Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring has said an emotional farewell to the Channel 4 soap by paying a heartfelt tribute to her character on her final day of filming.
The actress, 46, who has played Cindy Cunningham for 28 years, took to Instagram on Wednesday with an emotional message about her time on the long-running show, calling her alter ego “worthy of my tears.”
Stephanie is the only original character included in a recent cast selection of 20 members.
In May it was revealed that Hollyoaks had become the latest soap to be hit by strict budget cuts, with show bosses planning to reduce the workforce by 40 per cent.
In a lengthy and touching post, Stephanie wrote a tribute to her character and shared a supportive text message she received from her fiancé Tom Brookes before her last day on set.
Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring got emotional on Wednesday as she ‘said goodbye’ to the show for good and headed out for her final day on set (pictured 2022)
The 46-year-old actress, who has played Cindy Cunningham for 28 years, took to Instagram with a heartfelt message about her time on the British soap opera.
In a long and touching post, Stephanie wrote a tribute to her character Cindy.
The soap star wrote: ‘I knew today would be a tough day. However, I’ve been keeping my feelings about saying goodbye to the life I’ve known for 16 years in a box.
“I thought, ‘I’ll be fine, I’ve been preparing for 3 months, I can’t wait to start my new life.’ I woke up to this text from my fiancé.
‘It reminded me that I should feel… it reminded me how strong I am, it reminded me of what I’ve achieved, it reminded me that I created a Hollyoaks icon and that she is worthy of my tears…
“It reminded me that I am loved and that I am incredibly lucky to have a man who sees me for who I am in life, who sees the beauty and the brilliance, the flaws and loves them anyway.
“Today I’m saying goodbye and I will feel it and cherish all my memories. Cindy, let’s do one last take! #goodbye.”
Her fiancé’s message was incredibly sweet, as he described today as a “bittersweet moment filled with pride and nostalgia.”
Tom, who got down on one knee in December 2021 after a year of dating, praised his partner’s “unwavering commitment, resilience and passion” and assured her she can look forward to “exciting new adventures ahead.”
She has played Cindy Cunningham (right) on the soap opera Cheshire since 1998, and is the only member of the original cast to have been axed.
Stephanie’s fiancé Tom, who got down on one knee in December 2021 after a year of dating, praised his partner’s “unwavering commitment, resilience and passion” and assured her she can look forward to “exciting new adventures ahead” (pictured together in April 2024).
Her fiancé’s message was equally devastating, as he described it today as a “bittersweet moment filled with pride and nostalgia.”
The soap star wrote: ‘I knew today would be a tough day. However, I’ve been keeping my feelings about saying goodbye to the life I’ve known for 16 years in a box.
The star admitted that while she had a “gut feeling” she was going to be let go, she had also just signed a one-year contract that she thought would save her from the recent cuts.
Emotional fans in the comments of the post shared their own sweet farewell messages to Stephanie’s character, Cindy.
In April it was reported that bosses had decided to fire twenty cast members, but most of their identities had yet to be revealed.
Emotional fans in the comments of the post shared their own sweet farewell messages to Stephanie’s character Cindy, joking:
‘Nooo! I can’t believe you’re leaving!’
“We will miss you and Cindy! I’ve watched Hollyoaks since day one and I can’t imagine any other Cindy. Good luck with whatever comes next.”
‘Cindy is Hollyoaks, it just won’t be the same, good luck for the future, you’re going to shine.’
“I really hate to see all these important characters go… the show is not going to be the same. I’ll miss Cindy, I watched her grow up. All the best for the future, Steph.”
“Oh, Steph, I feel sorry for you. I hope you have a good day and I look forward to seeing you fly high on your new adventures.”
This comes after Stephanie burst into tears earlier this year when she took to Instagram to share another very candid post about her devastation over his upcoming exit.
In the emotional video, she recounted the toll this has taken on her, saying: ‘Today I had to say goodbye to some of the crew members I’ve been working with for the past 16 years.
“And I’ve known this for 28 years. And it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I’m going to miss these people so much.”
This comes after Stephanie burst into tears earlier this year when she took to Instagram to share another very candid post about her devastation over his upcoming exit.
In the emotional video, she spoke about the toll this has taken on her, saying: “Today I had to say goodbye to some of the crew members I’ve been working with for the past 16 years.”
Stephanie posted a selection of snaps from her time on the show when she initially broke the news of her departure to fans earlier this year.
She went on to say that she has to be positive, otherwise she would “just go down another path.”
Stéphane admitted: “For me the important thing is to keep showing up with a smile on my face, but I’m really going to miss everyone and it’s getting closer and closer to having to say goodbye properly.”
She said she doesn’t normally share the “s**t” stuff, but wanted to be more honest on social media and share some of her lowest moments.
Her post received a lot of support from fans, who shared their own stories about losing their jobs and how it can often lead to something better.
Speaking about being kicked off the show in an interview with Sun In April, Steph confessed she was in total disbelief at the news when she confessed: “I expected more loyalty after almost three decades.”
The star admitted that while she had a “gut feeling” she was going to be let go, she had also just signed a one-year contract that she believed would save her from the recent cuts.
She said: ‘At the meeting they read a script and a tear fell from my eye because I could feel it in the room.
‘They got to the end and they were like, ‘And with that, we’re losing Cindy from the show.’ I was just like, ‘I don’t understand.’ I was so distraught, I didn’t take it well. I was probably the most dramatic person that was ever told that.’
Steph explained that she burst into tears after hearing the news and was completely heartbroken.