Soap Opera
A Major ‘Hollyoaks’ Legacy Character Is Returning to the Village With a Brand New Man
Hollyoaks legacy characters Leah Barnes and Imran Maalik return to the village in June 2026, sparking shockwaves as they announce big plans together.
Hollyoaks legacy character Leah Barnes (Charlotte Riley) is headed back to the village, with a new lease on life and a new man, Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana), on her shoulder. Her return is set to send shockwaves throughout the series.
New spoilers for Hollyoaks have been released for the week of June 8, 2026, through June 10, 2026.
The series revealed that Leah returns to town and announces that she and Imran are not only moving back to Hollyoaks but have also purchased a place by the river.
When Ste (Kieron Richardson) is shocked that his daughter is not only moving back home but is in a relationship with Imran, Leah shares that she kept this from him because she didn’t want him to get carried away, especially with everything going on with her brother Lucas Hay.
With her permanent return to the village, Leah decides to throw her and Imran a welcome-home party at The Dog. In preparation, she takes her dad shopping to find something to wear to the event.
Later in the week, Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence) feels insecure because everyone around her is loved up. Leah reminds her friend that she’s a successful business owner, beautiful, and has nothing to be insecure about.
Vicky and Prince McQueen (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) continue to exchange glances, which gives Leah an idea, which she quickly shares with Imran, explaining that she has finally found their next project.
Leah was born on February 27, 2007, to her mother Amy Barns. The character was most famously portrayed by Elá-May Demircan from April 2011 until her final appearance on September 24, 2024.
The character left Hollyoaks village following the birth of her son, James, with Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass), and left to study law in San Diego.
Imran, meanwhile, was portrayed by Ijaz for his entire 366-episode original run from 2017 to his exit in 2023, when he left the village to start over in London after recovering from an eating disorder.
Little is known about how exactly Leah and Imran fell in love and what exactly is bringing them back home, but one thing is for sure: the village will never be the same.
Hollyoaks streams Monday through Wednesday on Channel 4 in the U.K., with episodes posted globally to YouTube a week later.
