Hollyoaks businessman Tony Hutchinson receives a shock next week as Jacqui McQueen tells him what really happened between her and Trudy Ryan in jail.

Jacqui (Claire Cooper) has recently struggled with having Trudy (Danniella Westbrook) back in her life, knowing that the scheming blonde has a hold over her.

With Trudy continuing to cause trouble over the next few days, Jacqui finally reaches breaking point and tells Tony everything. Tony has been eager to reunite with Jacqui, but could her surprising revelation change that?

We recently chatted to Nick Pickard, who plays Tony, to hear more about the storyline.

How is Tony feeling about Jacqui at the moment?
"I think it's been an ongoing thing with Tony and Jacqui. Tony has always loved Jacqui and always had a soft spot for her. Obviously she went off and married Rhys, but out of all the girlfriends Tony's had, I think Jacqui is the one who's always had a place in his heart.

"It's that whole thing of opposites attracting, and he's been spending a lot of time with Jacqui recently. Tony wasn't honest with Jacqui after Rhys's death, so she let him go for a while as she was angry with him - but he's still persisting.

"The main thing is that Tony still loves Jacqui and he wants to get back with her."

The Tony and Jacqui pairing always seems to have been a popular one…
"Definitely - so many people come up to me and ask me when I'm going to get back with Jacqui! I always say, 'Listen, it's not up to me - but keep asking and you might just get it!'"

Next week, Tony tries to help Jacqui out with the ongoing Trudy situation. What happens?
"I went to school with Dani in real life, so it was quite weird to film these scenes, actually! We went to Sylvia Young Theatre School years ago, so it was lovely to see her pop up on the set after all this time. Dani is such a lovely girl, so I had a lot of fun doing these scenes.

"Tony is no match for Trudy whatsoever and he gets in a little bit too deep with the whole situation. He tries to bribe Trudy into leaving Jacqui alone, but she ends up trashing his flat up. It's quite funny, as Tony thinks he's got rid of her by paying her off and is very pleased with himself, but his flat is ransacked as a little message to him!"

Tony also tries to impress Jacqui by dressing up as a US navy officer, Officer and a Gentleman style! How did you feel about filming that?!
"It was quite good, because the costume wasn't a jokey one. Hollyoaks got a proper naval uniform from London, so it was quite nice to put it on!

"I was a bit embarrassed to do it if I'm honest, but it's just one of those things! Probably most embarrassing was that I had to walk into the club and do a stupid dance in front of all the extras. Then Tony walks over to Jacqui and tells her that he loves her. It was very cheesy, but very Tony!"

Could Jacqui's secret tear her and Tony apart again?
"Well, things will certainly hang in the balance! I can't reveal exactly what it is, but the secret is something that Jacqui has kept very close to her chest for a very long time, and it's never been revealed in the past before.

"It's a little bit of a shock to Tony, so it's a bit of a cliffhanger for the viewers. People will be wondering what Tony's going to do, and whether he'll still want to be with Jacqui. You'll see that Jacqui thinks it's a deal-breaker…"

How do you feel about Claire leaving Hollyoaks?
"I was gutted. I've always been very lucky with the actresses that I've worked with over the years. Everyone here is good, but it's especially enjoyable when you're paired up with someone who works in the same way as you and at the same pace. Claire was very much like that. She was always fully committed to the part and ready to go, so I'm going to miss her. She was great fun."

After their recent scenes, could Tony take a more serious interest in Diane?
"You never know in the soap world! We'll have to see, so I'll keep you posted on that one!"

As the longest-serving cast member on Hollyoaks, what are your thoughts on the show's current form?
"I'm glad to see the show doing so well. I was really pleased when Bryan Kirkwood came back as executive producer. Not that I didn't have respect for my other bosses, but it's just re-energised the place. I was gutted when Bryan left the first time, so now he's back we're in great hands and great shape again.

"Everyone's looking forward to the year ahead. It's going to be a huge year for me which I'm really looking forward to, and long may it continue."

What's kept you with the show for so long?
"I have to be honest, it's mainly the people. I still get a genuine buzz when I walk into work, and I love the people I work with. I moved up here to Liverpool when I was 19, so it's pretty much my home now. I'm 37 now and I'm one of the older cast, which I don't like! (Laughs.)

"Every year I'm excited for the next one coming up. I've always said that if I wasn't happy I would have never stayed, but I've always been happy."

Do you see yourself sticking with Hollyoaks forever like Ken Barlow in Corrie?
"I'll stay as long as they want me, put it that way!"