Eternal star Kelle Bryan has joined the cast of Hollyoaks – and we’re sure fans will want her to ‘Stay’ around (sorry, we couldn’t resist).
Singer and actress Kelly, 43, was a familiar face in the late 90s, thanks to being part of the popular girl band opposite Louise Redknapp (née Nurding), and sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett.
When the band broke up in 2000, Kelle turned to acting and has since starred as Fran in Me and Mrs Jones.
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In fact, Kelle even made a brief appearance as Debbie in EastEnders back in 1992!
Now the mum of two is about to portray Simone Loveday’s secret sister, Martine Deveraux, in the C4 soap.
Boss Bryan Kirkwood said in a statement quoted on Digital Spy: “We are very excited to welcome Kelle to the cast of Hollyoaks.
“She is a massive injection of energy into the cast and into the Loveday family.”
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He also teased that Martine would arrive in the village with a huge secret that will blow her family apart.
Bryan said: “There is bristling, joyful tension between Martine and Simone, which is great to watch.
“Martine arrives with a whopping secret, which has massive consequences for Simone and for Louis.”
Meanwhile, Kelle added: “I watched Hollyoaks back in the day and loved it, so to be joining the team is just fab. It’s a stellar cast of actors and we are simply having a blast working together.
“Playing Miss Deveraux is such fun – she says and does all of the things I would never dare to do.”
She went on to say: “I’m blessed to have some diverse and thought-provoking storylines that I am personally passionate about and looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into. Enjoy the ride!”
It's super exciting to join the cast I'm loving it ! Thanks to @MrKarlCollins @DuayneBoa @JacquiBoats @Alexfletcher72 @NickPickardFans and everyone in #casting crew and #production for making me feel welcome 💙💙💙 @Hollyoaks @HollyoaksGoss https://t.co/GfVyHWgUKz
— Kelle Bryan (@kellebryan) September 20, 2018
In a tweet to her 9,450 Twitter fans, Kelle shared her news, writing: “It’s super exciting to join the cast I’m loving it! Thanks to everyone in #casting crew and #production for making me feel welcome.”
Kelle and her former bandmates recently marked 25 years of Eternal.
Louise shared a photo of the band, alongside the message: “Wow 25 Years!!!! Happy 25th Anniversary Eternal! I’m so proud of everything we achieved! Lots of love.”
Wow 25 Years!!!! Happy 25th Anniversary Eternal! I’m so proud of everything we achieved! Lots of love @EastherBennett @kellebryan @verniebennett 🎶🖤🥂💿 #Eternal25 pic.twitter.com/YqjoD7U2bJ
— Louise Redknapp (@LouiseRedknapp) September 20, 2018
Eternal were one of Britain’s most successful R&B groups, with their best-known hit, I Wanna Be the Only One, topping the UK singles chart in 1997. It also won that year’s Mobo Award for Best Single.
Kelle has also performed on stage in several musical theatre productions and had her West End debut in 2017 in Wings.
Eternal took part in 2014’s The Big Reunion, albeit without Louise.
Are you looking forward to seeing Kelle join Hollyoaks? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!