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 ...

'' 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 introduced by executive 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 ...

. The first characters to be introduced were

Scarlett Morgan ''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 ...

( Susie Amy) and

Oliver Morgan Oliver Morgan (May 6, 1933 - July 31, 2007) was an American R&B singer. A Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee, he is best known for his 1964 hit, "Who Shot the Lala". Life and career Morgan was born and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward of New ...

(Aedan Duckworth/Gabriel Clark), the estranged wife and son of

Luke Morgan Luke Morgan is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Gary Lucy. He was introduced by the show's creator Phil Redmond as part of the Morgan family, and made his first appearance on 29 March 1999. The ...

(

Gary Lucy Gary Edward Lucy (born 27 November 1981) is an English actor, television personality and model who is best known for playing Will Fletcher in the ITV police drama ''The Bill'', Luke Morgan in ''Hollyoaks'', Kyle Pascoe in ''Footballer's Wives' ...

Buster Smith Henry Franklin "Buster" Smith (August 24, 1904 – August 10, 1991), also known as Professor Smith, was an American jazz alto saxophonist and mentor to Charlie Parker.Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/artic ...

(Nathan Sussex), the father of Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts), was also introduced in January.

Theo Jones ''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 ...

( Matt Kennard), the brother of Milo Entwistle (Nathan Morris),

Harley Frater ''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 ...

(Mollie Lambert), the homeless friend of

Peri Lomax Peri Lomax is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. She is played by Ruby O'Donnell, who made her first screen appearance on 4 October 2013. Storylines Peri arrives with mother Sam (Lizzie Roper) to surprise ...

(

Ruby O'Donnell Ruby O'Donnell (born 26 October 2000) is an English actress. Since 2013, O'Donnell has portrayed the role of Peri Lomax in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For her portrayal of Peri, she won the award for Best Young Actor at the 2016 Bri ...

), and

Josh Bradley Joshua Bradley (born 4 September 1992), better known as Zerkaa and his stage name Josh Zerker, is an English YouTuber, streamer and Internet personality. He is also a co-founder and member of the British YouTube group known as the Sidemen. In ...

(

Rupert Hill Rupert Sinclair Hill (born 15 June 1978) is an English actor. He is known for his roles in several soap operas. Hill started with small roles on television. He appeared in an episode of ''EastEnders'' as Robbie's half-brother Kevin Bolton, an ...

), the son of Ben Bradley ( Ben Richards), made their debut in April.

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 ...

) and

Sylver 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 ...

(

David Tag David Taghinejad (born 15 April 1985), known professionally as David Tag, is a Persian British actor. He is known for portraying the role of Sylver McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from June 2018 until January 2022. Career Tag ...

), the mother and brother of

Goldie 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 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...

(

Chelsee Healey Chelsea "Chelsee" Jade Healey (born 6 August 1988) is an English actress. She is known for playing Janeece Bryant in the BBC school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'' (2006–2012), Honey Wright in the BBC medical drama series ''Casualty'' ...

), and

Kameela ''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 ...

(

Anu Hasan Anu Haasan (born Anuradha Chandrahaasan on 16 July 1970) is an Indian actress and TV anchor. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed '' Indira'' (1995) and has since appeared in many Tamil films, playing minor roles. She hosted the c ...

), the sister of

Misbah 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 ...

(

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 ...

), first appeared in June. July features the arrivals of

Donna-Marie Quinn ''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 ...

(

Lucy-Jo Hudson Lucy-Jo Hudson (born 4 May 1983) is an English actress, known for her roles as Katy Harris in ''Coronation Street'', Rosie Trevanion in '' Wild at Heart'' and Donna-Marie Quinn in ''Hollyoaks''. Her role as Rhiannon Davis in ''Doctors'' in 201 ...

), her son,

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest ...

(Owen Warner),

Brooke Hathaway Brooke Hathaway is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Tylan Grant. Grant made their first appearance as Brooke in episode 4947, originally broadcast on 10 July 2018. Brooke is introduced as an ...

(

Tylan Grant Tylan Grant (born 9 October 2001) is an English actor, known for playing Brooke Hathaway in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For his role as Brooke, Grant was nominated for British Soap Award for Best Newcomer, Best Newcomer at the The B ...

), a foster child for the

Osborne family The Osborne family are a fictional family in the long-running Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. Introduced to the show in 1996, The family moved to Hollyoaks village in 1996, although Ruth Osborne had previously lived in the Village. The char ...

, and

Asha Kaur ''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 ...

(

Rukku Nahar Rukku Priya Nahar (born 28 February 1996) is a British actress, known for her roles as Selina Khan on the CBBC series ''Wolfblood'' and Habiba Ahmed on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life Nahar was born on 28 February 1996 in Bedford, ...

), the sister of

Neeta Kaur ''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 ...

( Amrit Maghera), as well as the appearance of

Kashif Maalik ''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 ...

(Nitin Patel).

Martine Deveraux ''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 ...

(

Kéllé Bryan Kéllé Bryan (born 12 March 1975) is an English singer and actress, known as a member of girl group Eternal. In 2018, she began portraying the role of Martine Deveraux in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role she played until 2022. She ...

), the sister of

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 ...

), debuts in October. Three characters were introduced in November:

Laurie Shelby ''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 ...

(

Kyle Pryor Kyle Pryor (born 10 January 1984) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Nate Cooper in the Australian soap '' Home and Away'' and Laurie Shelby in the Channel 4 British soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. Before these appearances, he was a ...

), the husband of Sinead O'Connor ( Stephanie Davis),

Juliet Quinn Juliet Nightingale (also Quinn) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Niamh Blackshaw. ''Hollyoaks'' announced the character and Blackshaw's casting on 4 September 2018, with the actress makin ...

(

Niamh Blackshaw Niamh Blackshaw is an English actress. She began her career appearing in television advertisements which included a national advertisement for Mr Kipling. She was then cast in the guest role of Lara Cutler in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation St ...

), Donna-Marie's daughter, and

Jonny Baxter ''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 ...

(

Ray Quinn Raymond Arthur Quinn (born 25 August 1988) is an English actor, singer, dancer and carpet layer. He is best known for his role as Anthony Murray in ''Brookside'' from 2000 to 2003. He achieved more public recognition when he auditioned for the ...

), a radicalist who befriends Ste Hay (

Kieron Richardson Kieron Mark Richardson (born 12 January 1986) is an English actor and television presenter. He plays the role of Ste Hay in ''Hollyoaks'', having previously appeared in '' Heartbeat'' as Ricky Smith. He won the British Soap Award for Best Ons ...

). Simone and Martine's father,

Walter Deveraux ''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 ...

(Trevor A. Toussaint), joins the soap in December. Additionally, multiple

other characters Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

appear throughout the year.

Scarlett Morgan

Scarlett Morgan, played by Susie Amy, made her first appearance on 19 January 2018. Amy's casting was announced on 20 October 2017, with further details about her character, including her name, announced on 6 December 2017. Scarlett is

's (

) estranged wife, who left him because of his drinking problems. The character is first mentioned in October 2017 and it is revealed that Scarlett left Luke after he struggled with

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

and became erratic. Scarlett made her last appearance on 18 April 2018. In February 2022, it was confirmed that Amy would be reprising her role as Scarlett as part of an "explosive" guest return. Luke prepares to marry

Mandy Richardson Mandy Richardson (also Hutchinson and Morgan) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Sarah Jayne Dunn. She first appeared on 7 October 1996 and has been involved in various storylines, including de ...

(

Sarah Jayne Dunn Sarah Jayne Dunn (born 25 September 1981) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Mandy Richardson on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 1996 until 2021. In November 2021, Dunn was dropped from ''Hollyoaks'' after she ...

) and asks lawyer

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) to track down Scarlett so they can arrange a divorce. Scarlett appears in the village in the days before Luke and Mandy's wedding. Luke tries to stall the wedding after learning about Scarlett's appearance. Scarlett tries to ruin the wedding but her and Luke's son,

(Aedan Duckworth), arrives and reveals to Mandy that he is Luke's son and that Luke and Scarlett are married. After the wedding, Scarlett leaves but returns when Oliver runs away to the village. She is shocked to discover that Oliver wants to stay with Luke and leaves the village.

Oliver Morgan

Oliver Morgan made his first screen appearance on 22 January 2018. The character had previously been mentioned on-screen, but Aedan Duckworth's casting in the role was announced on 6 December 2017. Oliver is

(

) and

's ( Susie Amy) son. Details of why Oliver comes to the village were not immediately released, but Daniel Kilkely of ''

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, ...

'' reported that "with Oliver now a teenager, he's sure to want answers from his dad." Of his casting, Duckworth said: "I started two weeks ago and it was in at the deep end – I had to spend my whole second day crying! It has been fantastic working with Gary Lucy and Susie Amy and I am looking forward getting to work with more of the cast and settling in properly next year." Duckworth vacated the role in 2020 and the character was recast with Gabriel Clark, who debuted in November 2020. It was announced on 25 March 2018 that Oliver would feature in a

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

storyline with his football coach,

(Nathan Sussex). The storyline, which was billed as "an emotional and challenging story", began in April when Oliver confides in Buster over his home life. ''Hollyoaks'' worked with the Survivors Manchester charity for the storyline. Charity founder Duncan Craig described the subject as "so topical and relevant" and "hugely important". He stated that the storyline would focus on details of grooming and Oliver's struggle to tell someone about the issue. Duckworth took support from the charity and Lucy while filming the storyline and felt honoured to be handed the story. Duckworth and executive producer

hoped that the storyline would encourage others to seek support. Kirkwood also wanted to encourage parents to speak to their children about topics like this and commented, "We are in a unique position of being able to talk to a bright and engaged audience about important issues without lecturing them." For his portrayl of Oliver, Duckworth was nominated for Best Soap Newcomer at the 2018 ''

'' Reader Awards; he came in fourth place with 9.4% of the total votes. The following year, Duckworth received his first

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted ...

nomination in the Newcomer category for his portrayal of Oliver. Oliver first appears when he crashes his dad

's (

) wedding to

(

) and reveals that he is Luke's son and that Luke is still married to

( Susie Amy), who was Luke's previous wife and Oliver's mother. Oliver and Luke bond after the wedding. The following day, Oliver appears at Luke's house and asks to stay with him. Luke agrees and is surprised to discover that Oliver has run away from Scarlett. When Scarlett returns and tries to take Oliver back to their home, Oliver insists to Scarlett that he wants to remain with Luke so Scarlett tearfully leaves the village. Oliver joins the football academy run by

(Nathan Sussex) a former football champion player from back in the day from when he was much younger back then. Over the next few weeks, Oliver becomes closer to Buster confiding in him over situations in his home life such as his discovery that his father had been raped when he was younger after being told this by friend and also a member of Buster's football academy Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana). Oliver has also been confiding in Buster and putting all of his trust in him such as telling Buster about his biological dad and new stepmum Mandy always arguing day in and day out and his dad turning back to the drink again after being an alcoholic before. It is revealed on-screen that Buster is a paedophile who groomed and sexually abused his son Damon Kinsella's (Jacob Roberts) best friend, Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward), when he was an underage teenager. After Oliver is injured while playing a game of football with Buster outside of the Bean Cafe, Buster takes him back to the changing rooms at the football academy and begins massaging his leg while also staring at Oliver lustfully. A few weeks later, when Oliver and Buster are alone together in the changing rooms at the football academy, Buster is telling Oliver about his potential when Oliver's leg injury comes back and Buster tells him to lie down on the bench so he can then properly examine it and shuts the door behind them. Oliver then runs out of the changing rooms scared and confused, and although it is not specified on screen, it is implied that Buster has touched Oliver inappropriately. Oliver becomes traumatised but because of Luke's continued drinking, he feels that he cannot tell anyone so quits the football team instead but is convinced to re-join the football team again by Luke. Buster begins manipulating Oliver by telling him that he must prove to him of how much that he truly wants to be back on the football team again. Oliver meets autistic teenager

(

) and develops an instant attraction with the two hitting it off at the Bean. Brooke later comes to watch Oliver play but after he underperforms, Buster takes him to the changing rooms at the football academy to berate him for being distracted today. He puts his hand on Oliver's knee inappropriately, which is witnessed secretly by Brooke. Oliver feels uncomfortable with Buster doing this to him and he rushes out of the football academy to get away from Buster. Oliver and Mandy run into Brooke the next day with Nancy Osborne ( Jessica Fox) and Mandy teases that Oliver likes Brooke. Brooke then responds that Oliver is gay, as they have misinterpreted what they saw between Buster and Oliver, with Brooke unaware that Buster is actually grooming Oliver. Oliver then shouts at Brooke causing them to have a breakdown after Oliver leaves. When he returns home, Mandy tries to get Oliver to open up to her but before he can say anything, they are interrupted by a drunken Luke. Oliver starts berating his father and stepmother before storming out of the house upset. Oliver then talks to Buster alone in the football academy changing rooms as he didn't know who else to turn to. Buster then manipulates the vulnerable teen by saying to Oliver that he can make him a star footballer with Buster's coaching skills as long as he does everything that he's told. He then places his hand on Oliver's knee inappropriately once again. He then asks Oliver if he understands or not. Oliver then tells him that he does understand before Buster shuts the door behind them to continue his abuse of Oliver. Buster gives Oliver a mobile phone and tells Oliver to text him at any time about anything. Buster then tells him not to tell anyone else about it and Oliver agrees. As Buster's sexual abuse continues, Oliver confesses to

Scott Drinkwell Scott Drinkwell (also Drinkwell-Deveraux) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Ross Adams. The character made his first appearance on 27 April 2015. Producers asked Adams to audition for the role while he ...

(

Ross Adams Ross Adams is an English actor. He plays the role of Scott Drinkwell in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and previously played the role of Jeff Bowyer in the BBC Three sitcom '' The Gemma Factor''. Life and career Adams moved to Manchest ...

) that he is confused about his sexuality. He tells Scott that he knows that he likes girls but he also thinks that he might be gay and has been aggressively trying to pursue Brooke in order to cover it up. Scott is sympathetic with him and encourages him to talk to Luke about it. Oliver is unable to go through with it and accidentally tells Luke that Scott has been harassing him instead. After Luke confronts Scott, Luke warns him to stay away from his teenage son for now on with him thinking that Scott is being inappropriate with him due to Oliver being underage. Oliver tries to apologise to Scott but when Scott tells him that he has to deal with his sexuality rather than ignore it though, Oliver is homophobic towards Scott and runs away. Buster lies to Oliver by telling him that Scott has agreed to let Oliver be the poster boy for the Bean. Buster takes several intimate photographs of Oliver when they're alone together at the football academy changing rooms, which he later confesses to Luke. As Luke is drunk at the time, Oliver makes him promise to wait until he is sober before confronting Buster. The next morning, Luke cannot remember what Oliver had said to him. Buster later convinces Oliver that telling Luke anything will put unnecessary pressure on his dad, so Oliver agrees to keep quiet but later steals a bottle of wine and begins drinking in secret. Brody later convinces Oliver to report Buster to the police and he is arrested. Buster pleads not guilty at the hearing. During Buster's trial, Oliver is ripped to pieces by Buster's defence team and because of this, he agrees that Brooke would not be able to cope giving evidence. Imran reveals that Buster attempted to sexually assault him in Barcelona, shocking everybody. Buster is found guilty and is sentenced to six years in prison. Oliver and Brooke begin dating after almost sharing a kiss. Brooke becomes pregnant and whilst Oliver is excited, Brooke does not feel ready so they arrange for the baby's adoption. Brooke later gives birth to a son,

Thierry Thierry is a French male given name, derived from the Germanic "Theodoric". It is the cognate of German " Dietrich" and " Dieter", English Terry, Derek and Derrick, and of various forms in other European languages. It is also a surname. People w ...

. After confronting Buster, Ollie abruptly leaves the village, leaving a note for Luke and Cindy. Ollie returns, played by Gabriel Clark, suffering from a ketamine addiction and subsequently has sex with Juliet, resulting in him and Brooke ending their relationship. His addiction leads him to steal from his family and friends and eventually to the apparent death of

Sid Sumner Sid Sumner is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Billy Price, who made his first appearance on 9 May 2019. He is introduced as the son of recurring character Stuart Sumner (Chris Simmons) and ...

( Billy Price). Following Sid's death, Ollie becomes homeless and selle drugs for

Victor Brothers ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2020, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...

(Benjamin O'Mahony). Ollie and Ste Hay (

) work together to bring down Victor, resulting in a showdown between Ollie and Victor where Ste fakes his death and Victor is arrested. Ollie then becomes homeless again and goes missing. Luke finds him on his 18th birthday, living in a garden centre. In a special mental health episode, Ollie and Luke have a heart to heart which results in Ollie deciding to go to a rehab centre. On the scenes, Clark commented that he "felt really pleased when I read the script and saw how it was being approached. The format of a continuing drama means that we've been able to gradually, and responsibly, build to this story over months of episodes and it means so much to me to be able to tell it." At the end of the week, Ollie leaves the village for rehab. Clark confirmed his return to the show, saying "the next time you see Ollie after this week you’re definitely in for a surprise!" He said he "would really like to explore Ollie’s love life and also explore what direction he wants to take his future in." Two years later, Clark confirmed that he would be leaving ''Hollyoaks'', with his final scenes airing on 8 July 2022. Leaving the soap made him sad but he was excited to pursue new projects, specifically in theatre. He likened his own feelings to those of Ollie's, and explained: "I feel like Ollie does when he steps into that cab: optimistic, nervous, and excited – knowing I've made the right decision but not sure where the future is going to take me. But whatever happens, I'm going to embrace it like he would, with a big smile on my face, hope in my heart, and the love of all of those people from ''Hollyoaks''. That will always be with me, wherever I go."

Buster Smith

Buster Smith, played by Nathan Sussex, made his first screen appearance on 29 January 2018. The character and Sussex's casting details were announced on 23 January 2018. Buster is the father of Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts) and arrives following the death of his former wife and Damon's mother,

Maggie Kinsella ''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 ...

(

Michelle Holmes Michelle Holmes (born Corinne Michelle Cunliffe; 1 January 1967, Rochdale, Lancashire), is an English actress who has appeared in several television serials. Career Holmes performed in a pop band called the Dunky Dobbers. She changed her ...

). Buster is described as "quite a charming character", who gets along with everyone. Roberts said that Buster enjoys "a laugh and a joke". Roberts expressed his delight at the expansion of his on-screen family and praised Sussex, commenting, "He's already part of the ''Hollyoaks'' family!" Damon,

(

) and Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward) call a number on Maggie's bucket list and are shocked when Buster answers and walks into

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 ...

pub. Buster is estranged from Damon following Maggie throwing him out for adultery and then his decision to concentrate on his professional football career rather than his family. On Buster and Damon's relationship, Sussex said, "there is an instant connection there between father and son." Damon knows very little about his father and the lack of contact between them has made Damon believe that Buster does not care for him. It was announced on 25 March 2018 that Buster would feature in a

storyline with his football student,

(Aedan Duckworth). The storyline, which is billed as "an emotional and challenging story", begins in April when Oliver confides in Buster over his home life. ''Hollyoaks'' worked with the Survivors Manchester charity for the storyline. Charity founder Duncan Craig described the subject as "so topical and relevant" and "hugely important". He stated that the storyline would focus on details of grooming and Oliver's struggle to tell someone about the issue. Executive producer

hoped that the storyline would encourage others to seek support. He also wanted to encourage parents to speak to their children about topics like this and commented, "We are in a unique position of being able to talk to a bright and engaged audience about important issues without lecturing them." Buster first arrives in the village shortly after the death of his ex-wife, Maggie, to see their son, Damon. Maggie had thrown Buster out after his numerous affairs and he missed out on most of Damon's life. Damon's girlfriend,

Holly Cunningham Holly Cunningham (also Hutchinson and Roscoe) is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', most recently portrayed by Amanda Clapham. Holly's first on-screen appearance aired on 22 December 1997, which was ...

(

Amanda Clapham Amanda Dawn Clapham is a British actress, known for portraying the role of Holly Cunningham on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. Career Clapham joined the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' in 2013 as Holly Cunningham. Her storylines in ...

), convinces Damon to give his father a chance and they agree to re-build their father-son relationship. Damon's longtime best friend, Brody, is not happy to see Buster and it's clear that there is bad blood between them. Buster begins dating

Marnie 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 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...

(

Lysette Anthony Lysette Anne Chodzko (born 26 September 1963), known professionally as Lysette Anthony, is an English actress and model. She is known for her roles in the film ''Husbands and Wives'' (1992), as Princess Lysssa in the 1983 fantasy epic '' Krull ...

) and moves into the flat above

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 ...

with her, her children

Alfie Alfie may refer to: Theatre and film * ''Alfie'' (play), a 1963 play by Bill Naughton * ''Alfie'' (1966 film), a film based on the play starring Michael Caine * ''Alfie'' (2004 film), a remake of the 1966 film * ''Alfie'' (2013 film), an Indi ...

(Richard Linnell) and

Ellie Ellie, or Elly, is a given name, usually feminine. The name stands on its own or can be a shortened form of any of the numerous female names beginning with the syllable El-, in particular Eleanor or Elizabeth and Elvira. It can also be a short fo ...

(

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 ...

), as well as Damon and Brody. Buster decides to set up his own football academy for teenagers. Many local kids, including Oliver and Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana), sign up. Oliver confides in Buster about how difficult his home life is due to his father,

(

), having a drinking problem and constantly arguing with his wife,

Mandy Mandy or Mandie may refer to: People * Mandy (name), a female given name and nickname * Iván Mándy (1918-1995), Hungarian writer * Mark Mandy (born 1972), Irish retired high jumper * Philip Mandie (born 1942), a former judge on the Supreme Cou ...

(

). Buster tells Oliver he can trust him with anything. Brody confides in Oliver's mother,

( Susie Amy), that someone he trusted abused him when he was young and it is obvious he is referring to Buster. It becomes clear then that Buster is not just being friendly to Oliver — he is grooming him so he can sexually abuse him. As part of his grooming, Buster gives Oliver special attention and makes him team captain. One day, Buster is giving Oliver a sports massage and sexually abuses him for the first time. Oliver is upset after the incident, but Buster convinces him that he misinterpreted what happened. Buster abuses Oliver again under the guise of a massage, which causes Oliver to quit the team. Buster convinces Oliver to rejoin the team and continues to abuse him. Buster has Oliver pose for photos without his clothes on. Luke discovers the photos and when he asks Oliver about them, he points the finger at Scott. Brody suspects Buster is the real culprit and confronts him about abusing him as a child. It comes out that Maggie found out about Buster abusing Brody and that is actually why she threw him out. Oliver tells the police it was actually Buster who abused him and he is arrested. In January 2019, Buster was found guilty, he was sentenced six years in prison for abusing Oliver. He appears again in September 2020, when Brody and Ollie visit him in the hopes of receiving an apology; however, Buster refuses to apologise and stands by his actions.

Theo Jones

Theo Jones, played by Matt Kennard, made his first on-screen appearance on 13 April 2018. The character was announced on 3 April 2018, while the casting details were confirmed on 6 April 2018. It was initially reported that Theo has a connection to established character, Milo Entwistle (Nathan Morris). On 10 April 2018, it was confirmed that Theo and Milo are brothers. Kennard describes Theo as a bad character, calling him "a bitter, seemingly irredeemable bully." He stated that Theo is a womaniser who only cares about himself. However, he explained that Theo's personality is due to recent events in his life. Daniel Kilkelly of ''Digital Spy'' said that Milo would be "a little bit rattled" by Theo's arrival. He reported that despite Milo receiving a phone call from Theo and arranging to meet him, Theo would first appear when he meets Cindy Cunningham (

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 ...

) at The Loft nightclub. Kennard stated that Theo flirts with Cindy because he noticed her first, otherwise he suspected that he could have flirted with Cindy's daughter,

(

). Kennard admitted that Theo grows to enjoy Cindy's company. He added, "any beautiful woman offering something to Theo will make do in the short-term." When Theo meets with Milo, he orders money from Milo in exchange for his silence about Milo killing Cindy's parents. Kennard explained that Theo is in need of money and decides to "callously take advantage of Milo's vulnerable situation". Theo decides to stay with Milo because he realises that Milo is "his best bet in the immediate circumstances". Milo is scared of Theo because he knows about his secret. On Theo's feelings towards Milo, Kennard explained, "Theo holds a raw and irrational hatred for Milo, and feels Milo owes him more than he can ever actually give." Theo made his last appearance on 15 May 2018.

Harley Frater

Harley Frater, played by Mollie Lambert, made her first on screen appearance on 16 April 2018. The character and Lambert's casting details were announced on 10 April 2018. Harley is a homeless girl who is introduced as part of

's (

)

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

storyline. She is billed as courageous and daring and in "desperate need of some home comforts". ''Hollyoaks'' worked with homeless charities Centrepoint and The Whitechapel Centre for Harley and Peri's storyline. Lambert looked forward to joining the show and called it an honour to work with the charities. She hoped that the storyline would help to raise awareness for homelessness. Kilkelly of ''Digital Spy'' reported that Harley arrives after learning that Peri's mother,

Leela 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 ...

(

Kirsty-Leigh Porter Kirsty-Leigh Porter (born 30 December 1988) is an English actress, known for her roles in British soap operas, including portraying Zoe Willson on ''Coronation Street'', Roz Fielding on ''Emmerdale'' and Leela Lomax on ''Hollyoaks''. Career P ...

), is offering a £5,000 reward for information on Peri's location. Harley takes advantage of Leela, but Leela's boyfriend,

Louis 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 ...

(

Karl Collins Karl Collins is an English actor. He is known for his television roles as Danny Glaze in ''The Bill'', Louis Loveday in ''Hollyoaks'', and Shaun Temple in '' Doctor Who''. Early life and career Collins was born in Nottingham, and grew up on the ...

) is suspicious of her and does not believe that she has information about Peri. Harley features in a special episode focusing on Peri's homelessness, broadcast in April 2018. It emerges that during her time on the streets, Peri met Harley and homeless man, Dean (Alfie Kingsnorth). O'Donnell felt fortunate to work on the storyline. Centrepoint's head of public affairs Paul Noblet said that the homelessness storyline reflects the reality of homelessness for many young people. Kilkelly's colleague, Sophie Dainty, was positive about the storyline and the special episode, commenting, "the storyline ..sensitively explored the shocking, harrowing and brutally harsh realities of sleeping rough." She understood the lack of options for Harley and sympathised with the character and the struggles of homelessness. Dainty praised Lambert and Kingsnorth for their supporting roles in the episode. She concluded that the special episode was "unflinching, unglamorous, and thoroughly thought-provoking" and provided a brilliant representation of homelessness not previously portrayed in soap operas. On 9 March 2019, it was confirmed that Lambert would be departing the series after a year. Harley's exit is first broadcast on 11 March and sees her depart at the conclusion of her polyamorous relationship with Peri and

Tom Cunningham Tom Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Ellis Hollins. With Tom being a young child for most of his tenure, his early years featured minimal storylines, including the numerous death ...

(

Ellis Hollins Ellis Hollins (born 14 November 1999) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Tom Cunningham in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. In 2006, he appeared in ''Alpha Male'', a family film released in the United Kingdom. Ac ...

). Lambert expressed her gratitude for the role of Harley and on Harley's departure, she commented, "You didn’t honestly think she’d settle down did you? She’s a free spirit". Harley introduces herself as Peri's friend to Leela. Leela takes her to her house and gives her food and drink as she is hungry. When Louis questions Harley's motives, Leela reveals that she is going to help her find Peri. They don't find Peri so Louis convinces Leela that Harley is conning her. Harley then steals Leela's purse and runs; Louis catches her and reclaims the purse. Leela decides not to call the police and lets Harley leave. Harley meets with Peri. She had a polyamarous relationship with Peri and Tom until Peri leaves the relationship. She left Hollyoaks in 2019 to start a new life. She didn't mention where, she just said that she wants to save the

Orangutangs Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genu ...

Josh Bradley

Josh Bradley, played by

, made his first on screen appearance on 25 April 2018. The character and casting was announced on 24 April 2018, but had been hinted at in previous episodes. Josh is the son of former character Ben Bradley ( Ben Richards), and meets with

Sienna Blake Sienna Blake (also Bradley) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Anna Passey. The character made her first appearance on 21 November 2012 and was introduced as the estranged twin sister of est ...

(

Anna Passey Anna Passey (born 28 August 1984) is an English actress, known for portraying Sienna Blake in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For her role as Sienna Blake, she won the award for Villain of the Year at the 2014 British Soap Awards. Car ...

) in

The Hutch ''The Hutch'' is the third studio album by Belgian group Steak Number Eight, released throughout Spring 2013 in the Benelux (March 18), Norway (April 19) and Europe (April 22). The album is released on the back of extensive touring throughout E ...

when she seeks his father's help in her ongoing stalker ordeal. Josh is filled with resentment towards Sienna, because of Ben being sent to jail after Sienna's daughter,

Nico Blake Nico Blake (also Bradley) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Persephone Swales-Dawson. The character made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 June 2014. The characte ...

(

Persephone Swales-Dawson Persephone Swales-Dawson is a British television actress known for playing Nico Blake on ''Hollyoaks'', the Channel 4 drama and soap opera from 2014 to 2016 and in 2018 and 2020 . References External links

* Living people English soap ...

) killed

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). Josh made his last appearance on 22 June 2018. When Sienna smells gas, Josh opens the windows and implores Sienna to take her young son

Sebastian Blake ''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 ...

out of the flat. He later phones the emergency services. After the gas issue is resolved, Josh tells Sienna that he still cannot stand the sight of her. Josh later informs

Joel Dexter Joel Dexter is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. The character made his debut during the episode broadcast on 22 November 2011, portrayed by Andrew Still. Still was attending the Scottish Youth Theatre when Lime Pic ...

(

Rory Douglas-Speed Rory Douglas-Speed (born Rory Douglas Speed; 7 April 1992) is a Scottish actor. He studied at Edinburgh Napier University. Career Following university, Douglas-Speed was cast in the part of Sick Boy in a stage production of Irvine Welsh's nove ...

Myra McQueen Myra McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nicole Barber-Lane. She made her first screen appearance during the episode originally broadcast on 19 June 2006 and was introduced by producer ...

(

Nicole Barber-Lane Nicole Barber-Lane is a British actress known for playing Myra McQueen in the long-running teen soap ''Hollyoaks''. Career Before working in ''Hollyoaks'', Barber-Lane appeared in ''Emmerdale'', ''Bodies'', '' The Cops'', and in a Yorkshire Bu ...

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 ''Hollyoaks ...

) and

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 Liv ...

(

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 ...

) that Sienna has died after being stabbed by Nico. Josh tells Myra and Joel that they plan to use Sienna's funeral to catch Nico. It is revealed that Sienna isn't dead and is working with Josh to catch Nico. Josh later arrests Sienna after she admits to killing Nico.

Breda McQueen

Breda McQueen, played by

, made her first on screen appearance on 26 June 2018. The character was known about in casting references for

(

), but the character's arrival to the village and casting wasn't announced until 22 June 2018. On 6 January 2020, Breda died in the E4 spinoff series ''

Hollyoaks Later ''Hollyoaks Later'' (originally ''Late Night Hollyoaks'') is a British television spin-off of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. The series allows for more sexual content, 'edgier' storylines and stronger language than ''Hollyoaks''. The s ...

''. She was responsible for the deaths of

Russ Owen Russ Owen is a fictional character in the Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks'', played by Stuart Manning. He first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 22 August 2004 with the Owen family and has been involved in storylines including being d ...

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 ...

Carl Costello Carl Costello is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Paul Opacic. The character was introduced by executive producer Paul Marquess and he debuted on screen during the episode broadcast on 19 July 2010. Carl ...

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 ...

and

Harry Thompson Harry William Thompson (6 February 1960 – 7 November 2005) was an English radio and television producer, comedy writer, novelist and biographer. He was the creator of the dark humour television series ''Monkey Dust'', screened between 2003 a ...

. Breda is a cousin of

(

) and the mother of Sylver and

Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is a British music producer and DJ. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musician in th ...

(

). Breda arrives in the village following Sylver's release from prison, and insists that Goldie give him a place to stay. However, when Goldie refuses, Breda resorts to "crafty" measures. On her character, Brady commented that she was a "strong and colourful individual" and that she didn't have "a lot of fear for authority." Brady also said that "Breda comes from the firm but fair school of motherhood," and described her as a "tigress." With Sylver having been in prison, Breda kept tabs on him, but Brady said that Breda doesn't have a favourite child and that as her character becomes more settled in the village, her love for Goldie would shine through. Arriving in Hollyoaks to stay with the McQueens', Breda began working as a nanny for

(

) – but secretly agreed to "two time" Leela by working for

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 ...

) too. Jack tried to cover for Breda by pretending they were in a relationship – much to Leela's amusement. Leela figured it out and allowed Breda to be nanny to both her and Jack. Eventually, Breda's friendship with Jack would turn into a real relationship. On

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 character t ...

(

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 portr ...

) and

's (

Stuart Manning Stuart David Manning (born 27 May 1979) is an English actor and model. He is known for portraying the role of Russ Owen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2004 until 2009, and again in 2018. Career After leaving Art college where h ...

) wedding day in November 2018, it was shockingly revealed that Breda was a serial killer. Breda discovered that Russ had been unfaithful with Goldie, resulting in a pregnancy, and had pressurised her into aborting their child. Enraged, Breda murdered Russ. She was then revealed to have killed

(Bob Cryer) and

(

Paul Opacic Paul Opacic (born 1966) is a British actor from Halifax, England. Best known for his roles as Carl Costello in ''Hollyoaks'', Steve Marchant in ''Emmerdale'' and Mark Waddle in '' Bad Girls''. In 2021, he joined the cast of the ITV soap ope ...

) for being "sinners" and "dead beat dads". In January 2019 Breda took revenge on

(

) for cheating with three women, Leela,

(

) and Simone's sister,

(

) pushing some shelving onto him as he called for a taxi to leave town. Breda moved Louis to an old pig farm once owned by her parents making out she was caring for him and took him there to recover, Louis discovered Breda was responsible for the deaths of Carl, Glenn and Russ whilst writing a letter to Simone and attempted to escape but was thwarted when Breda returned to the farm. She puts him back into bed and believes him when he says it's Leela he wants to be with, Breda makes tea and as she strips the bed Louis switches the cups which Breda notices, just then Simone arrives at the farm calling for Breda, before Louis can react Breda smothers him keeping him from shouting to Simone. Breda goes to Simone and gets a lift to the village, meanwhile, Louis escapes and Breda finds him hiding in the barn. She says she's going to make some tea but then spots the letter confessing to the murders that Louis found. Louis begs for his life but Breda kills him by bludgeoning him with a telephone. She returns to Leela telling her to move on. Later at the farm Breda burns Louis' clothes and mobile phone in a metal canister. When she leaves a mysterious hooded figure takes Louis's phone and removes the sim card. The hooded figure is later revealed as

(

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 ...

), who begins to blackmail Breda. He orders her to murder his son James Nightingale (

Gregory Finnegan Gregory Finnegan is a British actor. He best known for his roles as Dr Alex Arnott in ''EastEnders'' and as James Nightingale in ''Hollyoaks''. Career Finnegan studied at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. His first television acting ...

), much to her reluctance. Eventually, she slips poison into his coffee, and James collapses on a park bench. She later bakes a lasagne, which Mac eats in celebration, but is stunned to realise Breda has poisoned that, too. She reveals James will be fine, and she always intended to kill Mac, who in a weakened state tries to attack her but she kills him by hitting him with the lasagne dish. In July 2019, it is revealed that it was Breda who killed Vinnie, not Sylver, as he survived the fall, but Breda finished him off, and let Sylver take the blame. Later in the month, Breda planned to kill

Tony Hutchinson Tony Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nick Pickard. His first appearance on-screen occurred on 23 October 1995, the inaugural episode of the programme, and is the longest-serving ...

(

Nick Pickard Nicholas Pickard (born 27 May 1975) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member. ...

) after he confessed his past mistakes to her but Breda did not kill him, after learning

(

Parry Glasspool Parry Glasspool (born 5 March 1992) is a British actor. He played Harry Thompson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 21st National Television Awards in 2016. The character was killed off in 2019 af ...

) was going on the run. Breda fatally stabs Harry in an alleyway believing he was a bad dad for abandoning his son Isaac. Harry then died as a result of his injuries. Tony later discovers that Breda killed his son and she stabs Tony in the stomach. It was later revealed that Breda was keeping Tony prisoner at the pig farm. In October 2019, Breda's family begin to get suspicious of where she is going all the time. Goldie learns she's going to the pig farm and Breda lies that she is mentally ill. Breda pretends to have dementia, but when Goldie finds her at the pig farm again and finds Harry's wallet there, Breda confesses to killing Harry. She blames it on her "dementia" and Goldie agrees to keep it a secret. Breda's killing spree comes to an end when Sylver, Goldie and Mercedes and

John Paul McQueen John Paul McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by James Sutton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2006; his storylines have significantly revolved arou ...

( James Sutton) all find out her serial killer secret. Mercedes finds Tony at the pig farm but Breda sneaks up and attacks her, after stabbing Tony again and locking Mercedes in the cage too, which she and Tony eventually escape from. After a heated confrontation in the house, Breda shoots Sylver with a bolt gun and sets the pig farm on fire. Mercedes stops Breda from killing her and Sylver as the house burns, the two of them fight, as Breda attacks Mercedes with a shard of glass Sylver uses his last ounce of strength to stab Breda in the head with two

knitting needle A knitting needle or knitting pin is a tool in hand-knitting to produce knitted fabrics. They generally have a long shaft and taper at their end, but they are not nearly as sharp as sewing needles. Their purpose is two-fold. The long shaft ' ...

s, killing her instantly.

Sylver McQueen

Sylver McQueen, played by

, made his first on screen appearance on 27 June 2018. The character and Tag's casting details were announced on 22 May 2018. Tag previously appeared in the series as PCSO Rocco in May 2016. Sylver is a member of the established

McQueen family The McQueen family is a fictional family in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. The family first appeared in 2006 and the family have been involved in a number of the show's most high-profile storylines, most notably John Paul McQueen's ( Ja ...

and the half-brother of

(

). His backstory states that he was raised on a farm by their

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

mother,

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

(

), and his stepfather, Vinnie, who was abusive. He was sentenced to prison after murdering Vinnie. Sylver arrives after being released from prison and quickly clashes with Goldie. Justin Harp, reporting for ''Digital Spy'', suggested that Sylver would have a love interest. In a later interview, Tag said that his character was "calm in nature" until something "hits a button or triggers him off. Tag said that Sylver's time in prison has turned him into a "workout fanatic" and also made him deal quickly with any problems that he faces, saying that the "experiences have made him into quite a well-rounded person. Sylver arrives in Hollyoaks upon his release from prison, having served eighteen years for killing his abusive stepfather, Vinnie. He is eager to reunite with his half-sister Goldie but she is reluctant to embrace because he killed her father. However she comes around after understanding that it was a case of self-defence. Sylver is shown to have a history with village resident

(

), who was the lawyer that failed to get Sylver off during his murder trial and Sylver still holds some resentment towards her. On 12 January 2022, Sylver died following an explosion in the Pateserie, Bobby being a huge factor of his death by not telling people where he was.

Kameela

Kameela, played by

, made her first appearance on 29 June 2018. The character was announced on 17 June 2018. Kameela is billed as the "judgemental" sister of

(

) who is not afraid of "speaking her mind". Kameela arrives when she visits her family and after discovering that Misbah's underage son, Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana), has bought alcohol, she criticises Misbah's liberalism in raising her children. Hasan pointed out that her character initially appears "extremely critical" of the family. Kameela appears again in the episode broadcast on 17 September 2018. The character returns in March 2019 as part of a special episode focusing on

radicalisation Radicalization (or radicalisation) is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. The ideas of society at large shape the outcomes of radicalizat ...

. The episode features a far-right group with an anti-Muslim agenda, and a discussion involving Kameela about the meaning of being a

British Muslim Islam is the second largest religion in the United Kingdom, with results from the 2011 Census giving the total population as 2,786,635, or 4.4% of the total UK population, ''Hollyoaks'' worked with the charity Small Steps and the Home Office on the episode.

Executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

also expressed his delight about the episode. Upon her return, Kameela's characterisation has developed and she is friendlier towards the family. Hasan explained that the change in Kameela's personality occurs following a change in her personal life. The actress also commented, "Aunty Kameela still thinks she knows best and can be quite interfering and bossy, but she does it in a much nicer way."

Kashif Maalik

Kashif Maalik, played by Nitin Patel, appeared on 2 July 2018. Kashif is the husband of

(

) and the father of

(Rishi Nair),

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),

Yasmine 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 ...

(Haiesha Mistry) and Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana). The character was referenced to by his family on multiple occasions since their arrival in 2017. In October 2017, details about the character were explored. It was established that Kashif had been charged with

embezzlement Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

and committed suicide while in prison. Nair explained that Sami believes that he is innocent, but Misbah disagrees and it creates tension between the pair. It is later revealed that James Nightingale (

) was the actual embezzler and framed Kashif. On 29 June 2018, it was announced that Kashif would feature in a flashback episode focusing on James's backstory. The episode was previously announced on 20 June, but Kashif's appearance was not revealed until later. In flashbacks, it is seen that Kashif was an accountant at the law firm of Forbes and Carney. He is friendly to James and helps him settle in on his first day. James embezzles money from the company under pressure from his father,

(

). Kashif overhears Mac belittling James and tries to comfort him. James tells Kashif to back off and has him sign a document in order to frame him for the embezzlement. Weeks later, the police come into the office and arrest Kashif.

Donna-Marie Quinn

Donna-Marie Quinn, played by

, made her first on screen appearance on 2 July 2018. Hudson's casting details were announced on 5 May 2018, when it was revealed that she had been cast in a "decent part", and her character was announced on 22 May 2018. Donna-Marie is billed as a "reckless woman" with a distressing backstory, she has worked as prostitute and has issues with drug addiction. She is introduced with her teenage son,

Romeo Quinn ''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 ...

(Owen Warner). The character first appeared in flashbacks; seventeen years earlier, she was paid by

(

) to have sex with his sixteen-year-old son James Nightingale (

), resulting in the birth of Romeo. Hudson filmed an exit from the series in January 2019 and Donna-Marie departs the series in the episode originally broadcast on 26 April 2019. In October 2019, Hudson was spotted by paparazzi returning to the set of ''Hollyoaks'', sparking rumours that she would reprise the role. This was confirmed by a show trailer released on 2 January 2020 and it was revealed that Hudson would appear in a stint as Donna-Marie reunites with her daughter,

(

). She returned on 16 January 2020. After her character's backstory was revealed, Hudson confirmed that Donna-Marie and Romeo would move to Hollyoaks village after Romeo decides to search for his father. Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''

Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas in the United Kingdom, including '' Coronation Street'', ''Doctors'', ''EastEnders'', ''Emmerdal ...

'' predicted that Donna-Marie would create "trouble" for the Nightingale family. Hudson described Donna-Marie as "nasty" and said that "there's not a nice bit in this woman". However, she enjoyed portraying this as it is not her usual character type. She added that she found it challenging. Donna-Marie is a drug-addicted prostitute who raised her children, Romeo and Juliet, in an unstable home. In flashbacks it is revealed, she was once paid by Mac Nightingale to have sex with his gay son, James, on his sixteenth birthday in order to "turn him straight." James got her pregnant and his mother

Marnie ''Marnie'' is an English crime novel, written by Winston Graham and first published in 1961. It has been adapted as a film, a stage play and an opera. Plot ''Marnie'' is about a young woman who makes a living by embezzling her employers' funds, ...

(

) paid her to have an abortion. Donna-Marie did not go through with the abortion and gave birth to Romeo. Years later, Donna-Marie blackmailed Mac and Marnie that she would tell James about Romeo unless they paid her £100,000, which they did. In the present day, Donna-Marie has been kicked out of her flat. Donna-Marie comes face-to-face with the Nightingales again. James tears into Donna-Marie for being a junkie, causing her to seek out drugs and overdose. Mac lets Donna-Marie move into Cindy Cunningham's (

) house along with Romeo and Juliet. Mac and Donna-Marie switch out Cindy's bipolar medication and trick her into signing over her house to Mac. Cindy is later sectioned. When Mac threatens to throw Donna-Marie out of the house, she reveals he is Juliet's father. After Mac and Donna-Marie's misdeeds are revealed, she flees town. Some time later, James tracks Donna-Marie down and tells her that Romeo has been charged with Mac's murder (

is the real culprit). Donna-Marie agrees to confess to murdering Mac after James promises her she will get bail and he will give her money to start a new life. After she confesses, Donna-Marie is furious to learn James lied and she will not be granted bail. Donna-Marie is then taken away to prison. In May 2021, scenes depict Juliet receiving texts from an unknown number. She confesses to friend

( Billy Price) that the texts are from Donna-Marie, but states that she wants nothing to do with her. On 25 May 2021, a ''Hollyoaks'' trailer showed Donna-Marie's return to the village.

Romeo Nightingale

Romeo Nightingale (also Quinn), played by

Owen Warner Owen David Warner (born 8 June 1999) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Romeo Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For his portrayal of Romeo, Warner won the Digital Spy Reader Awards, Digital Spy Read ...

, made his first on-screen appearance on 2 July 2018. The character and Warner's casting details were announced on 22 May 2018. Romeo is the son of

(

) and uses

petty crime A summary offence or petty offence is a violation in some common law jurisdictions that can be proceeded against summarily, without the right to a jury trial and/or indictment (required for an indictable offence). Canada In Canada, summary offenc ...

to finance their way of life. Romeo works with

Prince 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 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...

(

Malique Thompson-Dwyer Malique Thompson-Dwyer (born 2 February 1998) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Prince McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2016 to 2019 and 2021 onwards. Career Thompson-Dwyer's first on-screen acting role ...

) to host "summer rave parties". Justin Harp of Digital Spy predicted that Romeo and Prince's parties would not go well. In the character's first appearance, further details about the character's backstory were revealed. It was revealed that Romeo is the product of paid sex between Donna-Marie and a sixteen-year-old James Nightingale (

). Jude Forsey portrays Romeo in a flashback appearance. For his portrayal of Romeo, Warner won the accolade for Best Soap Newcomer at the 2018

Digital Spy Reader Awards 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, ...

. Romeo was raised by his drug-addicted prostitute mother, Donna-Marie. Romeo was conceived when Donna-Marie was paid by

(

) to sleep with his gay sixteen-year-old son, James, to "make him straight." Romeo grew up in unsafe, unstable environment and often had to shield himself and his half-sister,

Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist R ...

(

), from Donna-Marie's clients. Romeo first appears in a flashback as a young child telling Donna-Marie he wishes he had a father. Romeo arrives in town to meet James, but then decides against it. Romeo meets Lily McQueen (

Lauren McQueen Lauren Louise McQueen (born 12 July 1996) is an English actress. She gained prominence through her role as Lily Drinkwell on the Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. She also appeared on the CBBC school-drama '' 4 O'Clock Club'' as Rachel and o ...

) and is instantly attracted to her. Romeo goes into business promoting illegal raves with Lily's husband, Prince. Romeo finds out James is having an affair with

(

) and tries to blackmail Harry over it, which leads to he and James finally meeting properly. Romeo agrees to help James ruin Harry's wedding to Ste Hay (

). James is heartbroken when Harry goes through with the wedding and, in a moment of vulnerability, he comes onto Romeo, who finally has to tell him he is his father. Romeo is devastated when James rejects him. Romeo declares his love for Lily, who admits she has feelings too, but she ultimately decides to stay with Prince. Romeo discovers that Prince has

testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an u ...

, but is refusing to tell anyone. This damages Lily and Prince's marriage and she sleeps with Romeo. Lily agrees to run away with Romeo, but then she finds out about Prince's condition and she is disgusted to learn Romeo knew about it all along. Romeo, Donna-Marie, and Romeo's half-sister, Juliet, are invited by Mac to move into Cindy Savage's (

) house. Romeo is appalled when he discovers that Donna-Marie and Mac have tampered with Cindy's

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

medication. After Mac ejects Romeo from the house, James offers to let Romeo move in with him and they start building a relationship. After finding out that James broke up with Harry to focus on him, he gives them his blessing to be together. With Prince having left town, Lily and Romeo finally become a proper couple. Prince confronts them about their affair and Lily decides she cannot be with either of them. Mac is murdered and Romeo becomes a prime suspect. The police discover a vial of poison in Romeo's jacket, which was planted by Mac's murderer,

(

). James tells Romeo he has to leave the country. Lily agrees to come with Romeo, but changes her mind after she realises she wants to be with Prince. Lily tragically dies from

sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...

, devastating Romeo. Romeo is locked up for Mac's murder, but is later released when Donna-Marie is tricked by James into confessing. Romeo tries to comfort James when he found out that Harry was murdered, but James hits Romeo. Things gets worse when James began abusing Romeo, and Romeo moved out and secretly stayed in the Maalik's empty household. He was found by

(

), who threatened to tell his grandmother,

(

), but Romeo confess to Peri that James hit him, and the reason why he stayed at the Maalik's. Peri visits Romeo the next day and told him about the day she found out that her 'parents' are her grandparents, and advices Romeo to keep talking to James. Marnie later finds Romeo, when Peri told Marnie what had happened. Marnie reasons with Romeo that James had regretted for what he did and Marnie takes Romeo home, only to find James about to attack Juliet. Romeo comforts James when he, Juliet and Marnie attended to Harry's funeral. When Juliet starts hanging out with

( Billy Price), the son of the Far-Right Group leader, Stuart Sumner (

Chris Simmons Christopher Matthew Simmons (born 8 January 1975 in Gravesend, Kent) is an English television and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as DC Mickey Webb in ''The Bill'', Mark Garland in '' EastEnders'' and Stuart Summer in ''Hollyoaks''. ...

), Romeo tells him to stay away. At Christmas Romeo and Peri set their friends

(Haiesha Mistry) and

(

) on a date and they both went to a Christmas party together. In 2020, Romeo meets

Cher Winters Cher McQueen (also Winters) is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Bethannie Hare. Cher is introduced as the estranged daughter of Sylver McQueen (David Tag) and is welcomed into the established McQuee ...

(Bethannie Hare) and instantly became smitten with her. But he is shock when he learn that she's

's (David Tag) long-lost daughter. He asked Cher out on a date, but she reject him, in front of Tom and Yazz. Romeo continues to pursue Cher and tries to impress her, much dismay to Sylver. Romeo gives Cher his number, but she gives it back to him, rejecting him once again. Romeo tells Cher that he needs another job, so Cher's stepmother

(

) offers him a trial for a part-time job. However, Cher's aunt

(

) is suspicious of him and decides to challenge Romeo. Romeo takes on Goldie's challenge and completes it in the nick of time and gets offered a part-time job at The Dog. Later, Goldie sees that Romeo and Cher really like each other and recruits her fiancé

(

) to help her play matchmaker. Cher and Romeo later realise that Joel and Goldie have tried to set them up and Cher insists that her and Romeo are just friends. Upon hearing this, Goldie vows to get Romeo and Cher together. The next day, Romeo invites Cher to Imran Maalik's party with him. Romeo is delighted when Cher shows up and the two of them grow closer.

Brooke Hathaway

Brooke Hathaway, played by

, first appeared on 10 July 2018. The character and Grant's casting details were announced on 23 April 2018. Brooke is an

autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

teenager who is fostered by the

and is the first fictional autistic character to be a regular character in a soap opera; Grant is also the first

BAME A number of different systems of classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom exist. These schemata have been the subject of debate, including about the nature of ethnicity, how or whether it can be categorised, and the relationship betwe ...

actor to portray an autistic character in a television series. Grant told the ''

Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...

'' panel that they are different from Brooke in real life, as they have different forms of autism. They added how "exciting" it was to represent autism. Kirkwood stated that Brooke would be introduced with a secret, and it was later revealed that Brooke is the child of Fran, who murdered

Becca Dean Becca Dean (also Hayton) is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Ali Bastian. She first appeared on-screen on 19 September 2001 and departed on 16 February 2007. Storylines Becca arrived as an undergraduat ...

(

Ali Bastian Alexandra Louise Bastian (born 27 February 1982) is an English actress, known for her roles as Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', Sally Armstrong in the ITV drama series ''The Bill'' and Becky Clarke in the BBC soap opera '' ...

) in 2007. In July 2021, scenes of Brooke realising they are

non-binary Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...

aired; actor Grant said that the storyline meant a lot to them due to being non-binary in real life. Grant also stated that they hope Brooke can act as representation for an underrepresented group of people. For their portrayal of Brooke, Grant was nominated for Best Soap Newcomer at the 2018

; they came in eighth place with 3.9% of the total votes. In 2019, they received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies give ...

, as well as a nomination for Best Young Actor at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards.

Asha Kaur

Asha Kaur, played by

, made her first on screen appearance on 30 July 2018. The character and Nahar's casting details were announced on 17 July 2018 in the show's annual Summer trailer. Asha is the sister of the deceased

( Amrit Maghera) who arrives to visit Neeta's partner, Hunter McQueen (

Theo Graham Theo Farris Lee Graham (born 20 June 1997) is a British actor. He gained prominence through his role as Hunter McQueen in the E4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', which earned him an award and a nomination at the British Soap Awards. Early life and ed ...

). Nahar explained that Asha is emotionally to her sister. She explained that Asha is "slightly more naive when it comes to love, and is very impulsive and spontaneous." Sophie Dainty (''Digital Spy'') predicted that Asha's introduction would have "a huge impact on Hunter". Further details about Asha's introduction were released on 27 July 2018. It was revealed that Asha would first appear when Hunter visits Neeta's murderer,

(

), in his care home. When Hunter sees Asha, he is shocked and believes that it is Neeta, leaving a note for her to contact him. However, when he returns home, he finds Asha and realises that it was her at the care home. Nahar explained that Asha would help Hunter through his battle with

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

and that they would be support each other with their grief for Neeta. She added that they would "make life a lot more exciting for one another." Asha was created following Graham's decision to quit the soap. Nahar was contracted for two months. Graham was surprised to be told that Asha would become Hunter's love interest and aid his departure. He was pleased that the characters could leave together happily. Graham expected that Asha and Hunter's relationship would work as they had good chemistry. He believed that Hunter's relationship with Asha is better for him than his relationship with Neeta. The actor commented, "I feel like he's found a balance and they could make a good go of it." The characters depart in the episode broadcast on 3 October 2018 after moving to Brighton, Asha's hometown.

Martine Deveraux

Martine Westwood (also Loveday and Deveraux), played by

, made her first on screen appearance on 8 October 2018 and her last appearance on 3 June 2022. The character and Bryan's casting details were announced on 20 September 2018. Martine is introduced as the sister of established character

(

). Executive producer

said that there is "bristling, joyful tension" between the sisters, which he found a joy to watch. Bryan stated that Martine "says and does all of the things I would never dare to do". Martine arrives following the return of Simone's former husband,

(

), and shares a "whopping secret" with him and his partner,

(

). Daniel Kilkelly of ''

'' reported that this would be "the beginning of the drama to come". Kirkwood confirmed that the secret would have a big effect on Simone and Louis. On Bryan's casting, Kirkwood commented, "She is a massive injection of energy into the cast and into the Loveday family." Bryan looked forward to joining the ''Hollyoaks'' cast and found playing Martine enjoyable. She added that she had been handed "diverse and thought-provoking" stories, which she likes and looks forward to filming. In April 2021, Martine was the star of an episode that focused on the unconscious biases that she faces as a Black woman in the United Kingdom. Speaking to 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 ...

'', Bryan expressed her gratuity to ''Hollyoaks'' for dealing with the issue appropriately and accurately. Whilst reading the episode plans, Bryan said that she connected with the writing so much that it "ignited in erthe pain and the hatred for biases". The feelings of frustration led to her going "off-piste" and contributing to the episode herself. Bryan, a regular panellist on the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

talk show ''

'', talked about the episode on the show. She was asked by panellist

Jane Moore Jane Moore (born 17 May 1962) is an English journalist, author and television presenter, best known as a columnist for '' The Sun'' newspaper and as a panellist and anchor on the ITV lunchtime chat show ''Loose Women'' between 1999 and 2002, ret ...

if the episode was difficult to film, which she responded by saying that it was. Bryan felt she had to "park every other area of erlife" in order to focus on the episode. She explained that the episode does not focus on people either being racist or not being racist, but the unconscious biases that lie between those mindsets. She was asked about her involvement in the episode, where she explained that executive producer

asked for advice for the episode. The pair agreed that they did not want the episode to be subtle, and wanted to "tell the story very categorically". They felt that if they were bold with the storytelling, it would lead viewers to question their own biases and potentially "initiate social change".

Laurie Shelby

Laurie Shelby, played by

, made his first on screen appearance on 8 November 2018. Pryor's casting details were announced on 7 August 2018, when it was also revealed that his character would have a connection with returning character Sinead O'Connor ( Stephanie Davis). The character and further details about the role were announced on 17 September 2018 in an interview with executive producer

. Laurie is introduced as Sinead's husband and the new

deputy head teacher A deputy head teacher, deputy headmaster or deputy headmistress is the second most senior teacher in a school in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Secondary schools usually also have between one and five deputy heads ("depute head" in Scotland) an ...

of Hollyoaks High School. Pryor, a British-born New Zealand actor, looked forward to working in the United Kingdom and on the soap. Kirkwood praised Pryor's acting, describing them as "remarkable". Pryor confirmed that Laurie would be involved in an issue-based storyline, which would be one of two of the show's big storylines of 2019. He described it as "a really huge, real-life story". On 30 November 2018, it was announced that Laurie would feature in a sexual assault storyline exploring the

MeToo movement #MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media in ...

. On-screen, the character meets with a woman who he sexually assaulted and has paid to sign a non-disclosure agreement, ensuring that the truth is not revealed. One month later, it was reported that Laurie's storyline would involve his colleague,

(

), when he holds onto her waist for an uncomfortable amount of time. Sienna feels "unsettled" afterwards and confronts Laurie. Laurie was killed off after receiving a head injury from a police van crash. Laurie's final scenes aired on 8 August 2019.

Juliet Nightingale

Juliet Nightingale (also Quinn), played by

, made her first appearance on 21 November 2018. Juliet is the half-sister of

(Owen Warner) and the daughter of Donna-Marie (

), and was brought into the soap as part of the decision to expand the Quinn family. Juliet is initially portrayed as an aggressive, harsh character, but throughout her tenure, her vulnerable and emotional personality has been explored. Juliet's storylines in the programme have included bullying

(

), her relationship with

(Billy Price) which led to the realisation that she is a lesbian, being groomed into selling drugs and having an attraction to friend

(

). For her portrayal of Juliet, Blackshaw was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2019 ''Inside Soap'' Awards.

Jonny Baxter

Jonny Baxter, portrayed by

, made his first appearance on 26 November 2018. The character and Quinn's casting details were announced on 19 November 2018. Jonny is introduced as a "mysterious stranger" who befriends established character Ste Hay (

) following the death of his sister. He is the new owner of local coffee shop, Esther's Magic Bean, who hires Ste to work at the shop. Quinn described Jonny as a "complex character" who is involved in "challenging" plots. The actor expressed his delight at joining the soap and working with Richardson. His final scenes aired on 19 November 2019. It was confirmed, days later, that Jonny and Ste would be the focus on a

and

far-right extremism Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

storyline. The story sees Jonny target and groom Ste after discovering his hatred for the Maalik family, who are Muslim. Quinn explained that Jonny is sent by the radicalisation group to recruit people. He added that Ste is an ideal person to recruit since he is "very vulnerable and low on his self-esteem". Jonny then cares for Ste "emotionally and financially", growing his self-confidence with an underlying reason. Executive producer

explained that he decided to tackle the issue after discovering how radicalisation groups work. He added that the story is "a modern story about protecting young people online". Richardson was pleased to be undertaking the storyline alongside Quinn. Quinn, Richardson and ''Hollyoaks'' storyliners and researchers worked alongside advisors and charities when creating and developing the storyline. One advisor, Jamie Bartlett, believed that it was important that extremism was explored so that the public knew how extremists operate. The charity ''EXIT UK'' agreed that it was good to highlight the taboo topic and offered support and guidance to the cast and crew.

Walter Deveraux

Walter Deveraux, portrayed by Trevor A. Toussaint, made his first appearance on 31 December 2018. The character and Toussaint's casting details were announced on 16 December 2018. Walter is introduced as the father of established characters

(

) and

(

). He is billed as "stern and deeply religious". Toussaint described Walter as self-righteous, explaining that he thinks that he is "the man who does no wrong". Martine is not pleased with Walter's arrival, which creates tension in the family immediately. On his casting, Toussaint commented, "Since joining Hollyoaks, it's been a whirlwind. My feet have hardly touched the ground". When he finds a picture of his grandson,

Mitchell Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territo ...

(Imran Adams) and

(

), Mitchell

comes out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

, he reveals his brother, Wilfred, was gay and that killed him and expresses he cannot allow Mitchell to be gay despite Martine and Mitchell trying to reason with him. He berates Martine when she tries to stop Walter taking Mitchell to church to repent which sparks Mitchell to accept his sexuality and give his grandfather the harsh truth that he wants everyone to be like him and if not they have to go. He then kicks Mitchell out, telling him he is no longer welcome in the family home. In November 2022, in previously unannounced scenes, Toussaint made his final appearance as Walter. Of his time on the soap, ''Hollyoaks'' said: "Thank you for bringing us Walter! So many fantastic moments, we really are going to miss you!"

Other characters

References

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

2018 in British television