Exclusive: Hollyoaks star gives verdict on Leela and Tony's romantic future

Hollyoaks spoilers follow.

Hollyoaks star Kirsty-Leigh Porter has revealed that she wants to see her character Leela Lomax end up in a relationship with Tony Hutchinson.

The show has been teasing the possibility of a romance between the pair for months – with Tony's wife Diane even pushing for it before she died.

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In the closing chapters of Diane's terminal cancer story, she decided that Leela would be the perfect woman to take over as the matriarch in the Hutchinson family.

Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about Leela and Tony, Kirsty-Leigh revealed: "They bond over the same things! He's a family man, while she is the head of her family and looks after them all. They are brought together under circumstances through grief, with Tony losing his wife Diane. They're thrown together in a mess of grief and supporting each other.

"It's kind of a roller coaster. There is a bit of up and down in the future, but it's a nice story and not something that we're rushing. I would like to see them together. I think they are quite good for each other. And it's definitely what Diane wanted!"

Discussing the viewer reaction to the potential partnership, she continued: "To be honest, the fans have been great! Which is surprising, because Diane and Tony have always been such staple characters.

"When I heard Leela might be mingling into that I thought, 'Ahh, I can't, they're going to hate me!' To be honest, it's actually gone quite well with the comments I've seen.

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"It's not just jumping into bed together – it's bonding over grief. They are genuinely worried for each other and care for each other. It's what Diane wanted. Leela is just trying to honour Diane and the family and is trying to be there, because she does have a real big soft spot for the family and wants to make sure they're alright. The feedback I've seen has been quite positive."

Meanwhile, with Tony's daughter Dee Dee currently being groomed by her schoolteacher Abigail Matthews, could Leela be the one who realises something isn't right?

Kirsty-Leigh said: "Brooke [Vincent, who plays Abigail] is amazing – we've known each other a very long time and I love that she's come into the show. With the storyline between Abigail and Dee Dee, I did think originally Leela may get involved in it, but it's going in different directions and there's a lot of secrecy around it, so I'm not sure it would have reached Leela as of yet.

"When it does come out, I think Leela may have something to do with it, which would be nice because she has spoken to Dee Dee. They are bonding a lot at the minute. It would be nice for her to be there for it."

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.

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