Next week's Hollyoaks spoilers: Liam and James are on and all eyes are on Mercedes (16-20 December 2019)

The pair's surprise night of passion looks like it's definitely not a one-off: the week ahead sees fluid Liam flirting as slinks around in his fake fur coat, suggesting to the uptight legal eagle they mix their new protection racket business with a bit of between-the-sheets pleasure.

• Exclusive: Hollyoaks to stream Christmas episodes on All4 before they’re on TV

Yes it's completely out of the blue, but both characters are consistently engaging with an ever-present glint in their eye, and could easily generate one of those huge online fanbases - prepare yourselves for #Lames to become a full-blown phenomenon. Or does #Jiam sound better?

In other "Where did that come from?" hook-up news, Diane Hutchinson deeply regrets bedding father-in-law Edward. This is all part of the dastardly doctor's plan to steal his absent son Tony's life and he dials up the charm to 11 when Di says it can never happen again. With Tony due to be rescued from serial killer Breda McQueen's pig farm prison in a matter of weeks, what's the betting his dad and wife will be having a full-blown fling by the time he's home?

All this feeds into the continuing 'Who Shot Mercedes?' mystery, which is back in sharp focus this week. Flashbacks, montages and alternative takes from the night of the incident all suggest fans finding out who pulled that trigger sooner rather than later. Just remember, big reveals are never straightforward in Hollyoaks so make sure you're paying attention.

Elsewhere, tiger mum Leela Lomax goes all Tom and Pippa Fletcher when she offers homeless teenager Sid Sumner a place to stay, and Mitchell Deveraux tells boyfriend Scott Drinkwell he's ready for some public displays of affection - as long as it's a taxi-ride away from the village so no one he actually knows sees them.

Visit our dedicated Hollyoaks page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.