Hollyoaks has confirmed that Kirsty-Leigh Porter has returned to filming as Leela Lomax.
The actress took a break from the show last year after going on maternity leave – returning briefly for the resolution to the flashforward episode – and welcomed a baby girl called Nala Rai with partner Paul Barber in December.
The soap has now released a first picture of Kirsty-Leigh back on set, appearing alongside Sid Sumner (Billy Price) ahead of her comeback in the coming weeks.
Related: 14 huge Hollyoaks spoilers for next week
With the two together, the show has also hinted at a possible storyline ahead for the pair – after all, Sid has been living with and raised by the Lomaxes since the death of his racist father.
Kirsty-Leigh originally joined Hollyoaks back in 2013 as a member of the Lomax family and half-sister to Ste Hay.
The actress revealed her daughter's name back in March, sharing an Instagram Story with the words: "So grateful for you. I'm so glad you chose me to be your mummy Nala Rai."
Kirsty-Leigh confirmed she gave birth last year with a black-and-white picture of Paul carrying a car seat with the baby out of the hospital.
Back in January 2019, she shared the sad news that she and Paul had lost a baby daughter after she was delivered stillborn.
"Our beautiful baby girl, Penny-Leigh Barber was born sleeping on the 21st of December 2018 at 6.49am, 29 weeks & 3 days young," she wrote at the time.
"My heart has never felt pain like it. Sleep sweetly our angel. We will always love you. Love your Mummy & Daddy. My Everything."
Hollyoaks airs new episodes from Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look screenings at 7pm on E4. Selected omnibus episodes are available via Amazon Prime Video.
Sands supports anyone affected by the death of a baby. You can contact the Sands National Helpline on 0808 164 3332, or email helpline@sands.org.uk.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
