Gregory Finnegan as James Nightingale in Hollyoaks / Lime Pictures
Hollyoaks star Gregory Finnegan has revealed that he auditioned for a major part in Emmerdale during his time away from the soap.
In shock scenes the actor’s character James Nightingale was seemingly killed off in September 2024 – just before the one-year time jump – as he was said to have died in a car explosion.
Earlier this year it was revealed that James is in fact still alive – in a twist that Finnegan himself had not seen coming – and now he is returning to Hollyoaks village for good.
During his two years away, Finnegan tried out for the part of evil human trafficker Ray Walters on Emmerdale, but the role instead went to Joe Absolom.
“I was talking with Emmerdale,” he told The Sun. “There was a possibility there of going in and playing a character. It didn’t come off, and now, looking at it, I’m glad that it didn’t, but at the time, I was like, ‘well, I could see myself getting my teeth into that character’, but, you know, that’s the way things go.
“It was the character that Joe Absolom played in the end, the Ray character. Very different, gangstery, you know…
“I did my version. I think they liked it. In the end, you know, it didn’t go my way, but yeah, it probably worked out for the best in the end.”
New episodes of Hollyoaks drop Mondays to Wednesdays at 7am on Channel 4 streaming and air the same night at 7pm on E4.
