Hollyoaks star Jimmy Essex gets engaged to long-term partner Charles

Hollyoaks star Jimmy Essex and long-term partner Charles kiss

Hollyoaks actor Jimmy Essex has got engaged to his partner of six years.

Essex revealed on Monday (January 21) that his fiance, a musician called Charles, had proposed to him with a diamond ring during the pair’s holiday in Sri Lanka.

“So … this happened. “

Hollyoaks star Jimmy Essex

The 30-year-old star, who played Adam Donovan on Hollyoaks, shared a photo of him and Charles kissing on Instagram with the caption: “So … this happened. ”

Charles also posted a series of photos of the adorable couple enjoying their engagement in south-west Sri Lanka.

He wrote: “6 years and counting… He said yes ” alongside pictures of them grinning and embracing, before following that up by writing: “Engagement party pending…”

And in his Instagram story on Tuesday (January 22), Charles included a picture of the newly engaged couple with the caption: “Couldn’t be happier.”

Fans of Jimmy Essex and Hollyoaks celebrate engagement

The announcement prompted an outpouring of love and joy from his fans, including Blue singer and former Hollyoaks star Duncan James, who commented: “Awwwwwww massive congrats guys xxx” on Essex’s post.

Actress Tamara Wall, who starred alongside Essex in Hollyoaks until his character was killed off in May 2018, also sent her congratulations.

She wrote on his post: “Best thing ever!!!!!!!”

Hollyoaks actor Jimmy Essex holds an engagement given to him by partner Charles

Charles posted this photo of the pair grinning happily (charlesmusic_/instagram)

Other followers were also delighted, with one typical comment reading: “So so happy for you babe!! Sending you the biggest congrats” and another saying: “YES YOU QUEENS I LOVE YOU THIS HAS MADE MY DAY.”


A different fan wrote: “SO THIS HAPPENED MY FEELS @jimmy_essex Congratulations!!”

One user said: “congratulations to you both!!! What amazing wedding pics you’re gonna have!”

And another commenter told the newly engaged pair: “You deserve all the happiness in the world x.”

“I’m equally jealous and happy for u guys. I hope he realises how beautiful a guy he’s got”

— @andrewbuchan1952, a fan of Jimmy Essex

Some were slightly jealous of the pair’s happiness.

One such fan commented: “I’m equally jealous and happy for u guys.

“I hope he realises how beautiful a guy he’s got @jimmy_essex all hail babe xxx.”

A different follower who was coming to terms with their disappointment wrote: “Absolutely heart broken but absolutely over the moon for you both Congratulations x x x .”

Some were caught especially unawares, like the fan who said: “I can’t believe [he’s] gay I’m actually heart broken I think this has broken me more than my divorce .”

And another of these people commented: “Didn’t know he was gay… congratulations and hope you’re very happy!! .”