Darren and Nancy

[tammyy2j]

Hollyoaks' troubled mum Nancy Osborne will punch Sienna Blake when she realises that the schemer is responsible for her recent problems.

Sienna, played by Anna Passey, has recently launched a ruthless scheme to take Nancy's place in the Osborne family and will seemingly stop at nothing to get what she wants.

As reported at the weekend, Sienna's next stunt sees her start secretly drugging Nancy so that Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson) thinks his wife has succumbed to her painkiller addiction again.

When Nancy later takes a drugs test to prove that she is clean, she is baffled when the results come back positive. However, all becomes clear when Doctor Browning (Joseph Thompson) tells Nancy that Sienna has been approaching him for pills on her behalf.

Jessica Fox, who plays Nancy, told All About Soap: "By this point, she's been thrown out of the pub and she can't understand why Darren's so upset when she's convinced that she's clean. Nancy goes to confront Doctor Browning, and he's adamant that she's been asking Sienna to come and collect the pills for her - and that's when Nancy realises exactly what Sienna's been up to."

Revealing how Nancy reacts, the actress added: "She punches her in the face! It was brilliant to film - I loved it. But I was really nervous - I came close to actually whacking Anna for real!"

At the end of her tether following all the recent trouble, Nancy tells Darren that he'll have to choose between her and Sienna.

Fox said: "I hope viewers are on Nancy's side and they all cheer when she hits Sienna! Wouldn't it be awful if someone infiltrated your family in real life and no-one would believe you when you tried to point it out? I can't say who Darren picks - you'll have to wait and see."

[tammyy2j]

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[Perdita]

Hollyoaks favourite Darren Osborne this week made a decision he might live to regret as he chose scheming Sienna Blake over his troubled wife Nancy.

Ruthless Sienna (Anna Passey) has been exploiting Nancy's painkiller addiction by secretly drugging her in recent episodes, but Darren remains oblivious to the reality of the situation.

With wrongly-accused Nancy (Jessica Fox) now on the outer, Digital Spy caught up with Ashley Taylor Dawson - who plays Darren - to see if there is any hope left for his character's marriage.

How are you finding the Sienna storyline so far?
"The storyline has been amazing and it's really blown me away. Getting the scripts each week has been a bit like a rollercoaster. Just when you think it might die down a little bit, something else happens! Darren's really in a washing machine of emotions at the moment, and to play that is great. Every day I'm coming into work to do very strong scenes, so I'm really enjoying it."

Darren and Nancy make a great couple, but do you prefer it when they're going through some drama?
"I do enjoy all the drama, yeah. I think one thing the writers have done in the past is try to make Darren and Nancy a really strong couple, just to prove that it's not always doom and gloom! After some fun times, it's now relentless drama for them - it's really non-stop.

"I know I can speak for myself, Jess and Anna when I say that the storyline has been great fun for all of us to film. It hasn't ended yet, and we don't know when or how it's going to end."

What's going through Darren's mind now that he's chosen Sienna over Nancy?
"Right from the beginning, Darren has been shocked by Nancy's painkiller addiction, because it's so unlike her. At first Darren wanted to support her and be a loyal husband, but he feels that she's lied to him quite a few times now. Darren really can't see that it's Sienna who's been stirring everything up with the more recent problems.

"Darren now feels that he's done everything he can to support Nancy and be there for his wife, but now that his young child has been put in danger on a few different occasions, it's the final nail in the coffin. He believes that the best and safest thing for the Osborne family at the moment is for Nancy to keep her distance.

"Throughout everything that's happened, Darren also thinks that Sienna has been his rock with all of her advice - little does he know that it's poisonous! That's why he's chosen Sienna and gone down this route."

Does Darren still love Nancy?
"He's desperately in love with her. She's his first real love. They're married and they've been through so much together with the premature birth and Oscar being deaf. Some relationships wouldn't survive those sorts of problems, but Darren and Nancy have always been so tight as a unit. Now this has happened, it's really hard for the pair of them.

"However, Darren knows that there's not much else he can do for Nancy at the moment. He's got experience of addiction himself and he knows that he needs to shock Nancy out of it. In his eyes, if she won't put her child and husband before the drugs, then she's a lost cause."

Is Darren falling in love with Sienna, or is it more of a physical attraction?
"When Nancy was away for her mother's funeral, Darren did strike up a genuine bond with Sienna. It felt like quite an innocent and sweet relationship. I think Darren choosing Sienna over Nancy is just perfect timing and easy for him. When you have something bad going on in your life, you lean on someone and Sienna has been there every step of the way.

"With that said, I don't really think it's a genuine love between Darren and Sienna, and I think Darren will come to realise that himself. Funnily enough, there are some scenes coming up where Tom puts some words in Darren's ear and makes him realise that he's not with Sienna for the right reasons. He's on the rebound."

How hard do you think Nancy will fight to get her family back?
"Nancy is a little warrior, isn't she? She'll do everything she can and she won't stop until she gets her husband and baby back. At the end of the day, Nancy is a good mother and a good wife."

Can you see Darren having to do a lot of grovelling to Nancy in the future?
"Definitely! He's been completely fooled and manipulated by Sienna. I do relate to Darren's point of view, though. You'd never think or suspect that someone would act in the way Sienna does. I think someone said once, 'Nobody pulls the wool over Darren's eyes… apart from everybody!' I think that might be a bit harsh though, as he genuinely is trying to do the right thing!"

Now that Darren is with Sienna, would you like him to have some scenes with evil Patrick?
"I've actually had a few scenes with him recently. Jeremy Sheffield is a fantastic guy and his character is brilliant. Patrick is so disturbed and a real control freak, but again, Darren doesn't see any of that. He just sees what he wants to see, although he does try to stand up to Patrick a bit. I'm sure there'll be more down the line."

Have you seen much reaction to this storyline from your fans on Twitter?
"I have and it's been a great reaction. People seem to be really enjoying the storyline. It's almost like a pantomime thing with people saying, 'She's behind you!' Lots of people are saying, 'Come on Darren, wake up!'

"At the same time, a lot of people are loving the character of Sienna. I've seen tweets from people saying that they actually like Darren and Sienna together, which is funny. But I think the hardcore fans will always want to see Darren and Nancy together."

As a long-serving cast member, how do you think things are going with the show in general?
"Morale at Hollyoaks is the best it's been for years. After doing so well at the Soap Awards, we're all continuing to work really hard. Since Bryan Kirkwood has come back, there's been more changes and I think the show is back at its best. We've got so much good stuff coming up and the scriptwriting is fantastic.

"I'd say I'm probably the happiest I've been since I started at Hollyoaks. To say that is a bold statement, but it's true. I've been here for years, so if anything I should be going the opposite way - I should be miserable by now!"

Are you looking forward to the show's 18th birthday?
"Yes, I am. The show has done incredibly well to get to that milestone. I think some people don't even realise that Hollyoaks has been on the TV for that long! Nick Pickard is going to be at the helm as he's currently involved in a great storyline. He's got Hollyoaks Later coming up too, so it's great to see him getting the rewards of being such a long-serving cast member."

With all the old faces coming back, were you sad not to be involved in Later this year?
"I was a little bit! I did have a bit of a joke with the producer about that! (Laughs.) But I think I'm just so busy in the main show at the moment, so there wasn't time to fit me in. They're filming Hollyoaks Later abroad, while I've been busy here in the studio every single day, even on Saturdays.

"The proof's in the pudding, so as long as I'm getting good stories and good scripts, I really can't complain. I'd love to be in a Hollyoaks Later series, but I'm sure my time will come!"

We had an article recently on you helping to shave Nick Pickard! What was that experience like?!
"It was an experience that I could not miss! (Laughs.) Nick explained to me that he was getting his whole body shaved for the cancer storyline, and he wanted me to shave his eyebrows. I told him he was a nutter for choosing me, but he knew that I'd love it and it just made the whole thing more fun.

"To be fair, we had a good giggle doing the eyebrow I did, but then with the eyebrow that the lady did, Nick was screaming his eyes out! I think I was good moral support, even though I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Fair play to Nick - he was there for two hours, was bright red raw and he took it like a man!"

Kieron Richardson often says in his interviews that he wants more scenes with you. Would you like Ste and Darren to become friends?
"Yeah! Kieron's a great guy and I love him to bits, but in the show we've always had a bit of a frosty relationship. The only time we ever work together is when Ste comes to the bar, but we do tend to add a few little extra bits to our scenes. Myself and Kieron are usually like passing ships in scenes, but I'd love to do more stuff with him."

[lizann]

cant believe darren slept with sienna already

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks' Nancy Osborne will face serious danger next month as Sienna Blake's scheming intensifies.

Nancy is left horrified as she is accused of kidnapping her baby son Oscar and young nephew Charlie thanks to Sienna's latest games.

After Sienna (Anna Passey) has dropped the bombshell that she is pregnant with Darren's baby, she encourages Nancy to take Oscar and Charlie away from The Dog in the Pond for good.

Nancy agrees to the idea, but soon finds herself wanted by the police as Sienna falsely claims that Nancy assaulted her and snatched the youngsters.

As a panicking Nancy flees from the police, the situation spirals completely out of control and she finds herself in a terrifying situation on a car park roof.

Jessica Fox, who plays Nancy, told All About Soap: "She drives off with the boys, but now Nancy is in absolute flight mode. As she's driving, a police car comes one way up the road, and to avoid it she turns left and finds herself at the entrance of a multi-storey car park.

"Nancy's got no option but to go in, but she starts going further and further up the car park. The police cars are in hot pursuit, and Nancy loses control of the vehicle."

The actress added: "She thinks this has gone far enough, so she goes to get the kids, but she finds the back end of the car is hanging over the car park's roof. Will she get out in one piece? I can't tell you, but I can promise that what happens next is just brilliant!"

Hollyoaks airs these scenes on Thursday, August 15 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.

[lizann]

when will sienna get caught out and surely she isn't really pregnant

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks star Jessica Fox has changed her hairstyle again.

The actress, who plays fan favourite Nancy Osborne, has returned to a much shorter style and has shared the transformation with fans on Twitter.


Jessica Fox's new hairstyle
© Twitter / @JesslaFox


Fox had her hair cut this afternoon (August 1) and initially teased that it was an "exciting" day for her.

Afterwards, she tweeted: "And finished result thanks to the amazing @JayneMahon and @andrew_collinge I LOVE IT!! "

She added: "Obviously need a whole new wardrobe now…"

Hollyoaks viewers have seen a variety of hairstyles for Nancy over the years and fans will have to wait and see whether the latest change is part of a storyline or not.

Nancy is currently at the centre of an intense plot on the Channel 4 soap, which has seen scheming Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) attempt to steal her life.

The ongoing story intensifies later this month as Sienna's antics lead to deadly danger for Nancy on the top of a multi-storey car park.

[Perdita]

Life goes from bad to worse for Hollyoaks favourite Nancy Osborne next week as she falls into yet another of Sienna Blake's traps.

When scheming Sienna (Anna Passey) convinces Nancy to flee the village with her son Oscar and nephew Charlie, she sparks a dramatic chain of events which culminates in huge danger for Nancy on the roof of a multi-storey car park…

Digital Spy recently caught up with Jessica Fox, who plays Nancy, to hear her thoughts on the gripping storyline.

What has the Nancy and Sienna storyline been like for you to film?
"It's been really good, because there's been so many different highs and lows to it. There are moments where you think that Nancy is going to get her power back and be reunited with her family, but then Sienna always seems to up her game and the rug is pulled from under Nancy's feet again!

"It's also been great as an actress to see Nancy become such a broken woman. It's really interesting to play, because she's usually so feisty and so strong. Now we're finding her really questioning herself and her values."

What kind of reaction are you seeing from the viewers?
"I've been really lucky, because I'm the 'goodie' in the storyline and the feedback is really amazing. Being on Twitter, we get instant responses from the viewers and people tell us very quickly whether they like something or they don't!

"Out of all my years at Hollyoaks, this definitely seems to be the storyline that's getting the biggest reaction, which can only be a good thing. I do feel sorry for poor Anna because she's getting the tough end of it, but I think we're all pleased that the fans are so invested in the story."

Is there a part of you that's been sad to see Nancy and Darren's marriage torn apart?
"I think more than anything I'm just enjoying the drama. Sometimes people say, 'Oh, I just want Nancy and Darren to be happy', but I'm sure that if they were happy for about a month, the audience would start to find them boring. The nature of soap is to have highs, lows and lots of drama, as that allows us to see where we can push the different characters to.

"Nancy and Darren have been such a tight unit since they got together, and they've had an awful lot thrown at them. At some point something had to give, and it just so happens that Sienna has now entered the picture and started destroying Nancy's life."

Have the producers told you what the outcome of the storyline will be?
"I'm still in the dark, to be honest! I know some of the main points of what's coming up and what we'll be filming immediately, but I don't know the ending or the outcome yet. Maybe there isn't one, maybe it's just going to go on forever! (Laughs.) We'll all just have to wait and see."

Are you surprised that there are some fans who support Darren and Sienna as a couple?!
"I'm not surprised, as I think Darren is such a well-loved character on the show, so if he seems to be happy on screen, a lot of people get behind that. But I think if you peel it all away, you can remember all of the fun times that Nancy and Darren had, and also what brought them together in the first place.

"That's all still there, and there's some really interesting stuff on the way in upcoming episodes where Darren really starts to miss his wife. He starts to realise that he was on to a bit of a good thing, and now he's given it all up for the new woman in his life."

Have any of the scenes been challenging to film?
"A lot of the scenes have been challenging to film, particularly the recent scenes where Nancy was thrown out of The Dog and was pushed to the point where Sienna convinced her that she'd asked for the painkillers.

"We saw Nancy so broken and then she was tempted to take the painkillers for real, only for Darren to walk in. That meant portraying a real hysterical emotion which can be quite difficult - especially as filming takes place over a couple of hours, so I had to maintain it for quite a while!"

Why does Nancy take Oscar and Charlie next week?
"By this point, Nancy has alienated herself from everyone in the village and she has nobody to turn to. Sienna then turns around and tells Nancy that Darren is never going to let her see Oscar and Charlie, so she should just take the kids away and start again somewhere else. Sienna makes Nancy believe that it's her only option. Nancy wouldn't normally believe this, but she is feeling so low that she does end up taking the children.

"The next day, Nancy wakes up in the car and realises that she's made a terrible mistake. She's about to go back to the village, but then she hears a news report on the radio which accuses her of abducting the kids and assaulting Sienna…"

What happens next?
"Nancy goes to Sandy Roscoe for help, but Joe rings Darren to tell him that Nancy and the kids are there. Darren arrives with the police, so Nancy does a runner with the children for a second time. She ends up driving like a mad woman, with police all around her.

"With nowhere else to go, she makes her way into a multi-storey car park and the police chase culminates in Nancy's car on the roof with the back end hanging off the building…"

What were those stunt scenes like to film?
"They were really exciting to film. It took us about five days to film in total, which is a huge amount of time for Hollyoaks to spend on something. First of all we filmed at a car park in Liverpool for all of the interior scenes and the scenes on the car park roof. But we couldn't film there for the special effects with the car hanging over the building, so we had a second location at the docks, where they set up the car on a lot of containers. It was really enjoyable to be a part of."

When Sienna does get her comeuppance, do you want Nancy to be the one who puts the final nail in her coffin?!
"Absolutely! I am looking forward to it, because you always want the good guy to triumph in the end. I personally would feel a bit short-changed if it wasn't Nancy who brings Sienna down after everything that's happened. It would only be fair if Nancy works to get her family back and outs Sienna!"

With Sienna finding it so easy to cause problems, do you think it shows Nancy and Darren were already on rocky ground?
"I think their marriage had been under a huge amount of strain. They'd got married, Nancy had a miscarriage shortly afterwards, and then they had to deal with Oscar's premature birth and the problems with his hearing. After that, Esther tried to take her own life, so it really was one thing after another! Sienna just happened to pop up at precisely the right time to cause mayhem."

You're up for 'Best Actress' at the Inside Soap Awards this year, while the Nancy/Sienna plot is up for 'Best Storyline'. How do you feel about being in the running?
"I'm really thrilled, as it's lovely to be nominated. The storyline has been embraced by the audience so much, so I'm really hopeful for the 'Best Storyline' award. If I do get anywhere close for the other award, I'd really have to share it all with Ashley [Taylor Dawson, who plays Darren], because I wouldn't be able to do any of this if it wasn't for him."

[lizann]

we need nancy back on screen to continue her storyline soon

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks delivered yet another shocking storyline twist in its latest episode as Darren Osborne was revealed as Sandy Roscoe's secret son.

Fans had suspected for a while that Darren's father Jack (Jimmy McKenna) had a connection to the Roscoe clan, but few will have guessed the real bombshell which now threatens to tear both families apart.

Ashley Taylor Dawson, who plays Darren, caught up with Digital Spy today (September 23) for an exclusive chat about the big twist, the repercussions for Darren, and his life off-screen as he competes on Strictly Come Dancing and prepares to become a father again.

How do you feel about Darren being Sandy's son?
"When I found out about this storyline, I thought it was fantastic. I was buzzing because it's such a massive reveal. The writers set it up so that it looked like Joe was Jack's son, and I think they were playing around with the idea for a while - they weren't sure which way they were going to take the storyline.

"Once it was confirmed that Darren would be Sandy's son, I thought it was great. It's fantastic as an actor to have such a big storyline, and it's going to turn Darren's whole world upside down because his whole life has been a lie. The scripts are some of the best ones that I've had for a long time."

When were you told for definite which way it was going?
"It was a couple of months beforehand - we've known for quite a while. We did some scenes where we first met the Roscoes, and then they finalised the idea afterwards. As Jack already knew Sandy, if you look back now, you'll see little details that we put in which hinted at the massive secret.

"Once the writers had made their decision, we were called in for a meeting and told to have it in our minds for the scenes we were playing. It was all quite subtle at first, but obviously it's now all come to a head with the big reveal at the pub."

Hollyoaks is becoming known for keeping its biggest storyline twists under wraps. Is it hard to keep those secrets?
"It is hard, because obviously there are spoilers that go out for the show. I was very passionate about keeping this a secret and not giving any teasers beforehand. The writers have done a great job with the storyline because they've sent everyone up the wrong path, thinking that Joe must have been Jack's son. Nobody was expecting Darren to be Sandy's son and I think it's more special for the viewers when these things are a genuine surprise."

The episode aired on E4 on Friday, so has there been a big reaction from the fans?
"Definitely. Twitter has gone mad and everyone is shocked about it! It's also great that they can now see the repercussions of everything that's happened.

"Tuesday's episode is a special one, as there are only five or six people in it. It was great to have long scenes which could breathe. With so much going on in the show, we're usually cutting from one thing to another. These scenes were a bit more like ones in a drama which would air in a later timeslot. It was fantastic to get that opportunity while playing out this new storyline. I went over to Jimmy's the night before we filmed it so we could really go through those scenes together."

Can Darren forgive Jack for lying to him?
"Darren has already had a tough couple of years, and he's had problems with his dad in the past. He found it hard to love his dad, because he felt that Jack hadn't really looked after him. It's been a long road for them, but they've become closer recently and they got to a point where they could confide in each other.

"Darren now knows that his dad has been lying to him for his whole life. You can only imagine what that does to someone - it ruins them. It's going to take a long time for Darren to forgive Jack for that."

Are you excited to now have five new half-brothers in the show?
"Yes! This is the thing - Darren hasn't really seen eye-to-eye with the Roscoes from the beginning. He doesn't get on well with Sandy either, as we've just seen when he called her a slag! With the boys, Darren's had fights with Joe before and he dragged Jason into the pub over the Price Slice robbery. He's more or less fallen out with all of them, so the family he's taking on board is one he despises and has no respect for! The repercussions are hard to swallow for Darren."

How do you feel about Darren turning against Nancy recently?
"From Darren's point of view, everything he's doing is the right thing. He's trying to be a father, he's trying to be a family man and he's trying to be fair with everyone. As far as Darren can see, Sienna was beaten up, Nancy did run away from the police with the kids, she did end up on the edge of a building, and he has seen her taking drugs.

"The viewers see the other side, but Darren thinks that Nancy has lost the plot. It's very hard for him to take that, because he obviously loves her and they've got so much history together. He's trying to rebuild his life with Sienna, who seemingly does nothing but care for him. However, he is very conscious of the fact that if Sienna wasn't telling him she's pregnant, he wouldn't be with her."

We're hearing that October will be a massive month for Hollyoaks as the show turns 18. Will you be involved in that?
"Yes! It's a lovely milestone for Hollyoaks and it's done so well over the years. Right now the scripts are brilliant, we have a talented cast and it's nice to see that the viewing figures are going up. We've got relentless drama and relentless storylines, so I'm proud to be here."

How's everything going with Strictly Come Dancing?
"It's been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. Obviously I've got a baby on the way who is due this Thursday, and that's the day I travel to London ahead of the first live shows on Friday and Saturday. Everybody at Strictly is wonderful and to be part of something so huge is quite overwhelming. The dancing has been going alright, but it's a completely new ball park and I'm out of my comfort zone. I'm enjoying every minute of it, though.

"I keep saying at the moment that I've got three 'problems' - I'm in work full-time, I'm doing Strictly and we're expecting a new baby. They're wonderful problems to have, but they seem like they're tearing my world apart! I just feel very lucky at the moment and my fiancée is my hero, because she's dealing with this while she's pregnant. I'm very proud of her as well."

Will Hollyoaks give you a lighter workload to help you out with Strictly training?
"They can't, because when the Strictly call came in, my fate as Darren and all of my storylines had already been decided! But like I say, it's a wonderful position to be in. I'm so happy at Hollyoaks, it's fantastic to be part of Strictly, and to have a baby on the way is amazing. I wouldn't want it any other way."