Soap star Jamie Lomas quits Hollyoaks

Jamie Lomas has quit 'Hollyoaks'.

The 48-year-old actor - who played Warren Fox on the long-running soap - has decided to walk away from the show at the end of his current contract.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Jamie has been at the centre of some of the soap’s biggest storylines and has been back in 'Hollyoaks' now for nearly eight years, which is a long time.

"It’s been a long stint which he has loved but with all the changes going on he felt the time was right to move on."

In February, Channel 4 announced plans to cut 'Hollyoaks' from five episodes a week to just three, and Jamie has decided that now is the ideal time for him to walk away from the programme.

The insider added: "He told bosses last week and they are already working on his exit storyline.

"The door will be left open and it is hoped he’ll be back again as Warren Fox on day."

Meanwhile, Ian Katz, the chief content officer at Channel 4, recently claimed that the show's revamp will ensure that 'Hollyoaks' remains "compulsive viewing for a new generation of fans as viewing habits change".

He said: "The show has always been at the forefront of innovation in all of its forms, including increasing and decreasing episode numbers in response to viewing habits. These changes are a decisive step forward, designed to reflect how audiences are watching.

"A tighter schedule promises a new era of more scale and impact. We are of course mindful of the impacts on the production team and will work closely with (production company) Lime Pictures to minimise these where possible."