Sheree Murphy denies 'Oaks axe fears

Sheree Murphy has insisted that there is no truth in rumours of poor morale among the Hollyoaks cast.

The actress, who joined the Channel 4 teen serial in February, insisted that she and her colleagues all feel optimistic about the show's future with new producer Paul Marquess at the helm.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Hollyoaks team feared the drama could be axed after its audience fell to 850,000 on Good Friday.

However, speaking to Holy Soap, Murphy explained: "I think everyone's trying to be positive about the new changes rather than think about the whole thing being axed.

"The new producer has been brought in for a reason and that's to change things around so regardless of what happens in the future you have to look at now. He's going to make big changes and improve everything if that's what it needs."

In recent weeks, Marquess has culled a string of characters, shaken up the Hollyoaks production team and announced a hoard of new signings. He has also revealed that fans can expect to see "a big injection of fun" over the coming months.

Murphy's first scenes as Anita Roy's (Saira Choudhry) long-lost mother Eva will air on Hollyoaks next week.