Exclusive: Hollyoaks casts mystery man Xander as Cindy and Beth team up

Hollyoaks is introducing a new character as mystery man Xander arrives in the village, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal. Indigo Kamal-Poole has been cast in the role, with the newcomer intriguing some of the established favourites when he arrives later this month.

Show chiefs have teased that Xander has a connection to one of the other residents, with his first scene seeing him on the receiving end of questioning from a bickering Cindy Cunningham and Beth Keane.

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Kamal-Poole is a hard-of-hearing actor, and has praised Hollyoaks bosses for their approach to authentic representation, sharing: "It's been really exciting exploring a character like Xander, and to be able to wear my hearing aids on screen without them being the driving force behind who he is.

"My hearing loss is a part of me, just as it's a part of Xander, but it doesn't have to define the stories we're able to tell. I think there's something really important about that kind of representation – where a character can exist with a disability, while their relationships and personality drive their story."

"It's been such a privilege to work with iconic characters such as Cindy and Warren already. I'm so excited for everyone to see how his storyline unfolds," added the actor.

Xander's first scenes air on Wednesday 26 August on E4 and Channel 4 Streaming.

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"Xander's arrival could spark a miracle if he inadvertently gets Cindy and Beth on the same page," teases our Hollyoaks insider.

"The two women have been at odds for weeks amid the big secret about how Beth's son Maddox came into the world – and where they all go from here. But on this particular mission, they could be a formidable force as a duo!"

Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.

Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.

Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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