WHEN Will Mellor left Hollyoaks six years ago he took a gamble.

Having been in the soap since its first episode on October 23, 1995, the series had put him on the TV map. However, he decided to take a risk and see what else was out there for him.

"I'd been there for three years and didn't want to stay there too long and not be able to work again," explains the 28-year-old actor. "I've been very fortunate but it could have gone the other way and I could have left and got nothing."

The gamble paid off. One role has followed another - from Is Harry On The Boat? to Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps and Casualty, not to mention winning Comic Relief Does Fame Academy in 2003.

The door was always left open for Will's character Jambo, who left to go, er, gardening in another part of the country.

And tonight, in a special Christmas episode of the Channel 4 soap, Jambo makes a brief return.

So what drew Will back?

"I always said I'd go back if it was a one-off and a good storyline," says Will. "Hollyoaks was where my career started so it's nice to go back and say thank you to the people who put me here.

"The episode's a Christmas special based on the story of Scrooge," he explains. "Nick Pickard's character Tony is Scrooge - he's become miserable towards Christmas and I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past.

"I loved playing a ghost - I kept appearing in all different places, clicking my fingers and lights would turn on - it was like being God for the day. But there were loads of dialogue and only two days to do it all."

As well as being busy in his working life - he's currently filming the fifth series of cult comedy Two Pints Of Lager - Will's been pretty tied up in his personal life, too.

Earlier this year, he and his girlfriend of four years Michelle, 26, had a son, Jayden, who's now five months old.

"It's amazing what becoming a parent does to you," says Will.

"You think about it 24 hours a day - you can't help it. It's a big, big responsibility but it's something that I think I needed and it has changed me, naturally.

"I bath him and I do the nappy changes. I've done it from day one, it's not a big deal with me - it's important bonding time with my son.

"And I've worked solidly since his birth. I have to take it because in a couple of years I might not be working at all so I have to make as much money as possible. And I want my son to have enough money for school and that."

As is the case for all parents, Jayden's arrival has made its impact on Will and his girlfriend's relationship.

"Michelle's finding it hard because she's had to stop work and she doesn't like being cooped up all day. Having a baby puts pressure on your relationship.

"I want to live in Manchester and she wants to live in London - that's a constant argument. I'm going to save marriage for a while yet.

"If I can't decide where I want to live how can I decide about marriage? We've just had a massive thing happen to us with the baby and I don't think it's the right time to hear wedding bells."