Hollyoaks star Alex Fletcher has announced a surprising Channel 4 role as her stint as Diane Hutchinson on the soap is set to come to a heartbreaking epilogue amid the character's ovarian cancer storyline. Fletcher is departing the soap after 16 years in the role of Diane, with her character recently sharing her devastating terminal cancer diagnosis with husband Tony and their three children, DeeDee, Ant and Ro.
As Diane has a plan to make sure that her family has a maternal figure once she's gone, roping an unwitting Leela Lomax in as a potential match for Tony, Fletcher has shared news of a new gig after her Hollyoaks run.
On Instagram, the actor revealed a new Channel 4 role that takes her away from soapland — at least for the time being.
She's joining the station's game show Countdown as a guest host in Dictionary Corner, revealing the dates fans can catch her alongside veteran Susie Dent.
"Well who'd have thought I'd be doing a show that I grew up watching with my nan," she wrote in the caption, adding: "Love a conundrum & actually got 1 today."
She continued: "Thanks to the whole team for making me welcome even though the nerves tried to get the better of me."
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"Thanks @mrcolinmurray @rachelrileyrr & my partner in crime in the dictionary corner Susie Dent …..what a lovely clever bunch who made me so welcome."
She then asked fans to "keep an eye out" for her on the week of 6 July, which is when her five episodes of Countdown are set to make the air.
Related: Hollyoaks' Sienna and Ste both caught out in 13 new spoiler pictures
As for whether she's looking for a new acting role, Fletcher recently teased that her agent's working really hard behind scenes.
"It'd be nice for me to do something completely different," she told BBC News.
"I'd love to do a comedy or I'd like to be a scullery maid in the kitchens in a period drama."
Countdown airs on Mondays-Fridays at 2.10pm on Channel 4.
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
Hollyoaks is working on Diane's story with support from Ovarian Cancer Action, the UK's leading ovarian cancer research charity that focuses on early detection, prevention and treatments for the illness. Support and information are available via the charity's website.
