Gary Lucy is taking a nine-month break from 'Hollyoaks'.
Gary Lucy
The 36-year-old actor reprised his role as alcoholic Luke Morgan last year after a 15-year absence, but will be bowing out of Chester later this year in order to resume his commitments to the 'Full Monty' touring stage show.
Gary's exit from the show is expected to tie in with the revelation his on-screen fiancee Mandy Richardson (Sarah Jayne Dunn) has been having an affair with his best friend Darren Osbourne (Ashley Taylor Dawson).
A source told The Sun newspaper: It's going to be an epic storyline which is likely to climax this summer.
"Gary had already signed up for 'The Full Monty' before returning to Hollyoaks last year.
"Bosses know how popular he is as a character so would never want to kill him off, he'll definitely be back."
Gary's temporary departure won't come as a shock to fans, as he revealed when he rejoined the show he had a theatre commitment starting in September, but they'll be revealed to learn he'll be coming back after the tour as the actor previously admitted he didn't know whether bosses would want to keep him after his initial contract ran out.
He previously said: "At the moment, the stories that are coming up won't be finished by then, put it that way.
"I'd also hope that people wouldn't want them to be finished by then, because it'd be a shame if they were!
"We don't know how it will work yet, but fortunately I always have good relationships with people that I'm working with. I'd hope if they were going to make it work for anybody, they'd make it work for me!"
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