Stuart Manning is reportedly set to return to ‘Hollyoaks’ after a decade away.
The 38-year-old actor played Russ Owen on the Channel 4 soap from 2004 until he quit in 2009, with his final storyline seeing him kidnap his baby boy Max and leave for France.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: "It’s been a while since he was last on set and he can’t wait to be part of the show again … The return of Russ Owen is set to send shockwaves through the village.
"The character will cause a lot of drama for some of the village regulars, including the McQueens."
Bosses are said to be "thrilled" that he has agreed to come back to the show following a series of secret meetings, and it appears viewers can expect more exciting returns in the future.
According to the report, the show’s boss Bryan Kirkwood is lining up more familiar faces to rejoin the cast.
An insider added: "Viewers have loved having classic characters back with stars like Gary Lucy back on the show.
"Bryan is keen to bring back some more faces from the past to make the show even more popular than it is."
After leaving the show nine years ago, Stuart finished fifth in ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’, and went on to appear in the likes of ‘Doctors’, ‘The Dumping Ground’ and ‘Casualty’.
Most recently, he was seen as Nik Voyle in school drama ‘Ackley Bridge’.