Exclusive: 'Hollyoaks': Nick Pickard talks cancer plot conclusion, Tony future
Hollyoaks fans breathed a sigh of relief this week as the soap's longest-running character Tony Hutchinson was given the all-clear following his fight against cancer.
Tony's all-important test results came through in the Channel 4 show's 18th anniversary episode, which also featured the birth of his twin children Anthony and Dee Dee.
Nick Pickard, who plays Tony, caught up with Digital Spy this week for an exclusive chat about the conclusion of the cancer story and his character's future.
Are you pleased with the way Tony's cancer storyline has played out?
"I'm very pleased. I've had some really good feedback on Twitter about Wednesday's special episode with the arrival of the twins and Tony's results coming back all-clear. It's a really nice end to the storyline for Tony, because he's been through the mill this year and now he's come out the other side.
"It's also great for him to have the twins, because he did lose a baby years ago and he's not had a chance to be with his son Harry. He's got a nice little family now."
Were you assured from the start that Tony would beat his cancer?
"It's a funny one, because it's the one thing that I haven't been able to say in interviews! When we sat down and discussed the storyline, the first thing I asked was, 'Am I going to live?' Bryan Kirkwood [Hollyoaks' executive producer] did say from the off that he would be okay, but they did explore both outcomes on screen as we saw with Ste's mum.
"It's one of those cases where you want to do the storyline, but you obviously don't want to be going! I would have taken it either way as we don't have a choice, but it's nice that he's now been given the all-clear."
Have you had a lot of feedback over the story in general?
"I've had loads. I'm not a big Twitter person, but it's really nice sometimes to see what people are saying about you. I was really overwhelmed on Wednesday night to see so many people writing in, commenting on the performances and saying how happy they were for Tony. That's what we do the job for and it really does mean a lot."
Does Tony have some downtime on screen now, or does he stay busy?
"I wouldn't say I'm as busy now as I have been this year. I have to admit, I'm fried after the late-night episodes and the big stories in the main show. It actually started this time last year with Cindy and Rhys's affair and the bus crash. It's been a hell of a year for me - probably the busiest year that I've had in a long, long time.
"I'm going away on holiday in a couple of weeks, but after that it's back to the mayhem. It never ends here, so even when you're not very busy, you're busy enough. You never get weeks on end when you're not doing anything - you're always in sporadically and around the building. Even when you're not busy on telly, you're doing press or getting back in shape, stuff like that!"
Is Tony going to open the restaurant again?
"I'll say that there are rumours! There are rumours that it's possibly going to happen, but I'm really not up on my scripts at the moment as I haven't seen my next block of eps."
Are you hoping that Tony and Diane will have a strong future?
"I'm hoping that they'll have a strong future together, at least for a good long while. I'm hoping that there'll be no dramas in their lives. Obviously it wouldn't be soap without dramas, but I'm hoping they could be part of other people's dramas at the moment. Let's just have them be happy for a while.
"I've loved working with Alex and I've actually known her for a long, long time. She used to be in Brookside and we filmed in the same building. Her uncle cuts my hair - well he used to, I don't have any hair now! I also know her husband really well as we used to play squash and football together.
"Alex was actually the one I knew least out of all her family, until we started working together! She's an absolutely fantastic actress and I've really enjoyed working with her. I've been really lucky with all the girls I've worked with, to be fair - Sarah Dunn, Claire Cooper and Steph Waring."
What's it like to work with babies on set?
"The twins that we have at the minute are called Maeve and Albie. I've got a daughter who's 15, but the little boy Albie has made me so broody. I just think, 'I could have another one now'. I've also got a niece and nephew who make me feel the same way. I've been getting a little bit broody recently with all these babies around!"
After Hollyoaks Later, we've seen a lot of fans calling for the return of James Redmond as Finn in the main show. Do you think it will happen?
"Well, he's one of the only ones who's not dead! I don't really know how James stands on it all. It's not something I'd ask him about, because I'm sure if he wanted to come back, he would make his own enquiries. I know that there's been a lot of positive feedback about him being back on screen, and he was a very popular character the first time around.
"I'd love to see him back. With the late-night episodes, we slipped straight back into it really easily - it's like putting on an old pair of shoes. When it comes to the actors you feel most comfortable with, you always want to see them back."
A few people are also wondering whether Parry Glasspool could return as Tony's son Harry…
"You'd have to ask Bryan Kirkwood! (Laughs.) I'd love to have them all back. I'd love for the cast to never leave, but it's the cycle of soap and it's always nice when people come back."
What have you made of the 18th birthday celebrations?
"I think they've done an amazing job. I genuinely can't believe that it's been 18 years that I've been in this job. It's crazy. I remember when it was the fifth anniversary! Originally I was signed up for 26 episodes and the show was known as 'Teen Soap' because nobody had a name for it yet. For two or three months, all of our scripts said 'Teen Soap'! Now I'm not a teenager anymore, I'm one of the older ones!
"I really hope that Hollyoaks goes on for as long as it can. I love the show and I love the people more than anything - they're like my family. I'm very lucky to have the job I have and come to work with a smile on my face every day.
"I know that the cast we have at the moment is one of the best we've ever assembled, and we're in really good shape at the moment. We've got some fantastic storylines coming up and with Bryan Kirkwood at the helm for the foreseeable future, I really think we can take the show up to a whole new level."
They've just announced Finn O'Connor's male rape storyline with John Paul, which Tony will obviously have some involvement in…
"That's one of the fantastic storylines I was just referring to! Keith Rice is a brilliant actor and James Sutton is too. I remember Gary Lucy's character had a similar story years ago and that really put us on the map back then. I'm hoping that once again it can push us on to a different level."