“She was not thinking.”
Note: This story discusses topics including sibling sexual abuse
Hollyoaks star Suzanne Hall has explained the horrifying twist in the storyline between Frankie and JJ Osborne, which has seen Suzanne try to conceal her son’s abuse.
JJ has abused his sister, Frankie, for the past few years, with his horrific behaviour continuing upon their return to the village earlier this year.
After months of abuse, Frankie confided in stepfather Darren that she had been routinely assaulted by JJ, with the teenager eventually telling her mother, Suzanne, of her brother’s crimes.
Instead of supporting her daughter, Suzanne initially refused to believe Frankie, and later betrayed her trust by binning her phone, which contained a detailed log of JJ’s abuse.
Hall, who returned to the Channel 4 soap after a 12-year absence, spoke about the surprising developments, explaining her character’s decisions: “This was extremely difficult for Suzanne. She’s totally devastated by this revelation.
“[She] lashes out believing that Frankie is lying again. Suzanne is torn, ripped apart at this moment and desperately needs to escape this living nightmare, this hell that has been thrown at her.
“Yes she does [start to believe her] and she’s devastated, completely broken and feels she’s let her family down by not tackling things when the twins were younger, and maybe early intervention could have changed the outcome.”
“She was not thinking,” she remarked at the character’s choice to bin Frankie’s phone. “And it was a fight or flight situation knee-jerk reaction thinking it could all just go away! It’s something that doesn’t happen to your family, why mine? Totally abhorrent and devastating.”
Hall, who debuted as Suzanne in 2005, also spoke about her experience of filming the emotional scenes, sharing: “It’s been extremely emotional, a rollercoaster and very, very upsetting and heartbreaking.”
Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that.
