Hollyoaks star Ruby O'Donnell discusses whether Peri will kill Rayne

 "Rayne has pushed her to limits of hatred."

Hollyoaks star Ruby O'Donnell has discussed whether her character Peri Lomax would be capable of murdering Rayne Royce.

In upcoming episodes of the long running soap, the manipulative Rayne (Jemma Donovan) will be found dead at a pool party – but the killer is a mystery.

Speaking to Inside Soap, Ruby dished on whether her character – who has been head-to-head with Rayne more than once – would be capable of murder...

"I'd like to think she isn't, but Rayne has pushed her to limits of hatred she's never felt before."

Ruby then continued to defend Peri, pointing out that the death could have been an accident, or happened without prior planning.

"We don't know how it happened," she said. "It could have been accidental and not necessarily cold-blooded, like it was with characters such as Silas and Nico."

Rayne's murder will take place at an event organised by the ambitious influencer as a publicity stunt, as she hopes to drum up interest in her relationship with Romeo Nightingale so they can appear on reality show Love Cave together.

"Obviously Peri has a motive to be the killer," the actress said. "But I genuinely don't think she wanted [Rayne] dead."

During a party game gone sour, all of Rayne's gathered guests name her when asked who they'd kill, given the chance – meaning everyone's a suspect when the influencer turns up dead for real.

Rayne's exit kicks off a huge new whodunit storyline for Hollyoaks, which will run over the coming months. Romeo, Prince, Hunter, Zoe, Nadira, Lizzie, Faye, Phoenix, Lacey and, of course, Peri will be among the potential suspects in the case.

Peri will have only just escaped from her current captivity at the hands of Rayne's ex-boyfriend Brent – whom everyone believed was dead.