Backstage: Behind The Scenes of Lynsey's Farewell

Here's a behind the scenes featurette of the filming of the scene where Lynsey is officially declared dead, that aired during the episode that aired on Friday 29th June 2012 on E4 and will air on Channel4 on Monday 2nd July 2012. During this feature Karen Hassan talks about her feelings on her final storyline, and Emmett Scanlan talks about his elation at the material he's been given lately.

Catch this scene and the aftermath of Lynsey's death on Monday 2nd July 2012 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.

Digital Spy: Stephanie Waring Interview

Digital Spy recently caught up with Hollyoaks' Stephanie Waring (Cindy Longford) in which she talks about her role in the Valentines Day storyline involving Darren's secret wedding plans and her renewed feelings for him. She also discusses how she feels about what she felt about Cindy losing all her money and the direction the character and show are going in.

Check out some of what Stephane said below but you can read the interview in full here.

How did you feel about being part of Hollyoaks' big Valentine's Day story?
"I was really excited. I'd had a bit of time off, and it's always a bit worrying when that happens and they're establishing new characters, because you don't want to get lost along the way. So then when our producer Emma Smithwick told me about this storyline, I was really pleased and couldn't wait to get stuck in. Working with Ashley Taylor Dawson again was really good."

We've seen that Cindy really wants Darren back. Did her feelings for him never go away, or have they been reawakened?
"I think they've been reawakened. I don't think they ever fully went away, but obviously Cindy has just lost all of her money and she's on her own, so she's feeling a little bit lost. So when Darren asked her to help with the wedding planning and said that she was the only person he trusted to do it, she felt needed and wanted.

"I don't think Cindy sees this as a way to split up Nancy and Darren or sabotage the wedding, but there's just a little part of her that thinks, 'Surely he's going to choose me?'"

How do things develop over the next few days?
"I think Cindy is very serious about Darren. There's an episode coming up where Darren takes her out shopping for the wedding, and she's trying on different wedding dresses for Nancy. She looks into the mirror, sees herself in this dress and she just thinks that it should be her. Then Darren comes into the dressing room and she's stuck in the wedding dress, so he's trying to help her out of it. 

"Cindy reads the signals wrong, as he's been so lovely to her and they're having a bit of a laugh, so she kisses him. It's the worst possible thing she could have done, because she thinks it means something but Darren thinks otherwise."

What happens next?
"Later, Cindy and Darren talk about the kiss and it's so emotional. Filming the scenes, we were genuinely both heartbroken. Because of the history that Cindy and Darren have had together, for me it was stirring up all of these memories and scenes that we've done. 

"But now it's going to be no more, because he's in love with somebody else! Darren says that Cindy is going to have to let him go, and she's absolutely devastated by it."

How did you feel about Cindy losing all of her fortune?
"I was really pleased. For so many years, Cindy has been trying to get the guy with money, so all of the plotting and scheming that came with that was kind of Cindy's 'thing'. But then they decided that Cindy was going to bag a millionaire, which was my way out of the show for a while because I was pregnant.

"When Cindy came back, I think the character was seen as a bit of a joke. I think now everything has been taken from her again, we're seeing a more real side of Cindy. I think we're hopefully going to see more of why people fell in love with her in the first place, rather than having her as a comical rich bitch who's lording it over everybody.

"There's not really many stories you can tell once a character has what they want - where do you go from there? You have to take it all away again!"


You can see the developments of this storyline unfold next week on Hollyoaks at 6.30pm on Channel 4 followed by the first look episode at 7pm on E4.

Digital Spy: Steven Robets Interview

Digital Spy recently caught up with Hollyoaks' Steven Roberts (George Smith) in which he talked about the recent development of his character within the recent homelessness storyline. As well as his friendship with Pheobe (Mandip Gill) and Callum (Laurie Duncan) and the direction in which his storyline is going to take during next weeks episodes.

Check out some of what Steven said below but you can read the interview in full here. 

We've seen you on our screens in Hollyoaks for a few months now. How are you finding your time on the show?
"I'm really enjoying it, especially with George's storyline becoming a lot more serious now. He's not so much the joker anymore, and I think this story has perhaps explained why George is the way he is - he's been covering up this big secret. I'm particularly enjoying how the story is becoming a lot darker, and you'll see that in the episodes that are coming up."

Were you excited when you received the first scripts for this storyline?
"Yeah, the first I heard of it was when I met with Emma Smithwick, our series producer, and she talked me through the way the story would be going. I was really excited when I found out that it would be a homeless story. I knew it would be quite hard-hitting due to the issue we were dealing with.

"As the story progresses, it also becomes a lot more about the character - so I think we'll find out a lot more about George and how he deals with different situations."

How long has George been homeless for?
"Well, Phoebe is a lot more experienced with this compared to George. She's been telling him what to do and where to go, while George is quite new to this. He's been living rough for about seven or eight months.

"The way I see it is that, when George first left home, he took his bare essentials with him and probably had some money that he could take away too, allowing him to stay in a hostel. But over time, that money has run out and his situation has become more desperate - and as a result, he's become more dependent on Phoebe."

What happens next?
"Up until now, George has been able to stay at the squat while continuing to attend college and keep up his front. But now he finds himself literally sleeping on the streets, with nothing more than cardboard to sleep on and a cheap sleeping bag.

"You'll see that he looks a lot rougher, because it's cold, damp and very bleak. People may think that things have been bad for George so far, but it's about to get a whole lot darker."

Have you had to do much research for this storyline?
"The issue was something that I didn't really know that much about to begin with. But there are charities like Shelter and Centrepoint, who have their own websites. Hollyoaks are working with them at the moment as we move forward - especially with Centrepoint.

"Over the next few weeks, we're going to try to raise awareness of the problem of homeless teenagers. It's not something that's really reported and you don't really see it in the papers. So I think it's nice that Hollyoaks are bringing this to the forefront, as it's a very real issue."

The scene you did with Emmett Scanlan (Brendan) in Price Slice was a memorable one!
"That was really good. Our producer Emma has said that she wants to incorporate the village a lot more, and have us all crossing paths with other characters. It was obviously really great to do a scene with Emmett and to break out of the sixth former 'bubble' that we'd got ourselves in. It was quite a random scene, but people seemed to like it!"

You can see the developments of this storyline unfold next week on Hollyoaks at 6.30pm on Channel 4 followed by the first look episode at 7pm on E4.

Digital Spy: Daniel O'Connor Interview

Digital Spy recently caught up with Hollyoaks newcomer Daniel O'Connor who talks about the new role and what the audience can expect in the coming weeks.

Check out some of what Daniel said below but you can read the interview in full here.

How are you finding your time at Hollyoaks so far?
"It's all going really well. I've been getting along with all of the cast and they all seem really friendly. It was helpful that I already knew one of the guys on the show before I started, as I actually used to be housemates with PJ Brennan - who plays Doug - in London before he moved up here to Liverpool. So PJ showed me around and introduced me to everyone, which was quite nice."

How did the role of Ally come about?
"Well, I actually auditioned for a different role and got to the second audition for it. But then they asked me to come back and read for Ally. I got the part and I was on set about three days after that, so it all happened very, very quickly!"

How would you describe the character of Ally?
"He's a nice, loveable guy - very friendly and kind. He's a medic who's just got back from Afghanistan, and he turns up in Hollyoaks because he's looking for a place to live. So that's when he meets Rhys and Jacqui, because they're looking for a lodger.

"Initially, it all seems quite rosy and like a perfect match, but as Ally stays there a bit longer, it becomes apparent that Rhys and Jacqui are always at each other's throats! So then Ally starts to question whether it was the right decision to move in with them."

Daniel will make his debut next Monday at 7pm on E4 and at 6.30pm Tuesday on Channel 4.

Rachel Shenton Interview

NewsScoop recently did an interview with Hollyoaks' Rachel Shenton (Anne 'Mitzeee' Minniver) where she talked about the character, the recent climax to the Warren story and what the future holds for Mitzeee.


You can read some of the interview below but click here to read it in full.

HARVY: Firstly, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to NewsScoop. You are well known for your on-screen character in Hollyoaks as Mitzeee. Can you tell us a little about who Mitzeee is and what she stands for? Would you change anything about her? 

RACHEL: Thank you very much, I love playing Mitzeee, she’s a complex soul, with a million faces….she can be ruthless and shrewd yet insecure and vulnerable, as an actress its a blast to play. I wouldn’t change a thing about her, well..maybe I’d like her to wear more clothes :-) 

HARVY: Why do you think Hollyoaks is such a popular soap? What’s your all-time favourite storyline/issue that has been explored so far? 

RACHEL: I think it’s so popular because its young, fresh & full of drama. My most favourite was definitely the Silas storyline, everyone involved smashed it & I’m a huge Jeff Rawle fan!  

HARVY: Mitzeee was recently tangled in Warren’s villainous web, keeping us on the edge of our seats…what was it like working with Jamie Lomas? Whilst acting out the scenes, did he scare you a little? (Signs of a good actor!) 

RACHEL: Jamie’s great, we had such a blast filming his final scenes. On some of the aggressive parts, we decided the best thing to do was not hold back & just go for it, which was a little scary at times. 

HARVY: What does the future hold for Mitzeee?  

RACHEL: I’m not going to say too much, all I’m saying is I’m very excited at a potential new romance for Mitzeee.

Digital Spy: Kieron Richardson Interview

Digital Spy recently caught up with Hollyoaks' Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay) in which he talked about what he's liked about this year on the show, and what we can expect for the character as we head into 2012. Also Ste's on-off relationship with Brendan (Emmett J. Scanlan) and what his plans are for his upcoming birthday.

Check out some of what Kieron said below but you can read the interview in full here.

What have been your highlights from the past 12 months at Hollyoaks?
"I think my main highlight from the past year goes without saying - it's been working with Emmett. He's been a great addition to the show, and it's also great for me as an actor to work with someone like him. Emmett's helped me and challenged me, which has been really good.

"It's been another good year, and touch wood, every year I've been here I've had really good storylines - so it's been fantastic to have another successful year on the show."


What do you think of the decision to keep Ste and Brendan apart for the time being?
"I think the two characters definitely needed to split off from each other and do their own thing. I think if you push it in the audience's faces too much, then they'll get bored of it, so I think it's nice that they've stopped that for a bit now and they can both go their separate ways.

"Knowing the relationship that they've got and their past, they will always come back together at some point. But I think it is important that they go off and do their own things. It's nice for us to work with some different people too."


Even if Ste and Brendan are apart for now, could there be a light at the end of the tunnel for their fans in the long-term?
"I don't know whether there's any future in the relationship, but I can definitely see them working together again - whether it'll be in Chez Chez, or Brendan getting Ste to do something dodgy for him. Brendan's obviously that type of character, and Ste's so gullible that he'll just go along and do anything! I can definitely see them having scenes together but as for specifics, even we don't know yet."


It sounds like the writers are planning to explore Ste more in his own right in 2012. Are you excited about what's ahead?
"Definitely. I think this year Ste was very much the victim in every sense - in his career and in his relationship with Brendan. I think in 2012, you're going to see a very different side of Ste and we're giving him a bit of power. He's going to have a new job, he's going to get a new love interest, and he's going to be a brand new person - which is going to be interesting after the year that he's just had!"

Digital Spy: Emmett J. Scanlan Interview

Digital Spy recently caught up with Hollyoaks' Emmett J. Scanlan (Brendan Brady) at a photoshoot for Gay Times Magazine where, he talked about the character and the on-off relationship with Ste (Kieron Richardson) and more. Check out the interview in the video below.



He also talked about what the photoshoot was like and some more personal related questions, check out the video of that interview below.

Casting: Miles Higson Exits

Hollyoaks is to lose another member of the Costello family as Miles Higson (Seth) is set to bow out as we head into 2012. Higson joined the show in July 2010 as the youngest of the Costello boys and during his time has been involved in some of the shows biggest storylines. Like that of  Jasmine's (Victoria Atkin) struggles with GID, Mercedes and Carl's affair and more recently he got to shine in this years Hollyoaks Later as Seth saw himself the victim of Warren's mind games.

On his departure Higson told Digital Spy;

How are you feeling now that your time on Hollyoaks has come to an end?
"I'm feeling alright! My time at Hollyoaks was the best year of my life and I loved it, but now it'll be nice to do something new and have a change. I was sad to leave, but everything happens for a reason and I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds." 

What was your last day on set like?
"It was funny, because I obviously knew I was leaving but it didn't feel like I was, as it just felt like a normal day. But then at the end of my last scene, a whole load of cast and crew came out to say goodbye to me, and I started crying like a little baby! It was quite emotional." 

Why does Seth decide to leave the village?
"You'll see that he partly does it out of brotherly love - he wants to help his brother out by making a fresh start. The other main reason is that so much has happened in the village and Seth has just had enough of it, so he wants to get away from it all." 

What highlights can you name from your time at Hollyoaks?
"All of it! I've honestly loved every minute, from beginning to end - from the first day when they dressed me up as a clown to take family pictures of me, to the day I left. I've genuinely had the time of my life."

You can read the rest of the Digital Spy interview here .

Digital Spy: Emma Smithwick Interview

Although still fairly new in the role new Hollyoaks series-producer Emma Smithwick has already got off to a brilliant start. She recently did an interview with Digital Spy in which she outlined what her vision for the show is and what we can expect as we move into 2012.


Here's a preview of what was said:

You've been Hollyoaks' series producer for a few months now. How's it all going so far?"It's going brilliantly, I'm absolutely buzzing. I think the autumn was outstanding and I'm so happy with the material that we've got coming through now. I've been producer for a few months now, but I was here for a while before that as series editor so whilst it's somewhat of a new role, I have been heavily invested in all the storylines that are currently on screen."  

What can you tell us about your overall vision for the show?"I have a very strong idea about the show that I want to make, and a lot of it is coming through already so the viewers will have seen it. I joined Hollyoaks in May which saw the beginning of a lot of the changes that are coming through.  

"There have been a lot of new arrivals and through the stories that we're telling and the way we're telling them, we want the audience to really engage with the characters. It definitely takes time but when that happens, it means you can do things with the characters and the viewers will really care. I find the worst thing is when you watch certain shows and something horrendous happens, but you don't really care or know why you should care. Emotional integrity is one of the key things that I want to drive through.  

"I also want to use the audience more and get them involved, as we did recently with the Wretch 32 Invasion. I'd like to redefine the way that the viewers can watch a show."  

2011 has been a strong year for Hollyoaks but now it feels like a number of successful and long-running stories have ended at the same time, such as Silas's murders, Jacqui/Gilly/Rhys, Jason's transgender, and the Costello affair dramas. Do you have equally big and long-running stories to replace these with next year?"Definitely. I know there's been varying reactions to sixth formers and the freshers, and we tried to complement the Silas storyline by bringing in those characters alongside it. Those characters have had a bit of a 'soft launch', but certainly at the beginning of next year, we'll be doing a lot of getting to know those characters even more so that we can elevate them and their stories.
"As well as the sixth formers and the freshers, there are a lot of other characters who will have big storylines coming up in 2012. We're certainly not going to drop long-running stories just because a number of them have now culminated - 2012 is going to be a big year." 

When will your first episode credited as series producer air?"It's going to be on Boxing Day - so it's going to be the Doug special."

You can check out the rest of the interview with Emma Smithwick by following the links below:
Part 1   :   Part 2