Watch the moment Hollyoaks' Warren Fox punches son Joel in the face as he makes explosive return to soap

HOLLYOAKS’ Warren Fox makes an explosive return to the soap – by punching son Joel in the face.

Last month, The Sun revealed actor Jamie Lomas was reprising his role as the soap villain, a year after quitting for a new challenge.

Man in distress on the ground. — Hollyoaks has released the first look at Warren Fox’s return

Warren Fox from Hollyoaks. — Warren is furious with his son Joel after he relapsedCredit: Channel 4

While his return is only temporary, Hollyoaks fans have now been given a glimpse of the moment he reappears in the fictional Cheshire village.

The show jumped forward a year in September last year as it also moved to three episodes a week and cut a number of cast members.

But now a special episode will journey back into the missing year for a storyline involving Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe), Joel (Rory Douglas-Speed) and Leela (Kirsty-Leigh Porter).

In the first look clip, Joel approaches a man with his back to him standing at the entrance to an alleyway.

Thinking it is his dealer, having relapsed following the devastating loss of his stillborn son Noah, Joel asks him if he has “the stuff”.

As he pulls out some cash to pay for his drugs, the man fails to answer, prompting Joel to say more urgently: “Mate?”

But the man replies: “The only smack you’ll be getting from me, is this.”

He then turns and punches Joel square in the face, sending him flying to the floor.

As a stunned Joel looks up, his nose bleeding, he clocks the clenched fists before reaching the man’s face and realising it’s Warren, and he’s not happy.

The special episode – which airs on Monday – will explore Mercedes’ Bowel Cancer diagnosis as well as Joel’s relapse.

Hollyoaks’ Brody Hudson KILLED by Warren Fox as Adam Woodward’s final scenes air

Before the time jump, the walls closed in on an injured Warren when a showdown with vigilante Blue left him no choice but to leave Mercedes and the twins and go on the run with a bag full of cash.

Talking about his upcoming appearance, Jamie said: “There’s a lot the fans don’t know about the missing year and I’m excited to be a part of the special episode.

“I always love coming back home to Hollyoaks.”