Dillon Ray and Frankie Osborne are set to take centre stage in a new dark storyline as Hollyoaks highlight the two most common forms of exploitation facing vulnerable teenagers

Hollyoaks is set to highlight increasing danger to young people in a ground-breaking new storyline.

The Channel 4 soap will examine the two most common forms of exploitation that teens in the UK are at risk of as two young characters are groomed by a criminal gang.

Frankie Osborne (Isabelle Smith) and Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass) will find themselves in danger when they are targeted with the offer of a lifestyle that they perceive to be glamorous. The reality is they have been lured into world that it is difficult to escape from without intervention, where they will find themselves subject to criminal and sexual exploitation.

Hollyoaks has worked closely with Causeway – a charity that supports, empowers and creates change for survivors of modern slavery – to ensure authentic representation of the storyline. It has also been informed by the stories of real-life survivors.

In recent scenes, fans have watched observed underworld figure Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey) take an interest in Dillon. Wanting to gain Dillon’s trust and move him away from his family, Rex gifts the teenager a home and over time manipulation leads them to dealing drugs on behalf of Rex. Later, for Frankie and Dillon this will lead to them being sexually exploited.

Frankie is a survivor of Sibling Sexual Abuse (SSA) which she suffered at the hands of her twin brother JJ Osborne which has inevitably had a lasting effect on the youngster and left her vulnerable to grooming. Dillon also hasn’t had an easy time exploring his sexuality and has faced his fair share of hardships without the guidance of his parents.

Hollyoaks Executive Producer Hannah Cheers said: “It is imperative that Hollyoaks is constantly talking to young people about safeguarding issues and ways in which abuse can infiltrate young lives.

“The audience naturally regenerates and the issues that young adults are vulnerable to are constantly evolving. Hollyoaks is in a unique position to shine a light on them, without lecturing, due to the way that the show tells stories.

“The research that we have, finds that the exploitation of young people is an insidious problem and growing concern for multi safeguarding agencies.”

Hannah continued: “Frankie is on a journey of rebuilding her life and that must be filled with hope and potential, but also reality. With the trauma that Frankie’s been through, there’s a lot to navigate in life. She has this incredibly strong bond with Darren and Nancy now, however, her understanding and experience of trust is still one that needs to be worked out.

“We test the relationship between Frankie and Darren and the way that Frankie copes with that is we will see her try to make a go of it on her own and end up potentially in danger.

“Her best friend Dillon has also experienced a difficult upbringing, from being ostracised from his family home at 15 for being expelled, leaving him estranged from his parents, to becoming a teenage dad last year. Challenging upbringings make young people more susceptible to grooming.

“We want this story to shed a light on a very real problem that manifests in different ways for different individuals as we will see through the eyes of best friends.”

Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am