[Scarlett.]

The cast of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks fear that the drama will be axed due to poor ratings, a report has claimed.

Over the Easter holidays, the teen serial slumped to 850,000 viewers - a mere 10,000 above the programme's all-time ratings low of 840,000, which occurred on New Year's Eve.

Hollyoaks is currently undergoing a major revamp following the arrival of new series producer Paul Marquess, who has already culled a string of characters, shaken up the show's production team and begun casting for a new family.

However, despite Marquess's attempts to turn the soap's fortunes around, one senior cast member is quoted by the Daily Star as saying: "It's a really worrying time for everyone connected to the show. Not only have we had a new boss come in and cull a load of characters, we've had some of the worst viewing figures in years.

"It doesn't inspire confidence both on screen and off it. Watching The Bill being axed just shows that anything is possible. No-one is sure what the future holds. We're keeping everything crossed that we can pull through this."

Playing down the report, a Channel 4 spokesman insisted: "Hollyoaks remains a strong part of Channel 4's schedule. And as the flagship soap it is still the only long-running nightly drama for young British audiences.

"Fans can look forward to explosive storylines in the coming months when new episodes from Paul Marquess hit the screens."

Digital Spy