Angry and frustrated: Uncomfortable Hollyoaks legend ‘forced to strip off’ on first day – in front of his new colleagues

The actor, who portrays James Nightingale, claims that the ‘extremely exposing’ experience happened when he first set foot on the set of the Channel 4 soap.

The much-loved star, who joined Hollyoaks nine years ago, details the incident in his upcoming book, The World According To Grog, which will release on September 12.

The memoir will document his time on Hollyoaks and life before his stint on the long-running serial drama.

‘As soon as my skin was bared, [head of make-up] Faye started to shave me,’ he said, according to The Sun. ‘All of me. Was this necessary, I asked? “Bryan doesn’t like hair!” was the answer I was given. Exec producer Bryan Kirkwood, that was.

‘This was a baptism by clippers and given that many of my new cast mates came and went in the hour or two that I was in there, an extremely exposing one.’

Greg recalled how he was subsequently taken to a ‘small booth in a broom cupboard’ for a spray tan and given a ‘tiny pair of paper pants’.

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Hollyoaks for comment.

Gregory’s character James’ fate currently hangs in the balance as Hollyoaks takes a historic time jump into the future.

The Channel 4 soap, as viewers know, has had its episodes reduced from five a week to three, with a number of popular cast members having been axed in order to facilitate the changes.

Recent scenes saw James come to believe that he was suffering from a brain tumour but (spoiler alert) he discovers that he’s actually okay.

Things, however, take a devastating turn, with James and husband Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) – who he recently reunited with – blown up in a car.

The characters’ fates hang in the balance and, with Hollyoaks set to jump one year into the future next week, you’ll have to wait and see if James pulls through.