Blast from the past! A VERY familiar face is returning to Hollyoaks

Talk about a blast from the past.

After almost a decade after his dramatic exit, Hollyoaks has announced the return of Russ Owen. The character, played by Stuart Manning, was a regular fixture on the Channel 4 soap between 2004 and 2009.   He was last seen kidnapping his young son, Max, from the McQueens after the death of the little boy's mum, Tina.   Stuart will reprise the role later this summer, after 9 years away from the soap. According to Metro, he said of his return:

"After a decade away from Hollyoaks, it felt like the right time to come back and particularly when the show is on such a high. "It will be really interesting for me to explore how the character of Russ has evolved and to return as a different actor to who I was back then."

It's not immediately clear what, or who, brings Russ back to the village - or if Max is even with him. We reckon the McQueens won't be too happy to see him, though. Some of Russ' other big storylines on Hollyoaks include his brief marriage to Mercedes McQueen, before they were torn apart by her affair with Warren Fox. Over the years, he also had a romance with Sophie Burton and Tina Reilly. He also became a teacher during his time in the village, as well as battling testicular cancer.