The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks in 2007, by order of first appearance.

Father Raymond

Father Raymond is the Catholic Priest that first appeared to console Myra McQueen (Nicole Barber-Lane) over the anguish she felt about her gay son John Paul McQueen (James Sutton). He also helped prepare for the double wedding of Russ Owen (Stuart Manning) and Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) and Dominic Reilly (John Pickard) and Tina McQueen (Leah Hackett), he also took confession from Mercedes about her affair with Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas). He is a priest at St. Paul's Catholic Church. Father Raymond reappears when Kieron Hobbs (Jake Hendriks) chose to leave his position in the church and told him that he must do what is right for him. Father Raymond then took over again from Kieron and started working at a new Catholic Church, St. Timothy's, it was here that he performed the wedding of Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna) and Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle). Father Raymond then returned to perform Tina's funeral service. He is due to reappear again for the funeral of Warren. Father Raymond is Irish and appears to be mostly bemused by the McQueens antics.

Leah Barnes

Leah Barnes, played by Ela-May Demircan from 2011 to 2024, is the daughter of Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies). Leah is initially believed to be Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson)'s daughter however this turns out to be a man called Billy Parker – she is raised by Ste regardless of her paternity. Leah debuted when she was born on-screen in episode 1982, originally broadcast on 27 February 2007. On 24 March 2026, it was announced that Leah would be returning to the show with the role recast to Coronation Street actress Charlotte Riley. Riley spoke of her casting: "It feels like a dream to be joining Hollyoaks. I'm looking forward to viewers seeing a new side to Leah Barnes."

Reception In June 2017, Demircan was nominated for Best Young Actor at the British Soap Awards. In August 2017, she was longlisted for Best Young Actor at the Inside Soap Awards. She made the viewer-voted shortlist. Demircan lost out to Alfie Clarke, who portrays Arthur Thomas in Emmerdale. She was later nominated for "Best Young Performer" in the Radio Times soap awards 2024..

Storylines After discovering her pregnancy, her mother Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) initially wants to have an abortion, but eventually opts for a state of denial, with only Michaela McQueen (Hollie-Jay Bowes) aware she is pregnant. In February 2007, she gives birth to Leah on the kitchen floor, with her shocked father Mike Barnes (Tony Hirst) and sister Sarah Barnes (Loui Batley) delivering Leah. Amy refuses to go near Leah, leading her mother Kathy Barnes (Sarah Jane Buckley) to claim she is Leah's mother. This ruse continues for several months, but finally Michaela sells the story to a tabloid. By this time, Amy has formed a bond with Leah, and claims Leah as her own. However, Kathy has become obsessed with Leah and, after failing to make Amy look incapable of being a mother, she kidnaps Leah. She is eventually sectioned and leaves the village a few months later.

Leah moves into a flat with Amy and boyfriend Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson). Amy tells her family that Ste is Leah's father. After Amy and Ste discover they are in serious money trouble, Ste lies that Leah has leukaemia in order to get money. The lie quickly spirals out of his control as Ste and Amy begin raking in money as. Eventually, the truth does come out. Amy's friend Sasha Valentine (Nathalie Emmanuel) babysits Leah one night. However, drug dealer Nige Foster (Sam Townend) arrives and persuades Sasha to take drugs, despite Leah's presence. Amy and Ste return home to find Leah crying on her own, and close to a syringe. An angry Ste throws both Sasha and Nige out after threatening them. Ste's anger issues grow out of hand, and on various occasions, he attacks Amy, who briefly moves out of the flat with Leah. Amy later discovers she is pregnant and has a son Lucas Hay. She, however, does not take Ste back. Following Lucas's birth, Amy suffers from postnatal depression and moves away, leaving Leah and Lucas with Ste. She returns months later. Amy, Leah and Lucas move back in with Ste, but Amy and Ste do not get back together.

Gabby Sharpe (Phina Oruche) pays Amy to babysit her daughter Amber Sharpe (Lydia Lloyd-Henry). Amy takes Leah and Lucas to Gabby's flat and on the same night, an arsonist sets fire to Il Gnosh, which is below the flat. Amy falls asleep as the fire spreads, however wakes up and realises she is trapped. She eventually attracts the attention of Steph Cunningham (Carley Stenson) outside. Steph enters and manages to save them with the help of her husband Gilly Roach (Anthony Quinlan), although Steph dies in the fire. On Leah's 5th birthday, she bonds with Amy's new boyfriend Ally as does Lucas.

In August 2012, Leah, along with Amy and Lucas, leaves the village and Ste. She returns in November 2012 as a bridesmaid for Ste's wedding to Doug Carter (PJ Brennan). When Leah is playing outside the wedding venue she runs across the road only to get nearly ran over by a minibus driven by Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman). She swerves to avoid Leah, but although Ste manages to save her he is hit by the minibus. In December 2012, Leah is bullied at school for having Ste and Doug as her two fathers, but Ste explains to her that its ok to have him and Doug, as she has Amy as well. Shortly after this, Leah's biological father Billy Parker (Michael Parr) turns up in the village and vows to Ste that he will get Leah. Ste then tells Leah that Amy must never find out that he and his ex-boyfriend Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan) are together, and that he is still with Doug. Shortly after, Amy returns to the village in February 2013 and after discovering Ste's relationship with Brendan, she then leaves once more with Leah and Lucas, leaving Ste upset. Ste and Brendan later try to get custody of Leah and Lucas.

Leah takes a locket belonging to deceased Anna Blake (Saskia Wickham) that had been put in the vent outside the flat of Martha Kane (Carli Norris) and later returns it telling Martha that she had seen Anna's son Will Savage (James Atherton) getting out of his wheelchair and putting it in a vent, revealing Will as Anna's killer. Amy brings Leah and Lucas back to the village throughout November to December 2014 as Ste has a drug addiction.

After Ste is back from rehab he goes to a pub, but sees his stepfather Terry Hay (Conor Ryan) with Amy, Leah and Lucas. This is bad for him as Terry use to beat him and his mother Pauline Hay (Jane Hogarth). After that he walked away from a fight with Terry so Amy lets him see Leah and Lucas.

In 2014, Leah's adoptive father Ste Hay marries his current partner John Paul McQueen. They later separate after John Paul McQueen discovers that Ste has fathered a child with Sinéad O'Connor. Leah goes on to have another adoptive half sister Hannah Hay-O'Connor.

In March 2017, Amy was killed by her husband Ryan Knight (Duncan James), after discovering the truth about his sexual orientation, Leah and Lucas are cared for by Ryan and his girlfriend and Ste's sister Tegan Lomax (Jessica Ellis). Leah discovers that Ryan is gay and is having an affair with Ste. Leah tells Ste's sister Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter), causing everyone to know. But also, Ryan is revealed to have killed Amy, and when is caught, Leah is very confused and sad.

In 2018, Leah's adoptive father Ste has a short lived marriage to Harry Thompson they later separated and divorce after Harry has an affair and is later murdered.

In 2021, Leah goes to Trish Minniver's (Denise Welch) dance academy and Ste becomes Trish's cleaner. In October 2021, she develops a crush on DeMarcus Westwood (Tomi Ade), however judging by his facial expressions, the feelings are not mutual.

In 2023, Her adoptive father Ste marries partner James Nightingale and they move in alongside James's son Romeo and half-Sister Juliet.

In 2024, Leah's stepfather James dies in an explosion and which leaves Ste in a coma for 12 months. During this time Leah becomes a mother.

Aleksander Malota

Aleksander "Alek" Malota was an Albanian immigrant, first appeared when Davey Thomas arranged for him to marry Jacqui McQueen so that he could stay in the United Kingdom. Despite Jacqui's reluctance he was determined to see it through for the sake of his family in Albania.

There was an attraction between Aleksander and his sister-in-law Carmel McQueen who started an affair, with a reluctant Jacqui's acquiescence. The affair was discovered by her brother John Paul McQueen and their mother Myra McQueen. The fall-out from this discovery lead to the uncovering of the marriage arrangement, adding to Myra's fury and disgust, with Myra slapping Alek around the face. Although very sceptical, Myra quietly agreed. In May, when Tony Hutchinson stopped by for dinner, her accidentally spilt gravy on Carmel's shirt, leading Aleksander to realise Carmel had breast implants. He harshly judged her for using money on such a frivolous purchase, and his fury only grew when he learned she'd stolen the money. Carmel and Aleksander briefly broke up, but Jacqui told Aleksander he never would have met Carmel if not for her taking the money, and convinced him to give Carmel a break.

A few months later, Jacqui lost her baby, and Tony beat up Alek as he was the one receiving sympathy and being able to grieve. Tony announced to the shocked onlookers in the Dog that the baby was in fact Tony's. Jacqui asked Alek to go back to Albania and he agreed. When Carmel found out she was shocked and begged him to stay. Alek agreed to stay, and he and Carmel slept together. When Carmel went out to the chip shop, she came back to find that Alek had gone, leaving her a note, saying " I will always love you. A xxx "

Alek returned for a short period in July 2008, when Carmel agrees to help him, arousing Calvin Valentine's suspicions.

Malachy Fisher

Spike

Spike was a character portrayed by actor Tom Vaughan from March 2007 to August 2007, with a brief return at the end of November 2008.

Spike was first seen DJing at the reception for Jacqui Malota and Aleksander Malota. He soon befriended Jacqui's gay brother, John Paul McQueen. John Paul was still not confident in his sexuality, but Spike was not only openly gay, he said his father was also gay and lived with a man named Simon.

Once John Paul got up the courage to ask Spike out on a date, they became very close very quickly. Spike was good-natured, but also wasn't afraid to stand his ground, especially when John Paul's ex Hannah Ashworth interfered with a date. On another occasion, Hannah told Spike about John Paul's feelings for his straight best friend, Craig Dean. Spike became jealous and when John Paul tried to tell him how much he cared, Spike told him he was being too serious and that he didn't "do" serious. Spike was in the middle of a DJing gig at the Dog and tried to tune John Paul out. When John Paul turned the volume on his amp down, Spike warned him to never do that again and passionately kissed him in front of everyone. This seemed to strengthen his relationship with John Paul, and he even managed to charm John Paul's sister Mercedes and mother Myra when he finally went to their house for a visit.

John Paul had never slept with a man before and was nervous about taking the next step. One day while the McQueen house was empty, Spike took John Paul to his bedroom and they slept together for the first time. This was the high point of their relationship, as the happier they became, the more upset this made Craig. Craig slept with John Paul and although John Paul tried to continue seeing Spike, he eventually dumped him, not telling Spike the real reason why.