How Hollyoaks launched the careers of the soap world’s sexiest stars – here’s what they’re up to as the show turns 25

IT was Britain’s first soap aimed at teens – and now those young viewers are middle-aged, as Hollyoaks hits its quarter century.

It was 25 years ago this week that Channel 4 launched the serial focusing on the lives of seven youngsters growing up in the fictional Chester suburb that gave the show its name.

Within months, viewing figures rocketed to four million an episode and the show has been responsible for launching the careers of some of the soap world’s sexiest actors, including Jennifer Metcalfe, Gemma Atkinson and Jodi Albert.

The serial quickly became known for its controversial storylines, being the first UK soap to have a gay church wedding, anorexia, incest, self-harming, gay rape and a teenage drug death.

Celebrities including Boy George, Girls Aloud, McFly, The Saturdays, Eamonn Holmes and Andrew Lloyd Webber have all made appearances.

The first cast signing to the soap — which was the brainchild of Grange Hill and Brookside producer Phil Redmond — was 19-year-old actor Nick Pickard.

He was one of seven actors who signed up to the soap before it even had a name.

Now 45, Nick, who still plays businessman Tony Hutchinson, is the show’s longest-serving cast member and is even referred to as “Ken” around the soap’s Merseyside set, after Coronation Street’s longest-serving character, Ken Barlow.

He says: “When I was younger, people used to say, ‘You don’t stay somewhere for too long’, but I’ve always been happy. I’d do another 25 years.

“We’ve won awards and tackled some really important issues.

“When I started, I didn’t even know it was going to be called Hollyoaks. We were all in the same boat, but we had a ball and none of us had any idea the show would become what it is today.”

Over the years Nick has been involved in some of the soap’s biggest storylines.

His character has fought cancer, tragically lost baby daughter Grace to cot death and son Harry to serial killer Breda McQueen.

He has also been coupled up with some of the soap’s hottest actresses, including Sarah Jayne Dunn, Claire Cooper, Stephanie Waring and Alex Fletcher.

Hollyoaks will mark its 25th anniversary with a week of special episodes that will see the return of Jeremy Edwards as its original hunk, Kurt Benson.

Nick said: “It’s been great working with him again. We were going to have a big party but we can’t now.

“We’ll definitely celebrate at some point. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved over the last 25 years.”

Here, we catch up with the soap’s original seven cast members, revisit some of its agenda-setting storylines and focus on former Hollyoakers who became Hollywood fortune seekers.

THE ORIGINAL SEVEN OAKS

WILL MELLOR

He played “Jambo” Bolton until 1998. The 44-year-old then starred in BBC sitcom Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps and dramas Waterloo Road, Broadchurch and Line Of Duty. In 2007 he married dancer Michelle McSween.

JEREMY EDWARDS

He played ladies’ man Kurt Benson, who left in 1999 after his marriage failed. His character died off screen but returned for a special in 2013 as a guardian angel. Jeremy, 49, went on to star in Holby City, Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing On Ice and Celebrity X Factor.

BRETT O’BRIEN

She played Louise Taylor for just over a year before her kooky character fell for a new-age traveller called Tree and she left the soap in 1996 to be with him. Brett went on to secure roles in dramas Wire In The Blood, Doctors, The Bill and Law And Order UK.

SHEBAH RONAY

He played posh Natasha Andersen, who died from a drug overdose in 1996. Shebah, 48, granddaughter of food critic Egon Ronay and daughter of designer Edina Ronay, went on to work as a model and journalist.

LISA WILLIAMSON

She played Dawn Cunningham, who had a teen pregnancy by her best pal’s dad. She then fell in love with Jambo, but died of leukaemia in his arms on Christmas Day 1997. After a role in Sky drama Dream Team, Lisa now runs a hypnotherapy business.

YASMIN BANNERMAN

She played restaurateur Maddie Parker, whose 1997 kidnap by her ex, Michael, was the subject of an entire episode. He ended up dying when he was pushed off a roof. Yasmin, 48, quit the same year and star-red in Red Dwarf, Cold Feet and Torchwood.

NICK PICKARD

He still plays thrice-wed chef Tony Hutchinson. Among his traumas, he has been held hostage by killer Breda McQueen after she killed his son Harry. In 2017 Nick won an Outstanding Achievement award at the British Soap Awards.

GEMMA ATKINSON

Gemma, 35, played Lisa Hunter from 2001 to 2005. She has modelled for lingerie brands, has been a glamour model and made FHM mag’s 100 Sexiest Women list. She has starred in Casualty and Emmerdale and in Strictly in 2017.

JENNIFER METCALFE

IN 2006 Jennifer Metcalfe joined the cast as Mercedes McQueen, whose storylines include revealing an affair to her fiance at the altar. Jennifer, 37, quit in 2014 then returned a year later, when she won the Sexiest Female title at the Inside Soap Awards.

SOAP SET THE AGENDA

THE producers behind the scenes at Hollyoaks have prided themselves in not shying away from controversy and agenda-setting storylines.

Among the thorny issues that they have tackled head-on are male rape, same-sex domestic violence and eating disorders. Here we revisit a few of them.

IN 2019, after two years, the self-harm storyline of Lily Drinkwell, played by LAUREN McQUEEN, led to her death from an infected self-inflicted wound.

IN 2014 Ste Hay (KIERON RICHARDSON) wed John Paul McQueen (JAMES SUTTON) in the first UK gay soap church wedding. Ste also became the first HIV positive soap character.

GARY LUCY’S character Luke Morgan was raped in 2000 by Mark Gibbs during a late-night special episode. The story was revisited in 2017 when Gary returned to the role after 16 years away and Luke confronted his rapist

FROM 2010 to 2013 Ste was in an abusive relationship with Brendan Brady, played by EMMETT SCANLAN. The plot highlighted the issue of same-sex domestic abuse victims.

IN 2007 actress EMMA RIGBY won awards for her harrowing portrayal of Hannah Ashworth’s battle with anorexia and bulimia. Hannah was seen drinking only water.

THE LURE OF TINSELTOWN

RICKY WHITTLE

He played hunk Calvin Valentine from 2006 to 2010. The actor, now 38, danced on Strictly in 2009 — finishing in second place — then, after quitting the soap, moved to Los Angeles and got major roles in TV dramas Single Ladies, Mistresses and American Gods.

NATHALIE EMMANUEL

Nathalie, 31, was Sasha Valentine from 2006 to 2010, then Missandei in Game Of Thrones and roles in Maze Runner and   Fast & Furious 7.

RACHEL SHENTON

Rachel, 32, played Mitzeee Minniver from 2010 to 2013. In 2018 she won an Oscar for best live action short film for The Silent Child, which she also wrote.

EMMA RIGBY

Emma, 31, who played Hannah Ashworth from 2005 to 2010, landed the role of the Red Queen in 2013 American fantasy drama Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, starred in 2016’s A Cinderella Christmas and 2017 US crime thriller American Violence.

STARS STEAL THE SCENES

A HOST of household names — and people who would become one — have made cameos on the soap over its 25 years.

Besides 2009’s Hollyoaks Music Show — which featured performances on the soap’s set by Olly Murs, Pixie Lott and Jason Derulo among others — we revisit a few other cameo appearances below.

James Corden briefly played caretaker Wayne in 2000. He later wrote and starred in sitcom Gavin & Stacey, has made more than 30 films and has hosted US chat show The Late Late Show since 2015.

Theatre icon Andrew Lloyd Webber appeared as himself in three episodes in February 2008.

In 2003 self-confessed Hollyoaks fan Boy George made a cameo appearance DJing in a club.

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