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Thread: Alfie Nightingale

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    Alfie Nightingale

    Hollyoaks has unleashed a double twist on its viewers by revealing the identities of Alfie Nightingale's biological parents.

    Alfie (Richard Linnell) was first introduced to the Channel 4 soap last month as the adopted son of The Dog's new landlord Mac - but now it's clear that there's much more to the story.

    Friday's E4 first look episode (November 20) saw Mac forced to confide in his eldest son Nathan, revealing that he's actually the biological dad of Alfie.

    The shock secret is the reason why Mac (David Easter) adopted Alfie and has gone to such great effort to make him feel like part of the Nightingale family.

    In a further bombshell, Mac admitted that Cindy Cunningham is Alfie's mother - an explosive secret which looks set to spark a major new storyline for long-serving cast member Stephanie Waring.

    Hollyoaks cast members had previously teased that there was much more to learn about Mac and Cindy's history, but the Alfie secret was kept well under wraps before transmission.

    Mac came clean after Nathan found his secret divorce papers, which revealed his marriage to Cindy.

    When Nathan questioned whether Mac came to the village to be with Cindy, the pub boss denied it and insisted that he made the move for Alfie's sake.

    Upcoming Hollyoaks episodes will see Nathan struggle badly as the news about Alfie's parents sinks in.

    Unwilling to keep such a huge secret, Nathan will repeatedly urge Mac to tell Alfie the truth, but is Mac ready to change the family's lives forever?

  2. #2
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    Alfie Nightingale just received the mother and father of all shocks, as newcomer Marnie dropped the bombshell that Mac and Cindy are his biological parents.

    The big revelation just aired in Hollyoaks' latest E4 first look episode, paving the way for an emotional week as Alfie tries to build a relationship with his mum.

    Digital Spy recently caught up with Richard Linnell, who plays Alfie, for an exclusive chat about the Nightingale family's life-changing drama - as well as the next big heartbreaking story ahead for his character.

    What a revelation for Alfie! How will he cope with it?

    "Alfie will be in shock for quite a while. He feels quite betrayed by Mac in particular and he struggles to deal with that, so he essentially runs away from home for a little bit. Alfie is just desperate to get out of that situation.

    "Eventually he ends up with Cindy at the Roscoe family's house and he asks if he can stay with her. From that point on, he's desperately trying to get to know his real mum."

    Is it fair to say that Cindy wouldn't be Alfie's ideal choice to be his mum?

    "Oh yeah, Cindy's definitely not the best mum candidate in the world! She's also in quite a dark place herself at the moment, but Alfie is desperate to get past all of that.

    "There are some lovely scenes where Alfie brings out a box of his memories, so he can show Cindy who he is. As there's a hospital tag in the box, Alfie has to explain to Cindy that he had cancer as a child. That's quite a big moment for Cindy when she finds out what happened to him when she wasn't around."

    Could Alfie's discovery be a good thing in the long-run?

    "I think so. The tension in the Nightingale family will eventually resolve itself, especially when Neeta comes back to help deal with the situation. After it's all calmed down and Alfie has reconciled himself with his dad, there's a certainty that comes to Alfie that he hasn't had before. Alfie won't have a perfect relationship with both of his parents, but he's now got a big chunk of his life filled in."

    Will Marnie Nightingale cause even more chaos for the family after this?

    "Most definitely! Alfie doesn't hold much love for his adoptive mother. He's always felt that she doesn't love him and hasn't quite connected with him, so he's quite confused and angry as to why that is.

    "Alfie can see that Marnie is just trying to stir up trouble and sabotage relationships. She's definitely going to cause even more trouble now that she's back..."

    You've also started filming Alfie and Jade's teen cancer storyline. How do you feel about taking that on?

    "Of course a topic like that is incredibly daunting to explore. It's something that is incredibly nuanced, complex and it affects so many people in different ways. It's almost impossible to completely do it justice to every single case, but you really try your best to get the most realistic and truthful portrayal as possible."

    How have you prepared for the storyline?

    "We had a research day here at work, where survivors of cancer came in and spoke to us. We received a really personal account of all the intricacies, including the things that you don't necessarily always see in the media. It's the little bits and pieces that make it much more realistic. We're also going to continue our research by visiting cancer wards, to really make sure we've got as much information as possible to do the story justice."

    Can you tell us how the story will develop?

    "For both Alfie and Jade, it's not just about the cancer - it's their lives as teenagers with cancer. So it's not the title, it's the subtitle. It's just an addition to their lives that will obviously change things, but life continues. It's just that it continues in a slightly different way.

    "I've shaved my head for the storyline. As we're working with Stand Up To Cancer, I'm also trying to make sure that the fundraising gets going too. That's the most important bit, as to use this as a vehicle for change would be amazing."

    The story has been billed as both heartbreaking and inspirational. Do you hope that's the case?

    "Definitely. The reason it will be heartbreaking is because it's two kids in the worst situation in the world, but as much as they can, they'll try not to let it affect them. They're trying to support each other and they're soldiering on. At the end of the day, them being miserable won't change anything - they've just been given a rotten lot of luck."

    You're one of the most responsive cast members when fans get in touch on Twitter. How have the fans reacted since the story was announced?

    "They've all been incredibly supportive and I hope they'll see there is a positive side to the storyline. I'm hoping I can get that across as best as I can. The story is about how you live with cancer - it's not just a misery piece about how cancer is awful, because everybody knows that already.

    "It's really nice to talk to the fans on Twitter. At the end of the day, they're just people and so am I. I don't really get the whole celebrity culture thing - it doesn't make much sense!"

    Speaking of which, have you had much attention while out and about since joining the cast late last year?

    "I've only been noticed once in a while - that was before I had my head shaved, though! There are always a few people waiting outside the gates at work for the fans to come out, but it doesn't happen so much in the real world. I also style my hair differently to how Alfie does in real life and I don't wear the glasses, so I'm not recognised as often.

    "Now that I've shaved off my hair, that might make me stand out more. Although maybe not at the moment - I'm wearing a hat a lot because it's been so cold!"

  3. #3
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    is he bipolar like cindy?

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    who is he marrying in flash forward?

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    Hollyoaks is launching a new mental health storyline next month as Alfie Nightingale (Richard Linnell) will struggle with Schizoaffective Disorder.

    The storyline, which will form part of the soap's award-winning #DontFilterFeelings campaign, will see Alfie start to hear a voice and his behaviour become increasingly erratic, leading to concerns about his mental health.

    He will ultimately be diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder, a mental health disorder that causes people to experience both psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions and mood symptoms such as mania or depression or both.


    Alfie Nightingale struggles without Jade in Hollyoaks
    © LIME PICTURES

    Channel 4 have worked with mental health charity MIND on the storyline, as well as consulting filmmaker Jonny Benjamin, who helped create Channel 4 documentary Stranger on the Bridge, to ensure Alfie's experience is accurately and sensitively portrayed.

    "I feel deeply honoured to have been trusted with such a strong and complex story for Alfie," Richard Linnell said about the storyline.

    "We've been working closely with both MIND, and talking to people who have been kind enough to share their personal experiences of the condition.

    "It's going to be a tumultuous road ahead for Alfie and in telling a deeply truthful, powerful story we hope to continue to break down the stigmas surrounding mental health as a whole."

    "We are so pleased that Hollyoaks are tackling the mental health condition Schizoaffective Disorder and have enjoyed working with them over many months," mental health charity MIND added.

    "We know that when done well soap storylines can have a really positive affect on a huge audience, changing attitudes and encouraging people to seek help."

    Alfie's storyline will first air on E4 on Tuesday, April 3 at 7pm.

    Digital Spy

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