Daniel O'Connor: Hollyoaks keeps me in the UK

Hollyoaks newcomer Daniel O'Connor has revealed that being cast in the soap has stopped him from heading home to Australia.

The actor, who previously starred in Neighbours, had planned to return to his native country before he won the role of former Army medic Ally Grogan, who makes his first appearance this week.

Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, he revealed, I was actually meant to be going back to Australia for a year - it was all planned.

"But as per usual, there was a spanner in the works because I got the Hollyoaks gig - quite a good spanner, I must admit, so I'm certainly not complaining about it.

"I do miss the Australian weather though!" he joked.

However Daniel wasn't without friends on the set, as he is a former flatmate of cast member PJ Brennan, who plays Doug Carter.

"PJ Brennan used to live with me back in London," he said. "He was a friend of one of my flatmates - we had a three-bedroom place, but at one point, there were eight of us living there! PJ slept on the floor for quite a while."