Stephanie Waring says an emotional goodbye to her Hollyoaks character in heartfelt tribute on her last day of filming after almost three decades of playing ‘icon’ Cindy
Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring bid an emotional farewell to the Channel 4 soap, paying a heartfelt tribute to her character on her final day of filming.
The 46-year-old actress, who has played Cindy Cunningham for 28 years, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram on Wednesday about her time on the long-running series, calling her alter ego “worth my tears.”
Stephanie is the only original character recently added to the roster of 20 cast members.
In May, it was revealed that Hollyoaks was the latest soap to face severe budget cuts, with bosses at the soap wanting to reduce its workforce by 40 percent.
In a lengthy and touching post, Stephanie wrote a tribute to her character and shared an encouraging text message she received from her fiancé Tom Brookes just before her last day on set.
Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring was emotional on Wednesday as she said goodbye to the show for good and began her final day on set (pictured in 2022)
The 46-year-old actress, who has played Cindy Cunningham for 28 years, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram 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 tough. Still, I put my feelings about saying goodbye to the life I’ve known for 16 years in a box.
‘I thought, “It’s going to be okay, I’ve been preparing for 3 months.” I can’t wait to start my new life. I woke up to this message from my fiancé.
“It reminded me how strong I am, what I have achieved, that I have created a Hollyoaks icon and that she is worth my tears.”
‘It reminded me that I am loved and that I am so incredibly lucky to have a man who sees me for who I am in my life. Who sees the beauty and the brilliance, the flaws and loves them all anyway.
“Today I say goodbye and I will feel it and cherish all my memories. Cindy, let’s record one last time! #goodbye.”
The message from her fiancé was incredibly sweet. He described it today as a ‘bittersweet moment full of pride and nostalgia’.
Tom, who got down on one knee in December 2021 after a year of dating, praised his partner’s “undying dedication, resilience and passion” and assured her she could look forward to “exciting new adventures ahead”.
She has played Cindy Cunningham (right) on the Cheshire soap since 1998 and is the only original cast member to be fired
Stephanie’s fiancé Tom, who got down on one knee in December 2021 after a year of dating, subsequently praised his partner’s “unwavering dedication, resilience and passion” and assured her that she can look forward to “exciting new adventures ahead” (pictured together in April 2024)
Her fiancé’s message was equally devastating, as he described the day as a “bittersweet moment full of pride and nostalgia”
The soap star wrote: ‘I knew today would be tough. But I’ve put 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” that she was going to be fired, she had also just signed a one-year contract that she thought would save her from the recent budget cuts.
Emotional fans shared their own sweet farewell messages to Stephanie’s character Cindy in the comments of the post
In April, it was reported that bosses had decided to fire twenty cast members, but the identities of most had not yet been revealed.
Emotional fans shared their own sweet goodbye messages to Stephanie’s character Cindy in the comments of the post, joking:
‘No! I can’t believe you’re leaving!’
‘You and Cindy will be missed! I’ve been watching Hollyoaks since day one and I can’t imagine not having 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 big characters go… the show won’t be the same. I’ll miss Cindy, I’ve watched her grow up. Good luck for the future, Steph.”
‘Oh Steph, my thoughts are with you. I hope the day goes well and I look forward to seeing you fly high on your new adventures.’
This comes after Stephanie broke down in tears earlier this year when she posted a candid Instagram post about her sadness over her impending departure.
In the video, with tears in her eyes, she talks about the toll it has taken on her: ‘Today I had to say goodbye to a number of crew members that I have worked with over the past 16 years.
‘And known for 28 years. And it hit me like a bomb. I’m really going to miss these people.’
It comes after Stephanie broke down in tears earlier this year when she took to Instagram to share another very candid post about her devastation at her impending departure
In the tear-jerking video, she spoke about the toll it has taken on her: ‘Today I had to say goodbye to a number of crew members that I have worked with over the past 16 years’
Stephanie posted a selection of snaps from her time on the show when she broke the news of her departure to fans earlier this year
She kept insisting that she had to stay positive or she would ‘just go in a different direction’.
Stephane admitted: ‘For me it’s just important to stay present with a smile on my face, but I’m going to miss everyone terribly and the moment when I really have to say goodbye is getting closer and closer.’
She said she doesn’t normally share such “s**t” stuff, but wanted to be more honest on social media and share some of her low points.
Her post received a lot of support from her fans, who shared their own stories of losing their jobs and how it can often lead to something better.
In an interview with The sun In April, Steph admitted she was in disbelief at the news: ‘After almost three decades, I expected more loyalty.’
The star admitted that while she had a “gut feeling” that she was going to be fired, she had also just signed a one-year contract, thinking she could avoid the recent budget cuts.
She said: ‘During the meeting there was a reading from a script and a tear rolled out of my eye because I could just feel it in the room.
“They came to the end and said, ‘And with that, we lose Cindy from the show.’ I kept saying, ‘I don’t get it.’ I was very upset, I didn’t take it well — I was probably the most dramatic person they told.”
Steph said she burst into tears when she heard the news and is devastated.