Hollyoaks spoiler follow.
Hollyoaks has pulled a big soap twist as Louis Emerick unexpectedly reprised his role of Mick Johnson in a Brookside crossover.
In the final episode celebrating Hollyoaks' 30th anniversary tonight, it was finally unveiled what Donny Clarke's big secret and feud with Froggy was all about.
Donny was revealed to be Mick Johnson all along as the soap crossed over with Brookside and Emerick returned in his iconic role.
Donny/Mick left Chester for Brookside Close to reunite with daughter Gemma. There, he was greeted by matriarch Sheila Grant, who resented him for leaving after faking his own death.
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Speaking about how Hollyoaks producer Hannah Cheers pitched him such a jaw-dropper, Emerick admitted he initially thought it could be "an April fool".
"I was summoned by our executive producer Hannah Cheers for a meeting, but she wanted to walk and talk in the park, not in her office," Emerick told RadioTimes.com.
"It was all quite covert, like a spy film. She pitched the whole thing: the Brookie crossover, the storyline that connected it, and Donny turning out to be Mick. I was waiting for her to say it was an April fool, only this was July!
"Before she actually told me, Hannah was going round the houses trying to explain it and seemed to be soft soaping me, to prepare me for what she was about to say.
"I wondered whether Donny was going to turn gay in his middle age or something unexpected – I was ready for anything! The whole idea was so far out of left field, but I was really excited."
Emerick made his final Brookside appearance as Mick in 2001. At the time, Mick had an affair with Froggy's wife and faked his own death after the gangster vowed to kill him in retaliation.
For its 30th anniversary, Hollyoaks didn't just drop the Donny/Mick bombshell.
The soap has also seen a few deaths rocking the village in the aftermath of Jez Blake and Clare Devine's plane crash.
Peri Lomax was crushed by debris at the Love Boat after she managed to save Tom Cunningham in yesterday's episode.
Tonight, a wounded Grace Black followed suit as she died at the hospital, while Jez also suffered a horrible death, as he was sliced by his plane's propeller after slipping in the pond.
Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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