Hollyoaks fans are raging after the soap killed off much-loved character Jesse Donovan on his wedding day.
The heart-breaking death, due to alcohol poisoning, happened after Jesse drowned his sorrows and knocked back booze after discovering his sister Grace Black shot Mercedes McQueen in the Channel Four soap .
In harrowing scenes Jesse, played by Luke Jerdy, failed to make his way home to his new wife Courtney who was waiting to go on honeymoon with him.
Jesse tried to text Courtney before collapsing and was found by neighbour Martine Deveraux who called her doctor son Mitchell for help.
In Tuesday night's E4 episode Mitchell attempted to save Jesse’s life, but sadly to no avail.
"How can you do this to us??? Not lovely Jesse," tweeted one upset fan.
"He's one of the best characters in Hollyoaks. Finally gets happiness and they kill him off!" raged another.
"No, no, no! Don't kill off Jesse!!!!" shouted another viewer.
Luke Jerdy, who played Jesse since 2016, said about his departure: “The last four years in Hollyoaks have been the best of my life so far and it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to playing Jesse.
"I am leaving with the best memories and feel so happy to have been part of the team.
“The show continues to go from strength to strength and the work is hugely important."
He added: "Jesse’s death sadly could happen to anyone and I think we should all be aware of the potential consequences of
drinking too much.
"I hope that the storyline can help people to stay safe.”
Alcohol education charity Drinkaware said: “Jesse’s death as a result of alcohol poisoning is overwhelmingly tragic, and what Hollyoaks’ scriptwriters have shown is that the consequences of drinking too much should never be underestimated.
“If you drink a lot in a short space of time, the concentration of alcohol in the blood can stop the body from working properly, and lead to acute alcohol poisoning.
“It’s crucial to be aware of the signs of alcohol poisoning in order to help someone quickly, because they won’t be in a state to help themselves.”
