Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks' Imran Maalik has been struggling with an eating disorder for months now, realised on screen as a voice inside his head telling him that he is disgusting and needs to constantly work out at the gym and not eat.
Things took a turn for the worse in Wednesday's (October 12) first-look E4 episode, as Imran pushed himself even further to impress the food critic at Tony Hutchinson's restaurant where he's training.
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Imran's also been hiding a burn on his arm that happened in the kitchen recently, and is unaware that it's become infected. He nearly fainted in front of Juliette Nightingale, who told him that he needed to go to hospital ASAP and postpone the critic visit.
Imran said that he would do as she said, but actually carried on with his plan to cook for the critic.
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Shortly after, he collapsed on the floor and was taken to hospital, with the A&E staff telling Misbah that his burn was heavily infected and that he was severely dehydrated.
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Misbah has been concerned about Imran's mental health recently, asking if he's really okay and noting the "pressure cooker" environment he's in, but hasn't been aware of the full extent of Imran's troubles.
Actor Ijaz Rana hinted that Misbah may soon discover the truth, although the character will still have a "bumpy road" ahead.
Hollyoaks streams first on All 4, with new episodes dropping each weekday morning. The show airs Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, and at 7pm on E4. Selected omnibus episodes are available via Amazon Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage.
Beat (www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk) is a charity which raises awareness and understanding of eating disorders, and supports those affected by them. Beat now has a one-to-one secure messaging service. Its phone helpline for those aged 18 and over is 0808 801 0677, and there's also a dedicated Youthline for those under 18 – 0808 801 0711.
