Hollyoaks spoilers follow for Monday’s (October 19) episode that is now available to view on Channel 4 streaming. The episode in question will air on E4 on at 7pm.
Just days after delivering an absolute shocker of a twist in the form of Imran Maalik’s (Ijaz Rana) secret ex flame being Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring), Hollyoaks has dropped yet another jaw-dropper.
A special flashback episode on Monday took audiences to LA as we journeyed back in time to one year ago, where Imran crossed paths with Cindy in a chance meeting at a therapist’s office.
Imran took a chance and asked Cindy out for a coffee afterwards and a passionate romance ensued, with the two show favourites finding a little bit of home in one another when they needed it the most.
They discussed their past and reflected on the tragedies they’d endured, with Cindy revealing that Mandy Richardson (Sarah Jayne Dunn) never really got over the death of Ella (Erin Palmer), who was killed by Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson).
Imran, meanwhile, reflected on the death of his dad Kashif and how he holds James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) responsible for what happened.
The topic of conversation also led to Imran recalling when Ste was radicalised by a far-right group and how he tormented his clan as a result. They discussed what it would have been like to seek revenge.
When Imran crossed paths with Leah (Charlotte Alex Riley), Cindy encouraged him to grab happiness and give things a go with her, bringing to an end the LA chapter of the special episode.
But there was more twists to come.
As a series of quick cuts reminded viewers of the timeline upon which Imran and Leah – and then subsequently Cindy – arrived back in the village earlier this year, the pieces off a bigger puzzle started to make a lot more sense.
When Imran discovered on his wedding day that Leah had been cheating on him, he sought comfort from Cindy – and things took a turn.
The full story of Ste’s vanishing explained
And after overhearing a conversation between Gemma Johnson (Tisha Merry) and her heavies – in which she orchestrated the kidnapping of Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) – Imran shared his discovery with Cindy, revealing that this could be their chance to finally get revenge on Ste for all the torment he’s caused.
Cindy was apprehensive but Imran was adamant, as he got in touch with Gemma’s associate Brick and, threatening his family, he instead instructed the gangster to kidnap Ste from the shopping centre.
Yes, Imran was behind the mysterious disappearance of Ste Hay – and Cindy assisted him in pulling it off!
More flashbacks led to subsequent parts of the puzzle coming together, revealing just how Imran and Cindy pulled off Ste’s disappearance.
For starters, with Imran having a vendetta against James too, Cindy spent the afternoon with him on the day Ste vanished, which allowed Imran to plant all the evidence in his car while Cindy loaded the AI video onto the lawyer’s laptop in the hopes of incriminating him further.
Brick, meanwhile, soon realised that his mystery boss – aka Imran – was using AI to make it appear like his mum was in danger and thus realised his employer posed no actual threat so he threw in the towel, which led Imran to seek help from Lucas (Oscar Curtis) in moving Ste.
Lucas was horrified to learn that friend Imran was behind his dad’s kidnapping but when he threatened to call the police, Imran used Lucas’ role in the death of Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey) as leverage, leaving the lad with little choice but to comply.
Lucas went to Gemma, who agreed to move Ste. Her role in doing so, however, led to her arrest. Lucas, as viewers will recall, was overheard in a clandestine chat with Gemma by Leah, who subsequently fell down the steps. Fearing he’d go back to prison, Lucas absconded out of fear – not because he was guilty.
When Leah found footage of her brother’s whereabouts in an online video, Imran offered to go look for him, knowing that Lucas being caught by the police could prove problematic for him given that he knows who orchestrated Ste’s vanishing.
Lucas was later trapped under some scaffolding, with Imran leaving him to die. With Cindy getting cold feet and urging him to put a stop to the revenge, Imran had further evidence planted on James, which is what led to his arrest, putting the lawyer firmly in the frame.
And there you have it, folks! The whole picture of how Ste went missing – and who is to blame – has been painted.
But will Imran get away with what he’s done? Will his romance with Cindy be exposed? And will Lucas – who holds all the cards in knowing the truth – pull through?
And perhaps the biggest question of all: will Ste be found before it’s too late?
Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.