Ben Hollingsworth reacts to 'surprise' exit of Virgin River co-stars

Ben Hollingsworth, a lead actor in the popular romantic drama Virgin River, has addressed the unexpected departure of colleagues Lauren Hammersley and Marco Grazzini.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight on Monday, the 41-year-old actor revealed that the cast were notified of the changes personally by showrunner Patrick Sean Smith roughly a month ago.

Hollingsworth expressed deep professional respect for his departing co-stars, noting that he contacted Grazzini immediately to offer his support.

“We found out about a month ago, when [showrunner] Patrick Sean Smith reached out to the cast members," Hollingsworth explained.

He praised the showrunner's transparency, stating: "He didn’t want us to find out via an article, and I reached out to Marco immediately and offered my condolences."

The actor further emphasised the impact of the loss on the production, adding: "But also, I let him know how much the show won’t be the same without him, and how much he meant to all of us."

The casting decision followed the premiere of the seventh season on 12 March. Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith defended the move as a necessary evolution for the series.

“For me, I’m just trying to look to the longevity of the show and making sure that the characters that we’re keeping have enough story engine in them to keep going,” he told Deadline.

Smith indicated that as certain narratives reach their natural conclusion, the production must "bring in some new blood."

Despite the transition, Hollingsworth remains optimistic for his colleagues, remarking that this “is just the start of great things” for Grazzini.