Legendary trans Hollyoaks actress Annie Wallace ‘very upset’ to be leaving the long-running soap

One of Hollyoaks‘ longest-serving stars is set to leave her role as trans head-teacher Sally St. Claire, after nearly a decade in the soap.

Annie Wallace made history when she joined the E4 show in 2015, becoming the first trans actress to play a transgender character and series regular in a British soap. She has been involved in some scandalous storylines, including the killing of dodgy policeman George Kiss, after he attacked Theresa McQueen.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the soap would go from five episodes a week to three by the end of this year, leaving a number of characters facing the axe.

Now, Wallace, who nominated for a BAFTA Scotland in 2016, has revealed that she will be leaving in the coming weeks.

Speaking to Metro, the actress made it clear that it was not her decision to go, and recalled feeling “very upset” while filming her final scenes in July. She was told about her character’s fate in March.

“It’s been mostly ignoring that it’s going to happen and carrying on with work. It was when it was headed to the last few weeks that I started to get a bit emotional. I started thinking what costumes I was going to take home with me and things like that.

“The last filming days were quite intense. I was very upset, there is no lying about it. It’s my career and I love the show.”

Details of how Sally will leave are being kept under wraps for now, but Wallace said that it will be a “shock” for fans of the soap.

However, she has revealed that Sally won’t be killed off, meaning there is “every chance” she could return to in the future. Wallace doesn’t feel the character has reached her full potential, and has always hoped she would have had a “proper love story”, like Coronation Street’s trans character Hayley Cropper.

Sally will leave as part of an autumn stunt week, during which the show will catapult forward in time, returning a year into the future to mark the start of a new era.

Last month, fellow trans character Kitty Draper left the soap after just eight months, shortly after actress Iz Hesketh was named best newcomer at the Radio Times soap awards.

From next week, Hollyoaks will air on E4 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7pm. Episodes will be available to stream from 7am on Channel 4. 

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