Hollyoaks 'plans to cut its workforce by 40 per cent after huge cast cull as ... trends now

Hollyoaks has become the latest soap to be hit by stringent budget cuts, as it's reported they are planning to reduce their workforce by 40 per cent.

Following news that the soap is planning to reduce its weekly output to just three episodes, sources claim the cuts have left cast and crew reeling.

According to The Sunday Mirror, bosses hope they can 'maximise impact' through an episode reduction, and can 'no longer justify' the huge and cast and crew.

The episode reduction will begin in September, and sources claim cast and crew are 'heartbroken' by the cuts.

A source said: 'Hollyoaks has been hit very hard lately and like many other soaps, it is losing viewers on a large scale.

'The bosses will do everything they can to look after people and are putting together generous redundancy packages.

'But losing people who have been on the soap for years is a body blow.'

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Hollyoaks for comment.

As part of recent budget cuts, it was reported that Hollyoaks bosses were planning to axe 20 cast members in a dramatic time jump storyline.

It was reported last month that bosses had decided to axe twenty cast members, but a majority of their identities had not yet been revealed. 

The Sun reported that script writers have come up with a bizarre plan to 'time jump' the programme by a year, which will fast-forward 20 characters out of the soap permanently.

A source told the publication: 'Losing 20 cast members in one fell swoop is eye-watering and devastating news for soap land.

'In the past, Hollyoaks has seen shock stunts claim up to five lives in a single episode. But the days of soaps having a big cast clear-out with a devastating stunt are long gone, especially on Hollyoaks where the budget has been dramatically cut.