Shorty birthday surprise GOOD GOLLY, IT'S HOLLY!

The actress hopes her return will be less controversial, but she knows she can rely on her fiancé to cheer her on

- Rebekah Hebenton

Shortland Street is well known for its controversial and attention-grabbing storylines, and no one knows that better than 9 former cast member Holly Shervey.

Returning to the iconic soap this week for the first time in three years, the 32-year-old admits she's had to learn some important lessons about public backlash since her last foray in Ferndale.

“If there's something negative said, it can hurt," tells Holly. "I came back to the show wanting to tell the best story possible and as long as I'm doing that, it overrides anyone else's opinion. When I was originally there, I wasn't able to do that, so it's actually nice coming back and not worrying about what people are going to say."

The loved-up pair are working on their dream wedding.

Holly first joined the show in 2018 as the scheming Zoe Carlson and within months she had made national headlines thanks to her character's storylines.

Controversy exploded after Zoe was brutally sexually assaulted by a masked man targeting female residents of Ferndale. Many fans of the show deemed the scenes of the attack too gruesome for 7pm viewing.

While Holly says it was a privilege to bring such an important issue to the small screen, she admits she has never been happier to wrap a day of work.