'Hollyoaks' Ricky Campbell to stay on soap

Hollyoaks star Ashley Margolis has announced that he will not be leaving the soap after all.

Back in May, the actor confirmed that he was to bow out from his role as Ricky Campbell alongside his on-screen best friend Dean Aspen, who plays Duncan Button.

However, writing on Twitter last night, Margolis revealed that there has been a change of plan following fresh meetings with show bosses.

Margolis told his online followers: "So.. to answer one of your questions that keeps coming up.. I am not leaving the Oaks now.. staying! There are lots of things coming up that makes it hard to turn down.. so enjoy Ricky! He's going nowhere yet!!"

He added: "Dean is still leaving.. I wonder what it will be like without my wingman.. I feel like Max without O.B."

Confirming the news, a Hollyoaks spokesperson told Digital Spy: "We are delighted that Ashley is now staying with us at Hollyoaks. Following the announcement that Dean Aspen was leaving the show, Ashley had felt it maybe time to move on, but when the writers came up with a story for him to stay, it was too good an opportunity for Ashley to turn down.

"We are really pleased he's decided to stay - Ricky is a much-loved character and we felt it was an important message to the youth audience that he continued his education on screen."

Margolis has been appearing in the role of Ricky since June 2009.

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Watch a clip of Ashley Margolis in Hollyoaks below: