Jon-Paul Bell has reportedly decided to leave his role as Beau Ramsey on Hollyoaks after two years.

The news comes amid a huge cast cull that is seeing 20 characters written out of the soap in order to facilitate a move from five episodes a week to three from September.

The character of Beau arrived in the village in October 2022 and was revealed to be a long-lost son of Tony (Nick Pickard), conceived during a fling in Ibiza 26 years prior.

A source close to the actor told The Sun: "His character has been seriously under-used recently - he's looking forward to booking other jobs and moving forward in his career."

Other characters due to leave - or have recently left - include Ethan (Matthew James Bailey), Cindy (Stephanie Waring), Warren (Jamie Lomas), Scott (Ross Adams), Norma (Glynis Barber), Hannah (Emma Rigby), Sharon (Jamelia), Romeo (Owen Warner) and Hunter (Theo Graham).