Kim Butterfield is a fictional character from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

soap opera ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on ...

'', played by

Daisy Wood-Davis Daisy Wood-Davis (born Jessica Daisy Davis; 22 October 1990) is a British singer and actress. She has appeared in several stage productions, including ''Dreamboats and Petticoats'' as Laura and ''The Rocky Horror Show'' as Janet Weiss. From 2014 ...

. The character made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 October 2014. The character and Wood-Davis' casting were announced on 23 September 2014. Kim was created to explore established character

Lindsey Butterfield Lindsey Roscoe (also Butterfield) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Sophie Austin. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 3 June 2013. Lindsey had been involved in storylines such as coveri ...

's (

Sophie Austin Sophie Austin (born 5 January 1984) is an English actress who started her career out in theatre once she left drama school but later moved to screen. She is best known for portraying Lindsey Butterfield in the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a ...

) backstory and to act as a love interest for

Esther Bloom Esther Bloom is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by actor Jazmine Franks. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 18 January 2011. Franks had previously auditioned for roles in the show ...

(

Jazmine Franks Jazmine Franks (born 20 February 1992) is a British actress and powerlifter best known for playing Esther Bloom in ''Hollyoaks'' from 2011 to 2018. She is also notable for her role as teenager Kirsty in the 2006 miniseries ''Johnny and the Bomb ...

). Kim is characterised as a feisty female nurse with a complex personality. She can be evil, manipulative and obsessive but fun-loving and bubbly in other scenes. Wood-Davis has explained that when her character is "alone in her own head" she becomes insane. The character's storylines have often focused on her obsessions with other characters. During her first year on-screen, she had obsessions with Joe Roscoe (

Ayden Callaghan Joseph Patrick Callaghan (born 6 June 1981), known professionally as Ayden Callaghan, is an English actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Miles De Souza in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2007 to 2008 and as Joe Rosco ...

Grace Black Grace Black is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Tamara Wall. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 8 November 2013. Wall had three auditions for the role on the show's set in Li ...

(

Tamara Wall Tamara Kathleen Wall (born 23 July 1977) is an English actress, known for playing Grace Black in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. Before playing Grace, Wall portrayed the role of Martina Quinn in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Wall ...

) and her sister Lindsey. Her relationship with Esther remained centric to her role in the show, but Kim's affair with Grace ruined the relationship. Producers also created a dramatic car crash stunt around the character. In a bid to explore Kim and Lindsey's past a "secret sister" Kath Butterfield (Mikaela Newton) was written into the show. Kath was brain damaged as a result of a childhood mistake involving her fellow sisters. This story was used to explain Kim's "self-destructive" behaviour. Kim was also used during a long-running storyline for ''Hollyoaks'' dubbed "The Gloved Hand Killer". Throughout 2015 a mystery character was portrayed murdering patients at the local hospital. Reporters from British news outlets had mostly come to an agreed conclusion that Kim was the culprit. But the perpetrator was revealed to be Lindsey who framed Kim for the crimes. Writers later created a wedding scenario for Kim and Esther, which lead to a surprise storyline in which the character disappears without explanation following an encounter with a mystery character. Her latest storylines included being locked in a basement by Ryan Knight (

Duncan James Duncan James (born Duncan Inglis, 7 April 1978) is an English singer and actor. He became widely known in 2001 as a member of the boy band Blue (English group), Blue and later for playing Ryan Knight (Hollyoaks), Ryan Knight in the British soap ...

) for months, becoming

agoraphobic Agoraphobia is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no easy way to escape. These situations can ...

, being shot by

Glenn Donovan ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced b ...

(Bob Cryer) and going on the run for after taking the blame for Glenn's murder. Wood-Davis left the soap in 2018 and Kim made her final appearance on 18 October 2018. Kim has been well received by critics of the genre who have mostly discussed her mental health.

Casting

The character and Wood-Davis' casting were announced on 23 September 2014. She was introduced as the younger sister of established character

(

). Kim was billed as a "volatile character" who would create trouble for the show's Roscoe family. The casting announcement also revealed the character would quickly become involved in a hostage storyline. Producer

Bryan Kirkwood Bryan Kirkwood (born 1976) is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 until 2009, and was the executive producer of the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 2010 until 2012. He returned as t ...

revealed that Kim was created to explore Lindsey's past and give long-term character

(

) a new love interest.

Development

Characterisation and introduction

Kim is characterised as a rebellious and fun-loving character who adapts her persona to suit different scenarios. Kim has felt over-shadowed by her older sister Lindsey her whole life. Personality wise she is described as the opposite of Lindsey and they have a difficult relationship. Kim has been played as developing obsessions with other characters. Wood-Davis described Kim as evil and manipulative, but also has aspirations to become a genuine person. She has a "lovely side" which is only demonstrated in her nursing role. Kim is a three-dimensional character and the actress stated "I think Kim has got two or three different personalities that she flips between, depending on who she's with and what has happened that day." Kim is a "complex character" whose behaviour has been shaped by the events of her past. Wood-Davis enjoys playing a character with so many characteristics, she stated Kim has "got all these sides to her, one minute she's this normal, caring Kim who's a right laugh, but when she's alone in her own head she switches into something else."

Relationship with Esther Bloom

Kim asks Esther to date her but wrongly assumes that Esther is in a relationship with

(

). Esther seeks out Kim to explain that she is single and willing to date her. Franks explained that her character wants Kim to know their feelings are mutual. The pair kiss only to be caught by Kim's ward manager Dr. Charles S'avage (Andrew Greenough). She apologises to S'avage claiming that Esther is stalking her and the kiss was not her fault. Esther overhears Kim's lies but they later agree to date. But Grace soon becomes concerned about their relationship as Esther is acting as a surrogate mother for her child. Franks told a reporter from ''

All About Soap ''All About Soap'' was a fortnightly UK magazine founded in October 1999. It was released on Tuesdays. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia, including '' EastEnders'', '' Coron ...

'' that Grace wonders why Esther would want to continue their deal now she is in a new relationship. She warned that Grace would deal with anything that has the potential to ruin her baby plans. Franks added that Kim is shocked about the surrogacy because "it's an unusual situation". Wood-Davis told Nizaar Kinsella from the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'' that her character got with Esther "very quickly". She added that Kim loves Esther because it is an easy relationship.

Obsession with Joe Roscoe

''Hollyoaks'' writers devised scenes which detailed a past obsession with Lindsey's fiancé Joe Roscoe's (

). At Lindsey's engagement party to

Freddie Roscoe Freddie Roscoe is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. He is played by Charlie Clapham, and made his first screen appearance on 6 May 2013. Freddie's notable storylines have including learning Darren Osborne ...

( Charlie Clapham), Kim gets drunk and causes trouble. She tells Joe's girlfriend Nancy Osborne ( Jessica Fox) that she slept with him following his own engagement party with Lindsey. Wood-Davis told Daniel Kilkelly from

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

that her character wants to make Joe look bad but doesn't tell the whole truth. Kim is pleased with Nancy's reaction to the revelation as she leaves Joe. Kim does not like Joe because of his past treatment of her. Joe tells Nancy that Kim was obsessed with him and tricked him into sleeping with her. She tells Esther who refuses to believe it. But she later finds evidence of Kim's obsession and tells Lindsey the truth. Wood-Davis explained that Esther knows Kim is a lesbian and believes the scenario is unlikely to have occurred. But she finds inappropriate letters Kim had written to Joe and is "stunned" by her girlfriend's behaviour. She added that Lindsey is "mortified" with her sister's behaviour and wants nothing to do with Kim after she reads the letters. Wood-Davis stated that she was not worried about viewer's negative perception of her character following the story. She added that Kim "has got a genuine nice side but is capable of doing bad things too. If the audience choose not to like her, then I am happy with that as it just means I am doing my job properly." Alice Sinclair from

Beamly Beamly (legally incorporated as Beamly Ltd.) was a technology company based in London, UK and New York City, United States. The company was founded in April 2011 as tBone TV, later renamed to Zeebox, by Ernesto Schmitt and Anthony Rose. It was ...

noted that the storyline resulted in "driving a wedge" between the Butterfield sisters. The actress was happy with her character's new stories because she believed they were "evolving". She added that she never no one expected Kim to be taken down the route of obsession storylines.

Obsession with Grace Black

Writers planned a second obsession storyline for Kim when she falls in love with

(

). ''Hollyoaks'' released a promotional trailer which revealed that Kim would keep a diary about Grace. Wood-Davis told Daniel Kilkelly that her fictional counterpart notes down things Grace says to her or if Grace touches her. She also defaces a picture of Grace and her boyfriend

Trevor Royle ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the serial in 2013, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the sho ...

( Greg Wood), and keeps it in her bra. She believed Kim became obsessed with Grace quickly. She is in a simple relationship with Esther but Grace "really sets her heart racing and she can't get her out of her mind." Unable to discuss her feelings she starts the diary. The actress explained that Kim still loves Esther but more as a friend. Esther is "the simple option" and be better for her state of mind. But she cannot forget about Grace because of the danger that she brings to her life. Grace is sent to prison awaiting trial for the supposed murder of

Mercedes McQueen Mercedes McQueen (also Owen, Fisher and Browning) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera '' Hollyoaks'', played by Jennifer Metcalfe. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2006 as the first characte ...

(

Jennifer Metcalfe Jennifer Joanne Metcalfe (born 4 September 1983) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles of Jade Nicholls in Emmerdale and Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', which she has appeared in since 2006. Her port ...

). Lindsey discovers Kim's diary and warns her sister to stop and reminds her the trouble her previous obsessions caused. Wood-Davis told Carena Crawford from ''All About Soap'' that Kim is "one determined woman" and it would take more than Lindsey's intervention to stop her obsessing. Kim then commits vandalism to get herself arrested and placed in the same prison as Grace. The actress explained that her character believes that Grace is the only person who can make her feel better. Kim knows it is unlikely she will be allowed to spend much time with Grace. So when she enters prison she schemes against Grace's cellmate

Reenie McQueen ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive pr ...

's (

Zöe Lucker Zöe Elizabeth Lucker (born 11 April 1974) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Sonya Leach in ''Coronation Street'' Tanya Turner in the ITV drama series, ''Footballers' Wives''; Vanessa Gold in the long-running BBC One soap o ...

). She spikes her drink with

laxatives Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lub ...

resulting in her being hospitalised and requests a transfer to Grace's cell. Wood-Davis said that it marked the first time Grace became unnerved by Kim's behaviour. She knows they kissed but was unaware that Kim has feelings for her. She believed that Kim and Grace made an "odd pairing and very unexpected" but shared commonalities in their love for Esther. Grace is scared at the prospect of permanent imprisonment and feels vulnerable. She opens up to Kim about her deteriorating relationship with Trevor because she is someone familiar. But Kim uses this as an opportunity to seduce Grace who responds positively and the pair have sex. The development lead writers to play the character even crazier than before. Wood-Davis believed that Kim behaves "she's found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." She deludes herself that she and Grace will leave prison as a couple unaware that Grace does not feel the same. Wall told Sally Brockway from ''

Soaplife ''Soaplife'' was a soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio d ...

'' Grace does not realise "how insane Kim is". Their tryst makes Grace feel powerful and she does not have feelings for Kim. Wall added that Grace knows Kim is attracted to her and it makes her feel good while in prison and have a "power-trip". The storyline helped to develop Kim's mental state to its most unstable than ever before. Grace worries that Esther will not give the baby up. She realises that by continuing her affair with Kim she manipulate her to keep Esther in the surrogacy deal. Wall branded Grace's scheme a "dangerous game" because she knows that Kim is "pretty much insane". But noted that Grace has dealt with worse people in her past, "far freakier, weirder people than Kim." Kim discovers that Grace is still being intimate with Trevor despite claiming otherwise. Wood-Davis told Sarah Ellis of ''Inside Soap'' that Kim wants revenge and prints out hundreds of screen shots of herself and Grace kissing. She then places them around Grace's nightclub. She manages to remove them before Trevor and Esther arrive. The actress believed her character never thought about the consequences of crossing Grace. The pair have an argument and Grace realises how unstable Kim has become. She decides to keep Kim happy and stops arguing and sleeps with her. However the pair are caught in bed together by Trevor's son

Dylan Jenkins '' Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive p ...

(James Fletcher). He keeps quiet but Kim suspects Esther caught them and begins plotting against her. Wood-Davis explained "Kim reckons that once the baby is born, the two of them can run off into the sunset with the child." This results in Kim spiking Esther's drink with labour inducing drugs to gain her happy ending with Grace. Though writers prevented Kim from succeeding in her plans. They wrote Trevor becoming tired of Kim's interfering in his relationship and ordering Robbie Roscoe ( Charlie Wernham) to kill her. Wernham told Jonathon Hughes of ''All About Soap'' that "Kim is practically family" to Robbie and he wants to do right and help her. He added that his character pleads for Kim's life and Trevor gives Kim twelve hours to leave the country. But Trevor has planted drugs in Kim's bag to get her arrested. On the way to the airport Kim refuses to leave and escapes. Robbie is then caught with the drugs instead. Kim's actions caused Wood-Davis to receive many comments on social media website

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

. They expressed their support for "Trace" (a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words The storyline was played out on-screen following Esther giving birth to Grace's son, Curtis. Kim returns to the village and asks Esther to take Curtis and run away. She explains that Trevor and Grace tried to kill her. Wood explained to Hughes that his character cannot stand Kim and Grace's affair any longer. He put a stop to it and this leads Kim too gain revenge by taking his son away from him. Franks told ''Digital Spy's'' Kilkelly that her character agrees to run away with Kim because she believes that Trevor is lying. He tries to tell her that Kim has left the village as he thinks Robbie's plan worked, but she knows otherwise. This reinforces her belief that Kim is telling the truth and they leave. Trevor and Grace follow Kim's car and a fast chase begins. But their erratic driving leads to a crash and Trevor arrives on the scene to save Curtis. But then Kim reverses her car which leads to another collision with a police van which leads to the death of Dylan, who was in the van. The car which contained Kim and Esther explodes following their escape. The crash was named one of "the best bits of August" in the '' Inside Soap Yearbook 2016''.

Secret sister and obsession with Lindsey Butterfield

Producers decided to explore Kim and Lindsey's backstory in 2015. Wood-Davis first spoke of surprises and insights into Kim's past months prior to the scenes being aired. She explained that it would offer viewers with reasons and understanding for Kim's behaviour. They introduced a twin sister for Kim named

Kath Kath or KATH may refer to: * Kath (city), the historical capital of Khwarezm * Kath (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * KATH-TV, the NBC TV station in Juneau, Alaska * KATH (AM) KATH (910 kHz) is a ...

(Mikaela Newton). She was revealed to have permanent brain damage and being cared for in a hospital. The scenes focused on Kim and Lindsey recalling the day Kim and Kath were playing by a pond, Lindsey left them unattended and Kim had become distracted. Lindsey returned to find Kath drowning and her brain starved of oxygen. Wood-Davis told Crawford (''All About Soap'') that both Kim and Lindsey were left distraught and guilty because they believed that they abandoned Kath. They stopped visiting Kath in hospital as frequently. Wood-Davis added that the Butterfield family "sweeps things under the carpet and if something goes wrong just don’t talk about it." As a result, Kim and Lindsey behaved the same and refuse to tell anyone in the village. She believed their characters "feel like they’re monsters and it’s completely their fault." The events had ruined Kim's life and the actress believed it was the reason her character falls in love fast and develops obsessions. Kim lost the person she was closest to and obsesses overs others to keep them close. Lindsey believes that Kath is the cause of Kim's problems and wants to stop her from visiting the hospital. She moves Kath to another home but Kim tracks her down. But Kim loses her temper and vandalises Kath's room. Wood-Davis believed her character was consumed with anger about the past and the subsequent state of her life. Producers decided to build on the Kath's introduction by developing another obsession story Kim. She becomes obsessed with her sister Lindsey, believing she can be a replacement for Kath. Desperate to convince herself they are twins she begins to obsess over controlling her life. Kim tells Lindsey that her self-destructive occurs because of her guilt about Kath's accident. Wood-Davis told Laura Heffernan (''Inside Soap'') that Kim goes to extreme lengths to get close to Lindsey because she wants them to be twins. She added "Kim thinks this is the closest they've ever been" and visiting Kath is the only thing that helps her. But Lindsey reveals that she was solely responsible for Kath's accident which makes Kim feel sorry for her and triggers her intensify her obsession. Kim dyes her hair brown like Lindsey's and starts dressing identical to her. When Kim arranges a special day with Kath, Lindsey goes to her birthday party and ignores Kim but is later apologetic. Wood-Davis believed Lindsey feels manipulated by Kim and feels the need to be nice. Lindsey's kindness encourages Kim's obsessive behaviour. Her obsession becomes worse and she begins to meddle in Lindsey's relationship with Freddie. The actress said Kim wants to be in control and for Lindsey to be hers. Freddie books a surprise holiday for her birthday which infuriates Kim. She gets drunk and enacts a scheme to prevent Lindsey from leaving. She then pretends Lindsey's son has a skull fracture which occurred during him being in Freddie's care. She doctors medical records to make it appear JJ has been harmed. When Wood-Davis read the scripts she was shocked because "it was a bit close to the bone, she's really pushing it this time."

"Gloved Hand Killer"

On 4 November 2014, ''Hollyoaks'' publicised a storyline dubbed "the gloved hand killer". It was described as a long-running mystery story in which a serial killer begins committing murders at the local hospital. Kilkelly stated that one character would be murdered with a lethal injection at Dee Valley Hospital in an episode airing in January 2015. However, viewers would not be shown the killer's identity, only their gloved hand which creates the mystery. The perpetrator has complete access to the hospital patients and believes they have a right to decide who should live or die. As Kim is a nurse at the hospital she becomes a suspect alongside Lindsey, Dr. S'avage,

Celine McQueen '' Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2014, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced b ...

(Sarah George) and

Tegan Lomax ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the serial in 2013, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the sho ...

(Jessica Ellis). ''Hollyoaks'' kept the killer's identity a secret for ten months before revealing their identity. Over the course of the year the storyline generated much publicity and speculation of who the killer could be. In February 2015, Daniel Kilkelly opined that as Kim was still a new character she was a "blank slate" and would not be surprised if she was the killer. In April, ''All About Soap'' published an article dedicated to why their staff believed Kim was the murderer. By October, Carl Greenwood from the ''Daily Mirror'' believed that Kim was a "real contender" to be the killer. But they believed her to be too obvious because of her "crazy" behaviour. Tamara Hardingham-Gill writing for ''

Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...

'' echoed their comments naming Kim "the most obvious suspect" and least surprising would she had of been the killer. ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

's'' Ashley Percival also believed Kim was the culprit. Viewers also believed that Kim was the killer and she topped a poll ran via Beamly with over 566,000 votes. But Tina Miles from the ''

Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liverp ...

'' believed that she was too obvious a suspect. The killer's identity was revealed during a special week of episodes celebrating the show's twentieth anniversary. Before the reveal writers played Kim committing a number of strange acts around the hospital making viewers and some critics believe she was the killer. An article published via

Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, Cable television, television and Internet access, internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Engla ...

reported that Kim had become the main suspect. The gloved hand killer was later revealed to be Lindsey when she tried to kill her husband Freddie. Austin who plays Lindsey told a reporter from the ''

Irish Examiner The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country. ...

'' that she believed Lindsey would be the killer following Kim's introduction and their shared backstory with Kath. Kim learns the truth but decides to keep Lindsey's murder spree a secret. But when Lindsey fears she will be caught she frames Kim for the murders. Wood-Davis told Kilkelly that her character is scared and emotional but does not want Lindsey to be caught either. She is almost glad Lindsey has not been arrested but her situation is not ideal. She added that she has to rely on Lindsey to try and clear her name. The actress was surprised by Kim's imprisonment but viewed it as a "really good twist". She added that the audience gained a sense of where each character's loyalties lie. Kim is loyal to Lindsey but she does not behave the same in return. The storyline also helped to change viewer's opinion of Kim who was portrayed as a "victim" for the first time. Wood-Davis believed fans thought Lindsey was the crazy sister. She noted that Kim is "still a little bit loopy" but not as bad as Lindsey.

Marriage and disappearance

Writers decided to reunite Kim and Esther's relationship and the characters move in together. They continued to include Grace in their story and requests that Esther move in with her without Kim. She is upset with Grace's plan and promotional spoiler pictures were released depicting Kim having a mental breakdown. Esther is furious and believes Grace's plan has ruined Kim's mental health. Kim is taken to hospital where Celine realises that she is faking the symptoms of a mental breakdown. Esther forgives Kim and they decide to get married. Grace refuses to attend the wedding because of her dislike of Kim. She tries to convince Grace to change her mind, which annoys her more. Franks told Brockaway from ''Soaplife'' that Grace thinks Kim is a "

nutter Nutter may mean: People * Nutter (surname) * Nutter Thomas (1869-1954), Anglican Bishop of Adelaide, South Australia Places * Nutter, Netherlands, a town * Nutter Center, an entertainment arena near Dayton, Ohio, United States Other * ''T ...

" and would be accepting if it were another woman. Franks empathised with Grace, noting that Kim did plant cameras in Grace's home to spy on her. Esther's grandmother

Frankie Osborne Frankie Osborne (also Dean) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Helen Pearson. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2002. Frankie was once the longest-serving female character in ...

(

Helen Pearson Helen Pearson (born 16 November 1959) is a British actress who has been in three major soap operas, '' EastEnders'' (during 1990 as April McIntosh), ''Emmerdale'' (from 2000 to 2001 as Carol Wareing), and as Frankie Osborne in ''Hollyoaks'' fr ...

) is unhappy with their plans and tries to sabotage their wedding day with Grace's help. Franks told Alison Gardner from ''

What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compe ...

'' that Kim is her character's "safety net and she loves her, although she always lets her down. Getting married is a bit of a statement. They want to prove everyone wrong. Also Esther is very family-orientated and she’s always dreamed of having a big wedding day." Producers complicated the situation, in style often accustomed to soap opera weddings. Grace continues to try and sabotage the wedding. This prompts Esther to confront her friend and issues an ultimatum. She tells Grace that she will not marry Kim if she wants to be with her. Franks told Laura Heffernan of ''Inside Soap'' that Esther just wants to know what Grace's problem is and is not being genuine about the offer. Kim overhears part of the conversation and fails to realise Esther was just trying to provoke Grace. She attends the wedding and attempts to jilt Esther accusing her of loving Grace. The ceremony then goes ahead after Esther convinces Kim. The show aired surprise scenes in which Kim arrives home to prepare for her honeymoon and is confronted by a mystery intruder. Kim then vanished off-screen and Esther was depicted discovering a suspicious good-bye note from Kim. The scenes left it open to interpretation as to whether Kim had been intimidated into leaving or murdered. Some viewers used social media website

to speculate that the character had been killed off, inundating Wood-Davis with questions. The actress refused to reveal what had happened to Kim and did not state she had left ''Hollyoaks''. Wood-Davis told Hayley Minn of '' OK!'' that her on-screen counterpart had disappeared and "we don't know when or if she's going to come back, so it's just a bit of a waiting game to see if the truth comes out." She teased that if Kim did return there would be "a big explosion of secrets."

Departure

On 3 October 2018, it was announced that Wood-Davis had filmed her final scenes with ''Hollyoaks'' and Kim would depart later in the year. Producers would not reveal any details about the character's exit.

Storylines

Kim arrives in the village to work as a nurse at the local hospital and tells her sister,

(

), that she is a lesbian. Kim is held hostage by

Big Bob Big Bob may refer to: People * Robert Brady (criminal) (1904–1934), American bank robber * "Big Bob" Carlisle, a regular audience member of the British show ''Al Murray's Happy Hour'' * Bob Hazell (born 1959), Jamaican-born former footballer in ...

(

Vincent Ebrahim Vincent Ebrahim (born 1951) is a South African actor and comedian. He is known for portraying the roles of Ashwin in the BBC later Sky One comedy series '' The Kumars at No. 42'' (2001–2006, 2014), pub landlord Bobby in the BBC One comedy seri ...

) who threatens to shoot her for helping injured hostages. Big Bob is later killed and she escapes. Kim begins dating

(

) who is acting as a

surrogate mother Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to delivery/labour for another person or people, who will become the child's parent(s) after birth. People may seek a surrogacy arrangement when pregnan ...

for

(

) and

's ( Greg Wood) baby. Kim's involvement with Esther causes a feud with Grace as they compete for Esther's attention. Grace uses Kim to help frame

(Charlie Clapham) for

's (

) "murder" and lets her move into her flat with Esther. Kim kisses Grace who reciprocates which causes her to develop an obsession with Grace. Kim tells Nancy Osborne ( Jessica Fox) that she slept with her boyfriend and Lindsey's ex-fiancé, Joe Roscoe (

), years ago. She adds that Joe forced her to terminate the subsequent pregnancy. When Nancy confronts Joe he reveals that Kim became obsessed with him and tricked him into having sex. Grace is arrested on suspicion of killing Mercedes. Kim feels alone without Grace and smashes a police car window. Kim is arrested for vandalism and spends time with Grace in custody. She then tells Trevor that Grace no longer wants contact to cause a rift between them. Nancy becomes concerned about Kim's behaviour and tells Esther that Kim had an obsession with Joe. Kim takes a lie detector test to prove that she loves Esther and reveals that she only became involved with Joe because she was jealous of Lindsey. Kim threatens to reveal secrets about Lindsey after she reports her behaviour to the hospital. It is revealed that Kim has a permanently hospitalised twin sister with brain damage, named

(Mikaela Newton). Lindsey discovers that Kim has been visiting Kath and moves her to a different care home to prevent access. Kim is sent to prison for vandalism. Kim spikes

's (

) drink with

to hospitalise her and remove her from a shared cell with Grace. Kim concocts a scheme and is then moved into the cell. Kim seduces Grace and they sleep together. But Grace is annoyed by the events and forces Kim to seek legal help and she is released. When Grace is released Kim tells Trevor that she slept with Grace causing them to break-up for a while. Esther also ends their relationship but Grace is left heartbroken and threatens Kim with a gun believing she has ruined her life. Kim discovers that Trevor's teenage son,

(James Fletcher), has been

cross-dressing Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes usually worn by a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and self-express oneself. Cross-dressing has play ...

and she starts to bully him. Grace agrees to help Kim win Esther back so that she can be certain Esther will give the baby up. But when Grace pretends that Kim has been hit by a car Esther calls off the surrogacy deal. Esther confesses her love to Kim and they reconcile, Grace tries to convince Kim to tell Esther to give the baby up. Angered by her recent actions, Kim turns on Grace and refuses to help. Kim blackmails Dylan to plant a hidden web-camera in Grace's flat or she will tell Trevor he is cross-dressing. Via the webcam, Kim witnesses Trevor's ex-partner and Dylan's mother, Val Jenkins (Tanya Robb) try to kiss him. Kim edits the footage and prints a screenshot to make it appear to Grace that Trevor has been unfaithful. She pretends to be sympathetic to Grace and manages to sleep with her again. Grace pretends to have feelings for Kim and begins an affair in order to convince her to get Esther to give the baby up. Kim uses the webcam to continually spy on Grace and notices that she has lied about being intimate with Trevor. Kim prints pictures of her and Grace kissing and sticks them up around Grace's business. Grace manages to remove them before anyone sees and tries to convince Kim to keep their affair a secret. Dylan catches them in bed together and threatens to tell Esther. Kim drugs Esther into giving birth prematurely and she gives birth to

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin from the Old French ''curteis'' ( Modern French ''courtois'') which derived from the Spanish Cortés (of which Cortez is a variation) and the Portuguese and Ga ...

and refuses to give him to Grace and Trevor. When Grace tells Kim that she wants her to become a family with Curtis, Kim induces Esther into a coma. But Esther's grandmother Frankie is given custody of Curtis, and Kim realises that Grace has been using her to get the baby. Trevor later orders Robbie to kill Kim but he warns her of Trevor's demands and Kim flees the village. During her absence Kim begins manipulating Dylan online anonymously under the name "Gothboy98". Esther is released from hospital and Kim convinces her to run away with Curtis. Grace and Trevor start a car chase with them which results in Kim and Esther's car crashing. Kim reverses her crashed car which collides with a police van carrying Dylan inside it. This results in the circumstance that lead Dylan's eventual death. Esther discovers the full extent of Kim's obsession and affair with Grace and she ends their relationship again. Lindsey reveals that she caused Kath to drown when they were children. Kim then offers to be there for Lindsey but this develops into another obsession. As she spends more time with Lindsey she begins to cause trouble in her relationship with Freddie. She makes him look unable to look after Lindsey's son JJ. Then she pretends a small accident which occurred in Freddie's car, has caused JJ to have a fractured skull. She later sends texts off Freddie's phone inviting Lindsey home, climbs into bed while Freddie is asleep making it look like they have had sex. Kim discovers that Lindsey is responsible for a series of murders in the hospital and threatens to report her. Lindsey manipulates Kim into silence and she tries to make Lindsey stop killing. She becomes annoyed with Kim's meddling and injects her with potassium chloride. The attack does not kill her, but Lindsey continues to treat her and sedate her to avoid her regaining control. When Kim comes round she agrees to remain quiet. She later takes the blame for the killings to protect Lindsey and is sent to prison. Kim is released from prison and Lindsey goes on the run. She blackmails Kim into helping her to steal her son from the Roscoe's. Lindsey then goes into labour, Kim helps her give birth. Lindsey is then murdered by serial killer

Silas Blissett Silas Blissett is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jeff Rawle. Rawle's casting was announced in December 2010 and it was revealed that he would portray a serial killer. Rawle was approached by ...

(

Jeff Rawle Jeffrey Alan Rawle (born 20 July 1951) is an English actor. He is known for portraying George Dent in the news-gathering sitcom ''Drop the Dead Donkey''. He also portrayed Silas Blissett in ''Hollyoaks'' from December 2010 until 2012. Rawle ret ...

). Kim and Esther reconcile, angering Esther's grandmother

(

). Frankie attempts to ruin the relationship so Kim tries to convince her that she has changed. Grace asks Esther to move in with her and leave Kim. A jealous Kim fakes a mental breakdown leaving Esther worried.

(Sarah George) discovers that Kim is lying and Esther ends their relationship. Kim manages to justify her behaviour and makes Esther realise she loves her. They decide to get married but Grace and Frankie try to sabotage their wedding day. Kim tries to jilt Esther believing that she is still in love with Grace. Esther convinces Kim that she only wants her and they get married. Kim is then kidnapped and Esther believes she has left her. Kim returns unexpectedly and tells Esther to stay away from her and Kath and leaves again. Kim gets a visit from Grace, Cindy Savage (

Stephanie Waring Stephanie Louise Waring (born 19 February 1978) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Cindy Cunningham in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. In addition to her work on ''Hollyoaks'', she has also had roles on ''Coronation ...

) and

Eva Falco ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...

(

Kerry Bennett Kerry Bennett is a British television and theatre actress. Bennett grew up in Stockport, United Kingdom and began her career aged fourteen acting in theatre productions. She rose to prominence playing the role of Jess Cranham in the BBC medical d ...

) to the whereabouts of the Osbornes. After Esther's brain injury after being shot by Eva, Kim rents a flat for her and Esther to live in and she fears that Esther will leave her to be with Grace. She convinces Esther that Grace shot her. Kim tells Esther not to leave the flat for her safety and manipulates her using her memory troubles to segregate her from her family. After Esther confronts Kim about her manipulation she injects her with sedatives to stop her leaving. Esther wakes up with a caste on her leg and Kim tells her that she fell off the city wall and broke it and that Grace has murdered Frankie and

Jack Osborne Jack Osborne is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jimmy McKenna. He first appeared on 18 November 1996 and is the second longest serving character in the serial. He was introduced as part of ...

(

Jimmy McKenna James Stephen McKenna (born 9 October 1942) is a Scottish actor. He is known for his roles as Jack Osborne in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and Don Brady in ''A Touch of Frost''. Personal life McKenna lives in Sheffield, England ...

). The two prepare to move away but Kim's lies are quickly exposed by Grace and their relationship subsequently ends. Kim is later seen to have secretly moved into the Osbornes' attic with a shrine built to Esther. Kim witnesses an intimate moment between Esther and Grace while hiding in the attic. Kim decides to get rid of Grace and enters her flat armed with a syringe. Esther realises what she is doing and rushes to save Grace but finds Kim standing on the village wall, threatening to jump off. Grace is fine, but Esther pleads with Kim to get down and when she tries to get down she slips and falls of the wall. She is rushed to hospital and Esther tells her to get professional help. Kim grows close to psychologist

Farrah Maalik ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced b ...

(Krupa Pattani). She develops an obsession with Farrah and when she finds out its their last therapy session, she tries to prolong treatment. When Kim admits the truth they begin a relationship, despite Farrah's mother Misbah's (

Harvey Virdi Harvey Virdi is a British actress of Indian descent. She trained at Academy Drama School in London. Career Her theatre credits include ''The Borrowers'' (at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and larges ...

) objection. Kim finds a recording belonging to

Sami Maalik ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced b ...

(Rishi Nair), revealing that

Ellie Nightingale ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive pr ...

(

Sophie Porley Sophie Elizabeth Porley (born c. 1988) is an English actress and model, known for her role as Ellie Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. Before starring in ''Hollyoaks'', she had roles in '' The Work Experience'' and ''Jupiter ...

) pushed her father

Mac Nightingale ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive pr ...

(

David Easter David Easter (born 11 November 1959) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Callan in ''Family Affairs'', Gil Keane in ''Emmerdale'', Mac Nightingale in ''Hollyoaks'' and Frank Fisher in ''The Bill''. Early life Easter wa ...

) out the window. Kim discovers Sami's plan to destroy the Nightingales and confronts him, but he tells her to stay quiet. Kim and the Maaliks are involved in a car accident but all survive. Kim discovers a voicemail and finds out that Ryan Knight (

) killed his wife

Amy Barnes Amy Barnes is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Ashley Slanina-Davies. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 14 November 2005. Amy was created by executive producer David Hanson and Slanina ...

(

Ashley Slanina-Davies Ashley Slanina-Davies (born 18 December 1989) is an English actress born in Standish, near Wigan, who is notable for playing the role of Amy Barnes in the Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. The role of Amy was Slanina-Davies' first major tel ...

) and put

(Jessica Ellis) in a coma. She confronts Ryan and he kidnaps her, before locking her in the basement at Hollyoaks High. Kim remains trapped for months, surviving on tinned beans and starts talking to a

Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song "Ne ...

poster for company. Ryan tells Farrah he killed Kim and Farrah is determined to give her a dignified burial. Kim cuts her hand on tin which becomes infected and she collapses. Farrah and Grace find Kim breathing and she is rushed to hospital. Kim struggles after her ordeal and is to scared to go outside. Farrah convinces her to go for a drink and she does, but when she witnesses a fight she rushes home. Farrah turns down a promotion so that she can stay at home and take care of Kim. Kim tries to prove to Farrah that she can cope on her own and goes out to get her a present. Kim just about manages to get to The Bean and Farrah is annoyed that it was that easy for her. Kim starts visiting the basement again to feel comfortable, and it is the only place she feels safe. Kim returns to the basement the next day and is horrified when the door closes, leaving her trapped again. Farrah tells Grace she will leave Kim so they can be together. Farrah finds out where Kim is and rescues her and later tells Grace that she needs to stay with Kim. Kim becomes suspicious of Farrah when she finds a text from Grace on Farrah's phone. Farrah confesses to having an affair and pleads with Kim to forgive her. Kim later confronts Grace about the affair, and an argument is witnessed by

(Bob Cryer). Grace reminds her of the bad things she did in the past but tells her to forgive Farrah. Kim meets up with Farrah outside

The Dog in the Pond The Dog in the Pond (commonly known as The Dog, briefly named The Jolly Roger) is a fictional public house in the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. It has been at the centre of the show's setting since it began in 1995. In 2003, The Do ...

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

but Glenn, who mistakes Kim for Grace's mystery women, shoots her in the village. Farrah screams for help and Kim is rushed to hospital and is taken to surgery.

Maxine Minniver Maxine Minniver (also Blake, Donovan and Kinsella) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nikki Sanderson. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 6 November 2012. Maxine's storylines ...

(

Nikki Sanderson Nikki Ann Sanderson (born 28 March 1984) is an English actress and former glamour model who is known for playing Candice Stowe in the television soap opera '' Coronation Street'', Dawn Bellamy in '' Heartbeat'' and Maxine Minniver in ''Hollyo ...

) gives Glenn a false alibi which means he is in the clear. Kim has life-saving surgery and begins her recovery. After Glenn is murdered by serial killer

Breda McQueen ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that have appeared or will appear in the serial in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters were introdu ...

(

Moya Brady Moya Brady (born 8 September 1962) is an English actress. Her roles include Breda McQueen on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2018 to 2020. Brady grew up in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. She has appeared in a ...

), Kim decides to go on the run and take the blame.

Simone Loveday ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive pr ...

(

Jacqueline Boatswain Jacqueline Boatswain (sometimes credited as Jacqui Boatswain) is an English actress. Career She is best known for playing headmistress Mrs Bassinger in the long-running BBC school drama, ''Grange Hill'', from 2003–2006. The character's fi ...

) later reveals that Kim had fled to the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

, being hunted by Glenn's son Liam Donovan's (Jude Monk McGowan) associates.

Reception

The character has generated much opinion from columnists of ''Inside Soap''. One writer believed that the Butterfield sisters are always keeping secrets and branded the truth about Kath a "shocking reveal". They later stated that "you always find a very high class of borderline psycho in Hollyoaks, and there’s none finer than Kim Butterfield." In other articles Kim has been called an "obsessed nurse" and Michael Cregan praised Wood-Davis' portrayal of Kim, stating, "we love actress Daisy Wood-Davis’ performance as the increasingly unhinged Kim Butterfield, growing more and more obsessed with Grace Black. Every shot throws up another fantastic facial expression, from devoted love to heartbroken anger." She was later labelled "mad as hell" and to have shown "plenty of unreasonable behaviour in her past." Fellow colleague Laura-Jayne Tyler opined that "as soap loonies go, ''Hollyoaks'' Kim really takes the biscuit. A biscuit she'd then poison, before spying on it via a webcam and pretending to be its brother." A reporter for '' The Sun's'' "TV Soap" magazine branded Kim a "weirdo" for getting herself incarcerated with Grace. Kim fooled ''All About Soap'' Kerry Barrett who believed Kim was a normal character just a little odd. Their opinion of Kim changed and she branded the character "kooky Kim", "cuckoo", "crazy", "increasingly unstable", "a few sandwiches short of a picnic" and "seems to have lost her grip on reality completely". Their colleagues Jane Howdle and Laura Morgan added "cunning Kim", "love-struck loon", "loopy Kim", "nutty nurse", "the bonkers Butterfield", "crafty Kim", "lovesick" and "potty" to the list. Hardingham-Gill (''Metro'') wrote that Kim had been "seriously unhinged during her short time in ''Hollyoaks''." She viewed her involvement with Grace as a "scary obsession" and believed she should not be allowed to work in nursing. Kim's unhinged behaviour lead Miles (''Liverpool Echo'') to agree with the Sienna comparison. She also called her a "cunning nurse", "compulsive liar" who has "bizarre obsessions". Victoria Wilson from ''

TVTimes ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine published by Future plc. It was originally published by Independent Television Publications, owned by the participating ITV companies. The magazine was acquired by IPC Media in 1989, whic ...

'' branded Kim the "Hollyoaks schemer".

References

External links

Kim Butterfield
at

Channel4.com Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

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