After thrilling audiences for 28 years give or take, Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) has left the eponymous village in heart-wrenching Hollyoaks scenes – but she wasn’t alone as brother and longtime confidant Tom (Ellis Hollins) was right by her side.

The duo fled the village with children Hilton (Addison Junior Cornelia) and Steph Cunnigham Lomax (Isabella Hibbert) in tow after they discovered that Dave Williams (Dominic Power) was none other than Blue.

When quizzed on his crimes, Dave dropped the act and pulled a gun on Tom and Cindy.

Cindy, horrified, refused to give him another chance and, after Tom broke free from his confines, she smacked her husband over the head with a stapler, running out of the flat that she’s called home for years.

After giving much thought to her next move, Cindy resolved to move to Spain and stay with sister Jude, who got back in touch recently, with Tom agreeing to join her.

The Farewell Party

After summoning Peri Lomax (Ruby O’Donnell) to the coffee shop in the park, Tom informed his ex about his trip, requesting that Steph come with him.

Peri was apprehensive but understood that it was important. Cindy, meanwhile, headed to The Dog, where Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) revealed that he’d invited a number of her loved ones along to say goodbye.

Dave interrupted the emotional moment, telling Cindy that he wanted her to stay, growing violent and threatening. Cindy, however, stood her ground, ordering him to let her and Tom flee and she would keep a lid on his secret.

When Dave was out of sight, Cindy grabbed a pen and made a note in Tony’s order book, writing: ‘Dave is Blue’.

The End of an Era

Cindy then joined Tom in the village where she said a heartbreaking goodbye to her nearest and dearest, branding Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) her ‘favourite’ ex-lover.

Steph Waring and Ellis Hollins were nothing short of exceptional in what felt like a rather sudden exit story for two such legendary stars, with their iconic alter-egos riding out of the village one last time, ready to embark on a new chapter.

Stephanie confirmed earlier this year that Cindy was one of the characters that bosses chose to axe to facilitate the upcoming episode reduction, news which was met with shock from fans of the show, who largely regard Cindy to be one of the most important – and iconic – characters in Hollyoaks history.

As of next week, Hollyoaks will reduce its episodes to just three a week, with a game-changing stunt week in store as the Blue storyline reaches a dramatic peak.

What’s Next For Hollyoaks?

Hollyoaks streams weeknights at 7:30pm on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.

The Channel 4 soap has lost some stars ahead of its new era. It remains to be seen how the show will fare with these major changes, but one thing is for sure: Hollyoaks will always be a show that captures the hearts and minds of viewers, regardless of its format.

Hollyoaks fans are eagerly anticipating what's to come for the soap, particularly with the ongoing Blue storyline. It's clear that the writers have plenty of twists and turns in store, and it's sure to be an exciting time for fans of the show.