Ricky: 'I'm leaving Hollyoaks for Hollywood'
Ricky Whittle has opened up about his plans to quit Hollyoaks next year to try to make it as a Hollywood movie star. The actor goes head-to-head with sports presenter Chris Hollins in the final Strictly Come Dancing dance-off tomorrow night. Asked how much longer he would remain in Hollyoaks for, Ricky said: "I will be leaving next year, towards the end of the year I would say. "I've got lots of things I'd love to do, it's whether or not they're on offer. "I could stay on Hollyoaks forever because it's a great family up there, but you do have ambitions in life. "I'd rather try my ambitions and fail than to never try at all. I think you only regret things you don't do. "And for me, I'd love to go to the States. I've got a few things lined up, I'm not saying it's going to happen, I'm not saying I'm going to be able to pull it off, because everyone says: 'I'm going to the States, I'm going to make it big in the movies'. "I'm not saying that, I'm saying I'd like to try - and if I fail, at least I've tried. I think you need to chase your dreams and if it comes off, fantastic." The Hollyoaks hunk also promised viewers of Saturday's Strictly final would be treated to a 'flesh off' between their professional dance partners Natalie Lowe and Ola Jordan. Ricky said of his dance partner: "I think Natalie might not be wearing much so that should sort out our votes. It's going to be Ola versus Natalie in a flesh off!" Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk’s new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.