'My world felt like it was imploding': Stephanie Waring recalls her emotional reaction to Hollyoaks axing
Stephanie Waring admits that she reacted emotionally after being informed by Hollyoaks bosses that she was being axed from the soap in 2024 after 28 years playing Cindy Cunningham.
Stephanie Waring "lost (her) s***" after being told that she was being axed from Hollyoaks.
The 47-year-old actress left the Channel 4 soap in 2024 after playing the role of Cindy Cunningham for 28 years and admits that she reacted hysterically after being informed by bosses that her services were no longer required on the show.
Stephanie writes in her book Breaking the Script: "I walked into the office. There were two people there for the meeting: the newly appointed executive producer – a stalwart behind the scenes in various roles for years – and the long-standing head of production, who I'd known since I began on the show back in 1996.
"They asked me to sit. They explained that they'd be reading a scripted statement. As I listened, I could barely process what was being said. I was just waiting for the words I longed to hear: 'And therefore, we'd like Cindy to stay.'
"But as the statement neared its close, before the final words were even spoken, I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I was shaking as I looked at the two of them.
"Then it happened. 'And with that said, we will be losing Cindy from the show. I'm so sorry, Steph.' The world stopped for a second as I replayed those words in my head. Then... I lost my s***."
Stephanie admits that it was particularly galling to learn that she would not be on the show for its 30th anniversary (in October 2025) despite her long service.
She recalled: "'What? No! You mean you're not taking me to the 30th?' I blurted out, referencing the upcoming anniversary of the show – a milestone that meant so much to the long-standing cast.
"'I don't understand. No, I don't understand. I don't understand!' I was frantic. 'But I've been so loyal. Please, no. This is my life. I love my job – please, no!'"
Waring continued: "Hysterically crying, I repeated myself, hoping one of them would see my distress and take it all back. Had they made a mistake? My world felt like it was imploding. Through my tears, I demanded to know, 'How am I on that list? Cindy is an original!' I'm the longest-serving female character. I was the first person to give birth on the show.
"I was clutching at anything, anything at all, to make them realise their mistake. How? Why was I the only original being cut? I couldn't understand. It felt so cold. I could see the distress I was causing them."
Stephanie, who made her final appearance on Hollyoaks last September, suggested that it felt as if her "whole world had fallen apart" in the moments after learning her fate.
She said: "It felt like someone had died. My whole world had fallen apart in that moment. Everything I thought I knew had been taken away from me so easily. I felt like nothing – like I didn't matter."
