Hollyoaks star unrecognisable 14 years after character’s tragic skydiving death and quit acting to pursue music career

he actress, who played Sarah Barnes on the Channel 4 soap from 2005 to 2009, was killed off in a shock skydiving accident.

The star recently ditched her brunette tresses for a new look.

She showcased her blonde shorter hairdo in a snaps, looking very different to her character Sarah.

Sarah was introduced on the soap over a decade ago, and her character was put through a number of gripping storylines, including finding out her fiancé Craig Dean was having an affair with his best mate John Paul McQueen.

The twist and turns of Loui’s on-screen alter-ego weren’t over yet, as she embarked on lesbian relationships with Zoe and Lydia.

But the most shocking moment in the scriptwriters’ plot was Sarah’s dramatic exit from Hollyoaks, in 2009.

They decided to mark the character’s departure from the soap with a tragic skydiving death.

At the time, Loui spoke about the epic storyline to Digital Spy commenting: “I’ve been there for quite a while and it was a great ending for the character – I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go.”

WHERE IS LOUI NOW?

After leaving Hollyoaks, Loui continued to pursue her career in acting.

The Lancashire lass appeared in TV short Following Footsteps in 2010 before featuring in Doctors in 2015.

After that, Loui embarked on a very different project since leaving the popular soap behind, performing as one-half of double-act Verity & Violet.

The duo offer bookings for Christmas and themed experiences including the Great Gatsby, forties, classic and pop.

Their website says: “A combination of all that we do – generally starting slower & building to our more up tempo tracks.

“A vintage inspired mix of old school classics, jazzy numbers, post modern & more contemporary music.”

She has also enjoyed success in the theatre world, appearing in Tower Block in 2018 and also starring in The Nutcracker and Six Feet Under.