Hollyoaks villain Trevor Royle is at the centre of a big storyline next week as he starts threatening the McQueen family.

With Trevor still stewing over his showdown with Jacqui, the dangerous bad boy seizes an opportunity to find out where she is. Hell-bent on settling the score, Trevor's ruthless behaviour soon leaves the McQueens, Vincent, George and Ste all in the firing line.

Digital Spy recently chatted to Greg Wood, who plays Trevor, to hear what's in store and to get an insight into what makes his character tick.

How's it all going at Hollyoaks?
"It's going very well and I'm really enjoying it. The writers have been coming up with lots of good stuff for Trevor, and he seems to have his fingers in lots of pies! I'm really pleased with how it's going, especially as some of the scenes we've been filming have been so exciting.

"I did Brookside ten years ago and there are a quite a few familiar faces behind the scenes who are still here at Lime Pictures now. It's really great to be back."

We first saw you on screen briefly for Jacqui's exit storyline. Did you always know there was a longer-term plan for Trevor?
"Initially I didn't know. As far as I knew, I was just on Hollyoaks for a short little stint. After that little starter period, I found out that Trevor would be coming back to cause more mischief. I was really pleased to find that out - it's brilliant."

How do you describe Trevor? We know that he's a villain, but could there be more to him?
"Trevor is definitely a villain, but I think he's damaged goods. He's got a lot of baggage and there are definitely reasons why he is the way he is. I think you'll soon see that he's also a bit of a quirky character. There's some stuff coming up where you'll hopefully find out more about Trevor and where he's coming from.

"Trevor is certainly a bad apple, but he justifies things for himself and he has his own reasons for doing things. He's very good at what he does, and he just sees it as business.

"I'd also say Trevor is a bit of a sociopath, really! Any normal person would think that his crimes are heinous, but in his own head, he sees it purely as making the business work - and his business is a bad business."


© Lime Pictures
Trevor with the McQueens.


A few of your roles have been bad boys. Do you prefer playing the villain?
"I always say that villains are loads of fun to play. When you're playing a bad character, you're not just dealing with normal everyday stuff like buying a loaf of bread! It's generally a bit more dramatic and everything is a bit more heightened. In that sense, it's very exciting and sometimes quite cathartic! I also think people enjoy watching a villain and hopefully within that, we can still get a human side across."

What can we expect from next week's storyline where Trevor is threatening the McQueens?
"Trevor still hasn't forgotten the Jacqui situation and Phoebe coming along on the van heist. In a bit of a panic and not really thinking it through, Phoebe now wants to get some immigration papers for Vincent to help him stay in the country. Phoebe calls someone about getting hold of these papers and gets given a number, not realising that it's Trevor.

"When Phoebe goes ahead with her plan, she gets kidnapped, taken back to Trevor's club and held hostage. There's lots of threats and intimidation coming Phoebe's way, so it's quite frightening for her."

What happens next?
"George and Vincent find out where Phoebe is and they turn up to find her, along with Ste. In a nutshell, it's a case of whether he's prepared to let them go. The McQueens also come up with a fake funeral to convince Trevor that Jacqui is dead, but you'll have to watch to find out whether he's fooled by that…"


© Lime Pictures
Trevor tips over the coffin.


With Trevor being so intimidating towards everyone, is he just making empty threats or would he always follow through with his violence?
"If Trevor doesn't get his way, he's definitely not afraid to carry out his threats and that's where the menace is. He will do these things, and he has done them in the past. I think that's what makes him so intimidating. He'd definitely carry out whatever he's said."

There's a big interest in your storyline with Ste. Is there more coming up for those two?
"Yeah, there's more coming up with Ste. I think you're going to see Ste get stuck very deep in the web that Trevor is creating. Like I said, Trevor has his fingers in a lot of pies and there's definitely more stuff coming up. He starts owning people in a way and getting them to do whatever he wants them to do."

Have you seen much reaction to Trevor online yet?
"There hasn't been a huge amount yet because Trevor has only been on screen quite briefly, but that may change when he becomes more regular on the show. I do get people saying that I play the villain very well, which I always take as a compliment! It's all good fun. I always say it's my eyebrows!"

Do you have fond memories of your time on Coronation Street as Rick Neelan, and working with the likes of Barbara Knox (Rita) and Michelle Keegan (Tina)?
"It was fantastic - there were some great actors to work with on the show. I really enjoyed being part of Rita's wedding storyline and to work with such an old pro was great.

"We did some big stuff at the docks where Rick kidnapped Rita, and it was such a cold day. Barbara was out there in the cold in a little wedding dress, absolutely freezing, but she stuck it out and she didn't moan. Michelle Keegan is also a lovely girl and a good actress. It was lots of fun."