Grantchester's Rishi Nair's mysterious explanation for quitting Hollyoaks very suddenly

Former Hollyoaks star Rishi Nair joined series nine of Grantchester as the new vicar, Alphy Kotteram, taking over from Tom Brittney, who portrayed the much-loved Will Davenport

As Grantchester returns to our screens, it has welcomed a fresh face, with actor Rishi Nair stepping into the role of vicar Alphy Kotteram in the popular ITV period drama.

The ninth season premiered earlier this month, bidding an emotional farewell to Tom Brittney, who portrayed the much-loved vicar Will Davenport for six years. In the third episode, which aired on Wednesday, January 22, viewers were introduced to Will's successor, played by Nair.

Throughout his career, Nair has made appearances in an array of programmes and movies such as I'm Still Here, Silent Witness, The Forbidden Note, and The Duchess.

His big break arrived when he was cast as the determined lawyer Sami Maalik in Channel 4's hit soap Hollyoaks, where he delivered stellar performances for four years before deciding to bow out rather mysteriously. Nair chose not to detail his reasons for leaving Hollyoaks but suggested it was simply the right "time" for a change, with hints at possible future comebacks.

Rishi reflected: "I will really miss everyone on the show. It's like a big family so will definitely miss working with them. I don't want to say this is goodbye forever because we never know what the future might hold but I feel like he's left at a good time.

"We've seen him go full circle. He came to the village looking for revenge and was a bit of a villain at the beginning and we've kind of seen the real Sami and his soft side has come through."

ITV viewers were left gutted when Tom announced he was hanging up his vicar's collar after a nine-season stint as the beloved Will Davenport in the hit detective series.

As Detective Geordie and Alphy begin to develop their own dynamic duo, echoing the bond once shared with Will, fans have been vocal about a particular gripe: the constant nods to Will's character are making it tough for them to embrace the change.

One viewer vented on social media: "They keep mentioning Will all the time how are we supposed to move on with Alphy if they won't let us!"

Another chimed in: "Yes we all miss Will," while a third pleaded: "Stop depressing me with Will mentions, please."

Brittney bid farewell to the crime-ridden hamlet of Grantchester earlier this month, accepting a bishop's offer for a new challenge in Newcastle.