Hollyoaks fans were left on the edge of their seats with a gripping Cleo McQueen cliffhanger that had viewers "shaking" and "screaming". The Channel 4 soap recently unveiled a shocking twist where Cleo (Nadine Mulkerrin) was discovered to have been held captive in a secret bunker by her abusive boyfriend Abe Fielding (Tyler Conti) for a year, after he convinced her she'd killed his mother Marie Field (Rita Simons) - who is actually alive - in a motorbike accident. After finding out her family member Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) was fighting bowel cancer, Cleo stabbed Abe with a shard from a CD in a desperate bid to escape.
In the episode streamed on Wednesday (September 18), viewers watched as Cleo managed to lock a bleeding Abe in the bunker and attempted to flee. But when confronted with freedom and Abe's pleas, she hesitated and ultimately returned to the bunker with a first-aid kit to tend to his injuries. Social media was abuzz with concern for Cleo's well-being as she chose to return to Abe instead of seizing her chance to break free.
One fan wrote: "I was shaking when she got out. but ..
. OMG what? ? ? " Another exclaimed: "I was screaming for her to run.", reports the Daily Star .
A third commented: "Poor Cleo hope she gets out of there." Cleo herself expressed her desperation, saying, "I've tried to leave, and I can't," pleading, "Please will you help me? I'm sorry." In the meantime, Marie was seen trying to persuade Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed) and Leela.