Hollyoaks star reveals they’ve quit soap amid string of huge cuts – admitting they’re now unemployed as they put out call for work

A Hollyoaks star is the latest star to quit the soap amid the programme’s string of huge cuts.

Iz Hesketh, 26, who plays Kitty Darper, has revealed they have left the Channel 4 hit and is now ‘looking for work’, just a year after they joined the show.

The soap star’s departure follows a mass axe of Hollyoaks stars and crew due to budget cuts.

Announcing their exit on Instagram on Tuesday, Iz, who identifies as Transgender non-binary, wrote: ‘London friends. I’m back as of tomorrow till just before I go for surgery early October.

‘So if anyone wants to catch up or do anything, I’m very much unemployed and free for the foreseeable so hmu.

Iz Hesketh, 26, who plays Kitty Darper, has revealed they have left the Channel 4 hit and is now ‘looking for work’, just a year after they joined the show

‘Equally if anyone needs someone for any gigs, in or out of drag, I am ready and available.’

According to The Sunday Mirror, bosses will also reduce episode quantity in an effort ‘maximise impact’ as they could ‘no longer justify’ the huge and cast and crew.

The episode reduction will begin in September, and sources claim cast and crew are ‘heartbroken’ by the cuts.

Channel 4 announced that from September episodes would be cut from five to three, resulting in a loss of 135 jobs.

A source said: ‘Hollyoaks has been hit very hard lately and like many other soaps, it is losing viewers on a large scale.

‘The bosses will do everything they can to look after people and are putting together generous redundancy packages, but losing people who have been on the soap for years is a body blow.’

As part of recent budget cuts, it was reported that Hollyoaks bosses were planning to axe 20 cast members in a dramatic time jump storyline.

It was reported that bosses had decided to axe twenty cast members, but a majority of their identities had not yet been revealed. 

Iz, who identifies as Transgender non-binary, announced their exit on Instagram on Tuesday

Channel 4 announced that from September episodes would be cut from five to three, resulting in a loss of 135 jobs

And as part of recent budget cuts, it was reported that Hollyoaks bosses were planning to axe 20 cast members in a dramatic time jump storyline

The Sun reported that script writers have come up with a bizarre plan to ‘time jump’ the programme by a year, which will fast-forward 20 characters out of the soap permanently.

A source told the publication: ‘Losing 20 cast members in one fell swoop is eye-watering and devastating news for soap land.

‘In the past, Hollyoaks has seen shock stunts claim up to five lives in a single episode. But the days of soaps having a big cast clear-out with a devastating stunt are long gone, especially on Hollyoaks where the budget has been dramatically cut.

‘The time jump is a way for Hollyoaks to say goodbye to the characters that need to go and give closure to the fans – but it will be controversial.’