Hollyoaks dedicates episode to Kirsty-Leigh Porter's daughter Penny-Leigh
Hollyoaks spoilers follow from Tuesday's episode on Channel 4 streaming, which doesn't air on E4 until Wednesday.
Note: This article discusses the loss of a child.
Hollyoaks dedicated tonight’s (May 28) episode to Penny-Leigh Barber, the late daughter of Kirsty-Leigh Porter.
Porter, who plays Leela Lomax on the Channel 4 soap, tragically lost her daughter 29 weeks into her term back in 2018, subsequently saying that her “soul had left her.”
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Following tonight’s first-look episode, in which Leela and Joel tragically lost their son, an on-screen message was written at the end of the episode, which read: “In memory of Penny-Leigh Barber, 21.12.2018.”
The latest episode began with Leela and Joel devastated after discovering that their baby no longer had a heartbeat, with Abe subsequently breaking the news to Ste, Peri and Marie.
After Marie and Leela, who had previously bucked heads, shared a tender moment upstairs, with Leela being rushed into hospital after going into labour.
After giving birth to their stillborn child, Leela and Joel decided to name him Noah as they came to terms with their loss. Joel began to sing a song to Noah, before the couple embraced as they spent some time alone with him.
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Porter, who has also appeared on Coronation Street and Emmerdale, had previously talked about the personal storyline, saying the aim was to educate rather than “scare” people.
“It's trying not to scare people, but I want to show that it's normal to feel reduced movements – as long as you notice it and you do something about it,” she said.
“People watching this who are pregnant might instantly put their hand to their tummy. Even if we get that, that's brilliant, that's a job done because that's exactly what we want. It could save a life. That's the goal.”
Organisations including Sands and Tommy's are able to offer help and support to anyone affected by baby loss.
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.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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