Hollyoaks confirms Hannah Ashworth return as Emma Rigby reprises role

 There are some "exciting" scenes planned for the character.

Hollyoaks star Hannah Ashworth is coming back to the soap, as actress Emma Rigby has been photographed on the set.

The Sun has shared photos of Rigby on the set, including one of her sharing a hug with Ste Hay actor Kieron Richardson.

Emma played Hannah between late 2005 and early 2010, with some major storylines that included a relationship with John Paul McQueen that ended when he announced he was gay, a motorbike accident, nearly being burned alive in The Loft, and a marriage to Darren Osborne.

But her most memorable story was a harrowing one in which Hannah experienced anorexia and bulimia. The storyline saw Hannah's friend Melissa die of a similar eating disorder, while Hannah was sectioned and had a slow and difficult road to recovery.

The storyline was praised for raising awareness of the subject, while Emma won Best Actress at the British Soap Awards in 2008.

Since then, Emma has appeared in the likes of Prisoners' Wives, Ripper Street, and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

It's not yet known exactly what storylines Hannah will be involved in when she returns, or how long she'll be back for.

Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that.