dies' etc.

Zoe Lister (my wee fave lady) is in a play just now 'The Stanhope Sisters' and she's going to be touring in the comedy play 'TEECHERS' from August till December...

Jennifer Biddall has been touring in 'Dreamboats and Petticoats'

I'd say it's more plays but that's because they are more actors than singers.

Believe it or not Hollyoaks has/had quite a few very very talented people!


Will never lose that Hollyoaks tag though!

and of course your going to get people being like but it's Hollyoaks it's crap! When it could have a really good storyline going with great actors but still it's Hollyoaks so it's just crap anyway and it isn't taken seriously. Get's annoying. Glad I don't have to listen to that anymore! lol.

Although Summer Strallen doesn't really count. She wasn't "in" Hollyoaks.. she was in SOM and planted to attract the teen audience.. but still. There's been quite a few!

Shocked, as Hollyoaks really is a sinking ship at the moment. Like others have said acting wasn't her strong point, so maybe it will help her improve, though to be honest, there's never much "acting" going on in Hollyoaks. Of course there has been some great actors in Hollyoaks, but sadly most of them have left, or leaving. Anyway good luck to her.

Oh, and DS and Channel 4 haven't leaked it, they have announced it, its c4 who do the confirming not Stephanie. Sorry to be pedantic .

Summer was still in it though.
and what a ridiculous storyline just to add to it..oh my.

It's called Wolfboy. With the gorgeous Daniel Boys.

I think it's good for Stephanie in that it'll give her good experience and will give her a bigger profile should she try for a big MT role in the future.

I apologise if this next bit sounds bitchy but it does look like she turned down a role which would have given her great MT experience, doing what she apparently wanted to do, to get her face on TV, and not good TV at that.

Tbh a lot more people saw her face on Over The Rainbow than they will see on Hollyoaks! It gets under 1 million viewers these days..

It'll be good for her being close to home etc...basically home...!

True, she didn't look ready to leave home. Maybe after she's learned to butter bread. (That was the funniest moment of the series for me!)

Awww bless her. She's a 'funny guy' haha.

She'll be great in Hollyoaks.

I hope it starts to get better for her.

I'm surprised... but not in a good way.

On the plus side it will mean she's close to home, she can develop her acting skills somewhat (though I have reservations about the level required for Hollyoaks) and she can always return to MT in a year or two, still being relatively young.

It's her call, but I would have expected her to stick with MT and hone her skills in that environment if it's ultimately where she wants to be....