Carmel McQueen actress Gemma Merna returning to Hollyoaks – 12 years after character was killed off

Carmel McQueen actress Gemma Merna will be returning to the E4 soap – 12 years after her character died.

Merna, now 41, played Carmel between 2006 and 2014. Her character died in a train explosion at her cousin Porsche's wedding reception in November of that year - after saving cousin her Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) from Sonny Valentine (Aaron Fontaine).

Theresa was also the mother of Carmel’s late husband, Calvin Valentine’s baby - but Sonny wanted her dead because she had killed his brother. . . Just in case anyone needs a refresher, Carmel and Calvin (Ricky Whittle) were loved up and engaged to be married, but he had a one-night-stand with Theresa. By Carmel and Ricky’s wedding day, in May 2010, Theresa had discovered she was pregnant with his baby.

When she told him at the wedding, he told her to have an abortion and so, feeling angry and upset, she shot him dead. When Carmel learned the truth she decided she wanted to raise the baby and didn’t turn Theresa in to the police. But, by 2014, Calvin’s brother Sonny wanted to kill Theresa out of revenge. But, Carmel ended up dead instead.

But, we know that being dead doesn’t stop characters from returning in soap land. Gemma has recently returned to the set to film a special dream sequence for the exit of her on-screen brother John-Paul McQueen (James Sutton).

James, 42, who has played John-Paul on and off for the last 20 years, decided to quit the soap last year and his exit is expected to air on screen this spring.

It was also confirmed that Therea McQueen actress Jorgie would return to the soap in November last year, after the 38-year-old star took time away for her maternity leave.

The exact date that James’ final scenes and Gemma’s return scenes will air have not been announced yet by Channel 4.