Hollyoaks abuser JJ Osborne (Ryan Mulvey) is set to face justice for what he did to sister Frankie (Isabelle Smith), Metro can reveal.
The youngster, who sexually assaulted and gaslit Frankie for many years, will be at the centre of dramatic court scenes at the start of 2025, with Frankie hoping that she can be allowed to turn a corner in her ordeal.
Show boss Hannah Cheers sat down with me to talk about what’s coming up for Hollyoaks, and she is hopeful that the passion being injected into the show behind the scenes will translate on screen.
‘I always want people to have a fond smile when they talk about Hollyoaks, because I think as a fan of the show you have a very unique relationship with it,’ she mused. ‘I want Hollyoaks to always be something that people are fond of, because they know that it will constantly deliver surprises, and you never quite know what you’re going to get.
‘There’s no sense of predictability with Hollyoaks and that’s my favourite thing about it. That’s why I think the future is so exciting because I think we are very good at evolving and regenerating.
‘There’s always an evolution at Hollyoaks, and everyone feels galvanised to achieve that. I think that filters down into every single part of the show. Everyone’s always chomping at the bit, excited to be like, “What’s next then? What’s the next stunt? What’s the next thing we can get excited about? What’s coming next?”
‘Everyone that works on it, the amazing team we have in Liverpool, are just constantly seeking the high of what the next thing is, and that is the thing I want the audience to feel about the future of Hollyoaks. Knowing that they will always come to Hollyoaks for a bit of an adrenaline high, or a cry, but something that sucks you in and chucks you out and makes you feel something brilliant.’
We’re on board with that! So what IS coming up then? Probing for spoilers, I managed to land myself some teasers and, as well as JJ taking the stand, there are big changes for Grace Black (Tamara Wall), some high camp Blake shenanigans, and a very McQueen Christmas – both warm and bittersweet.
‘We know at the moment that Leela has a secret, and when we reveal the secret we will be dipping into the missing year,’ Hannah told me.
‘We’ll be seeing some flashbacks to the missing year, and that will light the touch paper on a series of events that will eventually, in the new year, see the climax of a very long-running story. So, that’s exciting!
‘In January, we’ve also got JJ’s trial. He will stand trial for his abuse of Frankie.
‘In the build up to Christmas we’ve also got bad boy Freddie. A leopard never changes its spots, and he is absolutely thrust into those old ways of causing chaos in his past!
‘It’s all wrapped up in a very gorgeous, warm and at moments heartbreaking McQueen Christmas with Mercedes’ journey. But also, the events there will eventually lead to Grace Black taking stock and reevaluating her life and making a rather big decision.’
Touching upon one of my favourite soap clans, she confirmed more Blake madness, adding: ‘Obviously, it has been released now that we have the absolutely brilliant return of Danny Mac as Dodger to look forward to, and there is a very big, exciting story that he launches into that does connect to many other characters in the village.
‘But within the Blakes, they are the heightened part of the show. They’re our marmite – and I love marmite! I know that the heightened part of the show is marmite, but we stand firm that the chapter we’re about to embark on with them will engage, delight and surprise fans as we pave the way for the 30th.’
Plans for the 30th are all on the table, with Hannah admitting that it’s all everyone wants to talk about on set, joking that there are enough ideas for ten feature films.
‘I keep saying, “Guys, we need to pace ourselves, there’s only so much airtime!”
‘There is a huge appetite and huge excitement in the air. Obviously, the single biggest thing is that the stories are all lined up and that the stories are there to give us the right emotional peaks and then we can build out everything else around it.
‘The stories have been circulating for a while and some things we’re already paving the way to now, and in the new year we will be firming up those plans, which is really exciting.
‘After this year, and feeling the way everyone does about the show, everyone is just feeling so energized and the 30th anniversary will be such a marker of how this show, this perennial underdog, has made it to its 30th birthday. It’s like your best friend or sister making it to 30 and absolutely smashing life.
‘I want everyone to be excited about Hollyoaks turning 30, because people still say to me, “I remember when I was 16 and watched it in my bedroom on a Sunday morning.” I still get told those stories all the time about people who really clearly remember when Hollyoaks was part of their life.’
And long may it be – it sounds like there is plenty still in the bag!
