John Paul McQueen (James Sutton)

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Hollyoaks welcomes back one of its best-loved characters next week as John Paul McQueen returns to screens after a four-year absence.

As has been widely reported, John Paul has a chance meeting with Brendan Brady (Emmett Scanlan) in Dublin, before heading back to the village to join his family in time for Christmas.

We recently caught up with James Sutton, who plays John Paul, to hear all the gossip on his Hollyoaks comeback.

How does it feel to be back on Hollyoaks after four years away?
"It's been good and really nice. I'm starting to settle in now and the cast are lovely. There's a lot of new people - I'm struggling to learn everybody's names! But a lot of my old pals are here too, including the rest of the McQueen family, so it's been great so far."

How did the return come about?
"I always thought that at some point I would probably come back, because I had such a good experience the first time around and there's also the fact that I live in Liverpool, where the show is filmed. It was just a matter of timing, really.

"I'd often said 'never say never' and that I would come back if the storyline was right, but I wouldn't have come back just for the sake of it. What happened was that Bryan Kirkwood returned to Hollyoaks as executive producer, and we'd always stayed in touch anyway. We went out for dinner and he told me that he'd had an idea for a storyline for John Paul. It sounded appealing, so I said yes!"


Was Bryan's return the main factor which influenced your decision?
"Well, I think Bryan is someone who really gets it - he understands soap so well, he really cares and he invests a great deal into the storylines personally. He oversees everything and he's very hands-on, which is fantastic.

"Obviously he's been away and had experience over at EastEnders, and he's come back really hungry to make Hollyoaks as successful as it can be. I think that energy and passion really rubs off on people. It's very hard to hear someone speak so eloquently and passionately about the show and not buy into it!"

What kind of a reaction have you seen from fans since your return was announced?
"It's been really positive. I've seen a lot of tweets from people who seem excited to see John Paul again, which is really nice. I used to get a message every day saying, 'Are you coming back?' and now I can finally say that I am!"

Because John Paul is so fondly remembered, is there a pressure that comes with revisiting the role?
"Yeah, I think so. There is a certain amount of pressure but it's pressure that I put on myself more than anything. I want to do the best job I can, and I don't want to let anyone down. It's not that I think I will let people down, but I did have such a good run last time and I don't want to mess it up.

"What I can say is that I feel really good and really positive about what we're doing. John Paul's character has moved into a different direction now. He's a different person and that's a lot of fun to play with. The dynamic within the family has changed too, and there's also a lot of new characters in the village for John Paul to interact with. It feels different than it did last time, but in a really good way."

As John Paul's relationship with Craig Dean was so popular, some viewers are naturally disappointed that they've split up. How do you feel about that?
"I think it's great that people are so invested in it. It makes me feel really proud that what we created has had a lasting appeal for people - I think that can only be a positive thing.

"I think the fans are really going to enjoy where things are going with storylines for my character and the people that he gets involved with. There's a lot of really exciting material coming up."

We first see John Paul in Dublin, don't we?
"Yeah, I went over to Dublin to do some filming there, which was fantastic. My first scenes are with Emmett Scanlan, who plays Brendan, and that was really nice. I've known Emmett for a while and we've always got on pretty well. He's a top guy and we've done some really nice stuff, which I'm really excited for people to see because I'm quite proud of it.

"There was an amazing crew for those scenes, including Steve Brett, who is one of my favourite directors. It was a really nice way to come back into it."


Hollyoaks does have some new fans, so there'll be some people who've never seen John Paul! Can you remind us of his place in the family?
"Yeah, it is funny that a lot of people will never have seen me or heard of the character! That's actually really nice, because for some viewers he'll just be a new guy in the village who has some history there.

"John Paul is the voice of reason in this family of women with crazy, big personalities. He's always been very close to Jacqui, as she's the eldest in the family and helped to bring him up. John Paul shares a father with Carmel and Michaela, so he's close to them as well.

"He's kind of the one who sits there and lets this chaos erupt around him and shakes his head a lot! He's the quietest one in the family, but he's also the most sensible."

Have you been filming mainly with the McQueens so far, or will John Paul make some new friends?
"I can't really say too much, but I have made some new friends and I've had scenes with some of the established characters, which has been really nice. I've also got some stuff coming up with some people who I haven't worked with before, which is always really exciting.

"I've also done a lot with the family, because when John Paul comes back, the McQueens are in turmoil. There's all sorts of things going on with Mercedes, with Myra and it's all chaos."

Will John Paul stay single for a while, or is it inevitable that they'll pair him up with someone?
"I don't know yet! I'm really open to whatever they want to do, but I am conscious that the last time I was here, a lot of my storylines were relationship-based. There's a lot more going on now with John Paul. Like I say, he's a different person now - he knows who he is and what he wants.

"I think when we see John Paul, he's had a pretty horrific time with Craig over in Dublin and I don't think he wants to be with anyone just now. He feels a bit lost, so he needs to come back into the bosom of the family."

Liverpool radio host Pete Price - a friend of yours - recently said that a future storyline for John Paul has never been used on a soap before. Is that an accurate description?
"There might be some truth in that, but I can't really confirm or deny that statement! Pete is a great friend of mine and I think he was stirring the pot somewhat, but I do have some really exciting stuff coming up that I can't wait to shoot and can't wait for people to see."

When we last spoke, you were just about to launch your pop-up acting company Broken Leg Workshops. How's it all going?
"It's been fantastic. We've recently run a workshop in Leeds, which was a huge success. It's a really nice thing to be involved in, because there are so many people out there who want to act and see what it's like in front of a camera.

"It's rare that you get that opportunity, because most drama groups focus on theatre. We've got some big plans for next year and it's really nice for me to do something different."

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks actor James Sutton has revealed that John Paul McQueen's return to the soap sees him going in a "dark direction".

Sutton predicted that viewers will be both excited and shocked by the McQueen brother's comeback.

The actor, who played Ryan Lamb in Emmerdale for two years, said that boss Bryan Kirkwood was behind his decision to return to the Channel 4 soap.

He told the Daily Star: "I met up with Bryan and he asked me how I felt about coming back.

"He then told me what he was proposing to do and there was no way I could turn it down."

Sutton continued: "The great thing about Bryan is that he loves soaps and always manages to think outside the box.

"When he told me what he had planned for John Paul, I was so excited. And it's certainly going to get a reaction.

"We want people to talk about our show and this is going to be something everyone will be talking about.

"It's quite a dark direction for John Paul, which for me as an actor is great."

The 29-year-old added: "There's some juicy stuff coming up and people will be excited as well as shocked.

"But that's all I'm allowed to say… except that John Paul has terrible taste in men."

Sutton recently spoke to Digital Spy about John Paul's comeback.

The character makes his return to Hollyoaks this week on Channel 4 and E4.


Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...#ixzz2FDhksOGm

[tammyy2j]

I think he is going to get with Patrick (Dodger's dad)

[Perdita]

James Sutton has revealed that his character John Paul McQueen does a runner after his new romance leads to trouble.

John Paul grows closer to Doug Carter (PJ Brennan) next week as they team up to play a prank on headteacher Patrick Blake, covering his car in Post-it notes.

A drunken John Paul is looking for revenge as Patrick (Jeremy Sheffield) has suspended him from his teaching job at the college, furious that he didn't take action after finding out about Jen Gilmore's affair with Tilly Evans.

Unfortunately, John Paul and Doug's harmless prank backfires as troublesome new student Robbie Roscoe is watching from afar and photographs the whole thing.

Sutton told Soaplife: "The first John Paul realises they've been caught out is when he walks into the college and sees the photos plastered all over the corridors - there are so many of them he can't even take them down.

"They are of him and Doug rolling around kissing on top of Patrick's post-it note covered car. It's not good."

The actor continued: "He doesn't know who [is responsible], but he'd love to find out and make their life a misery. Instead, Patrick sacks him and he's gutted. Everyone's laughing at him, he's humiliated, his reputation is in tatters and he fears he might never teach again.

"John Paul takes baby Matthew and goes to a bus stop in the dead of night and gets on a bus. I don't think he knows where he's going or what he's doing."

The usually-confident English teacher will be hoping to make a fresh start when he eventually heads back to the village.

Asked whether it's already the end of John Paul and Doug's relationship, Sutton replied: "Definitely not. Watch this space."

[tammyy2j]

The mother is his child is coming to take back the baby as the real father is Craig

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks' John Paul McQueen faces the possibility of losing his baby son Matthew next week as the youngster's mother Chloe threatens to take him away.

Chloe arrives in the village looking for money from John Paul, and when he refuses to part with any cash, she has no qualms about using Matthew as a bargaining chip to get what she wants.

Digital Spy recently caught up with James Sutton, who plays John Paul, to hear about the storyline and what's ahead for his character in the longer-term.

Did you enjoy filming this latest twist for John Paul?
"Yeah, it was great! We had a lovely young Irish actress, Susan Loughnane, who came in to play Chloe and we had a great time filming together. The scenes were shot pretty quickly, so it felt like Susan was in and out, but it was a great deal of fun and I'm looking forward to seeing it myself. We were pleased with the work we did, so fingers crossed it'll look alright!"

Can you remind us of John Paul's history with Chloe?
"Chloe was one of John Paul's best friends over in Ireland, when he was living there with Craig. She's a bit nuts and she's one of those people who gets herself into tricky situations. John Paul has a lot of history with her, and he's probably had to bail her out of some other tough situations in the past.

"This time, Chloe turns up in the village and tells John Paul that she wants to be part of Matthew's life. That's a bit bizarre to John Paul because she dumped Matthew on his doorstep at Christmas!"

What happens next?
"John Paul doesn't really believe what Chloe is saying, and eventually it transpires that she just wants money from him. She's got herself into some trouble over in Ireland and needs some cash pretty quickly. Chloe thinks that John Paul will provide for her because she's the mother of his child, but he's very quick to tell her that he doesn't owe her anything.

"There are some fairly heated conversations, so in the end, Chloe warns that if John Paul can't provide the money she'll have to take Matthew and go back over to Ireland."

Chloe tells John Paul that Craig is Matthew's biological father, doesn't she?
"Yes, that's a big part of her ultimatum. She's got a DNA test proving that Craig is the father, which means John Paul doesn't have any rights to Matthew even though he has now bonded with the child. The possibility of losing Matthew is heartbreaking for John Paul, so he does everything he can to get the £5,000 that Chloe is asking for."

Is it tricky to come up with the cash?
"Well, John Paul even swallows his pride and goes to Frankie Osborne for help. That's quite a big deal because they obviously don't like each other very much! Frankie says that she'll give him the money, but Matthew would have to live with her in the pub.

"John Paul's not happy to do that at all, so he gets a bit of money together himself and goes and gives it to Chloe. Unfortunately it's not enough, so you'll have to wait and see how Chloe reacts to that…"

How have you found portraying John Paul as a father this time around?
"It's been great. It's definitely been different, but obviously when I came back to Hollyoaks, it was never going to be the same John Paul that we knew before. The angst and the 'coming of age' story is over, so now we're seeing him as a much more mature character. I've enjoyed exploring that, and the added responsibility of John Paul having a child now brings its own problems!

"It's lovely working with a baby, working in the school and portraying a teacher. I've had some nice scenes where younger characters have gone to John Paul for advice, such as Esther and Phoebe. The shoe was on the other foot last time - John Paul was the one approaching others for advice when his life was messed up!"

Do you think John Paul and Danny could become a good couple?
"I do - Danny's got a glint in his eye, hasn't he? He's very confident and assured, so he's got that swagger that John Paul finds attractive. That's what he wants from a relationship now, as John Paul is past all of the closeted hiding away. He just wants an easy life, and hopefully Danny is the person to offer that.

"It's obviously the case that Danny has got many secrets and various things that he hasn't let on about yet, so John Paul is pretty likely to get caught up in that in the future. For John Paul to be happy, he's going to have to overcome some things that perhaps Danny hasn't been completely honest about…"

Would you have liked the John Paul and Doug romance to have gone on for longer?
"I certainly liked working with PJ [Brennan], though it's not really for me to say whether John Paul and Doug should have been together for longer - that's up to the storyliners and the scriptwriters. I do think that myself and PJ worked really well together, though.

"I've been very lucky and blessed with the people I've been put with during my two stints on the show. First time around, I was lucky to be working with Guy Burnet and Jake Hendriks, and second time around I've done some lovely stuff with PJ and Stephen Billington. I'm not quite sure what I've done to deserve it!"

We've heard a lot about your big storyline coming up, and the fans are wondering whether it's still happening. Is there something big brewing?
"Yeah, there is. I do have a big storyline coming up, and it is the storyline that I possibly shouldn't have teased when I first came back! (Laughs.) When I first spoke about it, I wasn't sure on the timeframe so I probably revealed it a bit too early. It was never intended to be straight away, as John Paul was always going to have to come back and establish himself again before the storyline kicks off.

"It's starting to happen with what we're filming now, and I think by this time next year, the character will be in a very different place. But that's as much as I can say!"

Will the big storyline challenge you as an actor?
"Yeah, I think it will. I find a lot of things challenging - I'm not as assured as I might come across in interviews. I'm constantly thinking of ways to push myself and try to do the best that I can with my limited ability!"

How do you feel about Nicole Barber-Lane's decision to leave the role of Myra?
"I was surprised when I heard that Nicole would be leaving, as I'd only just come back and was looking forward to doing more stuff with her. I hope it wasn't personal! (Laughs.) I'd love to work with her again, as she's a fantastic actress."

How do you think Myra's exit will affect the McQueen family?
"It's definitely going to change the dynamic. I'd love to see Di Langton who plays Nana become a much bigger matriarchal figure in the McQueen house and be the one who rules the roost. Di is absolutely fabulous and we all adore her, so I'd love to work with her more."

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks will explore the issue of male rape next year in a dark new story for John Paul McQueen, Digital Spy can confirm.

The schoolteacher will be sexually attacked by student Finn O'Connor in the culmination of a homophobic bullying storyline.

Hollyoaks bosses have worked closely with expert advisors while devising the plot, including Stonewall, St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral, Survivors Manchester and Survivors UK.

The attack itself will take place off-screen, but the storyline will explore the consequences for Finn and John Paul.

Viewers will see the plot begin in the next few weeks as Finn (Keith Rice) and his friend Robbie Roscoe (Charlie Wernham) start to taunt John Paul over his sexuality.

With support from some of the other students, Finn and Robbie cruelly target John Paul - who is openly gay - in a long-running bullying campaign at Hollyoaks High.

Keith Rice as Finn O'Connor in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Keith Rice as Finn O'Connor


The bullying will take several forms, including malicious stunts in the classroom and calling John Paul insulting names.

In scenes due to air in January, John Paul finally hopes he has the upper hand over his tormentors as he uncovers evidence which would land Finn and Robbie in trouble with the police.

When Robbie discovers this, he urges Finn to deal with the problem by confronting John Paul. However, what follows is more serious than Robbie could have ever expected as Finn has a furious argument with his teacher before sexually attacking him.

Finn, who is not gay, carries out the attack as an act of aggression against John Paul and an attempt to assert power over him.

John Paul McQueen at work at Hollyoaks High
© Lime Pictures
John Paul McQueen at work at Hollyoaks High


Stonewall's media manager Richard Lane commented: "Hollyoaks has long led the way with incidental and realistic coverage of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and producers have actively worked with us to ensure that a number of their storylines are realistic and sensitive. It is in recognition of this that, in its 18th year, Hollyoaks is nominated for a Stonewall Award as Broadcast of the Year."

Duncan Craig, founder of Survivors Manchester, added: "I never thought that we would have become as involved in this story as we have been. As a service provider and survivor myself, I have been absolutely blown away by the commitment the writers, directors and cast involved in this have shown. This isn't just another story, this is a culturally important milestone. Nothing has been done like this before.

"When I'm leading seminars for police officers, therapists, forensic medical examiners, social workers and health care professionals, there is so little in the form of cultural references to include in a discussion with regards to male victims of sexual violence and rape.

"There are a few stories that involve stranger rape, but rarely does film, TV or theatre reference the rape of male by someone he knows. I am so proud of the team at Lime Pictures that they have the courage to address this very real issue at primetime with the respect that they have shown. This sort of crime does happen and Hollyoaks are helping those few of us that are providing services to males to break the silence.

"Sexual assault and rape of boys and men is one of our last taboos and we have to talk about this. If we have learned anything in the past year following the high profile sexual abuse cases, it's that shame creates silence and silence creates pain. For those of you out there that watch this story and are directly affected by it, come to get some support."

John Paul is shocked to see Chloe.
© Lime Pictures
John Paul


Digital Spy understands that this storyline has been in the planning for over a year due to the extensive research needed to portray the issue accurately and sensitively.

James Sutton, who plays John Paul, commented: "I visited Survivors Manchester with a view to how to handle the upcoming storyline with the realism and sensitivity that it demands. I was very moved by the bravery of the survivors that I met.

"It is not just one event - it will follow the consequences of what happens to the character after going through an extremely traumatic attack and how it changes him as a person. Hollyoaks has a history of examining important issues and I am really looking forward to telling the story."

Hollyoaks' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood added: "We have an important story to tell that has not been told before, which is what our audience expects from us. Hollyoaks is known for not patronising its audience but for finding ways to talk about difficult issues like Hannah's anorexia, Esther's bullying and Ste's domestic violence in a gay relationship within the constraints of a tea-time soap.

"The storyline will follow the journey of what happens to John Paul after he becomes a victim of rape, but also will examine the far-reaching consequences for all of those around him and also for the perpetrator. Keith and James are both extremely skilled young actors who I am confident will tell this story with skill and empathy."

Hollyoaks previously tackled the issue of male rape in 2000 as Gary Lucy's character Luke Morgan was sexually attacked in a late-night episode.

[tammyy2j]

I thought for sure it would be Robbie

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks' homophobic bullying storyline intensifies next week as John Paul McQueen finds himself tied up half-naked at the Lomax house in the latest cruel stunt organised by Robbie Roscoe and Finn O'Connor.

As recently announced by show bosses, John Paul's problems are leading up to a much worse ordeal as Finn will sexually attack him next year as the Channel 4 soap explores the issue of male rape.

Digital Spy recently caught up with James Sutton, who plays John Paul, to chat about the dark storylines ahead for his popular character.

How have you felt about taking on the homophobic bullying storyline?
"It's been good and I think it's been really well-written. It's one of those nice slow-burners which has been running for a few months, which gives the audience time to really get into the storyline. It also gives me the opportunity to take the character on a bit of a journey, which is really nice as well.

"I've been working a lot with Charlie Wernham who plays Robbie and Keith Rice who plays Finn. They're both great actors and I think the audience are really going to see that over the next few months as we all get to grips with some pretty horrible stuff."

Have you had much response to the story so far?
"There hasn't been much on screen so far as a lot of it is still to come, but now that it's been announced where the storyline is going in the longer-term, it's all been really good. People seem excited and are looking forward to seeing how John Paul reacts to what's ahead. I speak on behalf of Charlie, Keith and everyone involved when I say we're all looking forward to seeing how everyone responds to the scenes coming up."

How does John Paul end up being tied up at the Lomax house?
"John Paul is alone at Christmas, so he's feeling a bit lonely and a bit down, but then he gets a text from Danny asking him to come round. Well, he assumes it's from Danny, but it's actually Robbie and Finn who have sent it. When John Paul gets there, they put a hood over his head, tie him up and take his clothes off. It's really humiliating and they take photos as well, so they've got evidence which they can use to blackmail him.

"It's all horrible stuff and it's really the start of this storyline. It's already come to light how horrible Robbie can be as he's goading Finn to bully John Paul. They take it to extremes and it just gets worse and worse. This is one of the first really serious things that they do and it escalates further over Christmas and the New Year."

John Paul is tied up at the Lomax house
© Lime Pictures
John Paul is tied up at the Lomax house

Ste is concerned about John Paul's affair with Danny and ends up having a fight with him. Is it just a scuffle?
"No, it's actually pretty boisterous. They lay into each other quite a lot, but in the aftermath of that, John Paul does go round to apologise and be the bigger man."

When you were in talks to return to Hollyoaks, did you always know the rape story was coming up?
"I didn't have an exact storyline in place when I came back, but it was soon afterwards that [executive producer] Bryan [Kirkwood] told me this was what he wanted to do. I said that if it was done properly and we commited to the research 100%, I really wanted to be involved. The whole team at Hollyoaks is on board - the writers, the storyline team, the research team, the cast and the producers. Everyone has been really committed to making it as realistic and true as it can be.

"It is a sensitive subject, but that's one of the things that we do at Hollyoaks - we take these sensitive subjects which are sometimes difficult to watch, but we do them really well. I know people are going to be on board with it and I hope it has a positive effect. Maybe there are people out there in similar situations who need some support, will watch the storyline and will decide to get some help.

"This is something that happens all the time, but it's not really talked about. There is a lot of support out there for female rape victims and there is for male victims too, but I think there's a lot of male pride involved which means men are less inclined to do something about it. That shouldn't be the case and hopefully our story will show that."

Is it tricky to take on the story at 6.30pm?
"It's not easy and we have to be very careful. One of the key things for us is to get the issue across without it being gratuitous or having people switch off. It's certainly a challenge but we have incredible directors and scriptwriters who are able to do that. The way it's been done is really interesting and I'm really proud of it. It is 6.30pm, but we're still managing to show something that is very real, interesting and vivid. I'm excited for people to see it now."

How will this affect John Paul in the long term?
"He's going to struggle and you're going to see that, but you'll also see a very brave young man try to go about his life, look after his son and support his family. That means going to work - going to the school and being professional. He's going to have to be brave, stoic and deal with the situation, but on the inside, he's really hurting and he's a bit of a mess.

"John Paul is trying to hang onto his fractured life and that's what is challenging for me. He's never going to be the same again because you never really get over something like this. It's dark and interesting stuff, but hopefully over time, it will all be made right."

We know you've been working with advisors at Survivors Manchester on the storyline. How valuable has their input been?
"Hugely valuable. Duncan Craig, the founder of Survivors Manchester, has been with us every step of the way. I've been over to Manchester to meet him and we've had meetings in the studio too. He's only at the end of the phone if I need to run something by him, so I can't thank him enough for giving us his time. I'm really proud to be working with him."

How is Keith dealing with the storyline?
"He's really come into his own. We always knew that he was a terrific little actor, but he just needed the platform to show that off. This is the storyline for him and the audience are going to be really shocked when they see what he's bringing to the table.

"Keith is creating a very complex, troubled young man and it's a joy to be part of that. It's a privilege for me to work with Keith because he has a hunger for the work and he takes it very seriously. He's a credit to himself and the show."

Has the story been easy to switch off from?
"It has been tough. My poor girlfriend has had to cope with me coming home emotionally exhausted. It can be difficult to switch off if you're filming these dark scenes for 12 hours a day - you definitely don't want to come home and crack jokes. It has been tough, including all the research I've done, but that's our job and that's what we do. You have to commit to it and I just hope that people like what they see."

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4.


Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...#ixzz2nFgtC2XB

[Perdita]

John Paul McQueen's difficult week continues on Hollyoaks' E4 first look screening tonight (February 27).

Viewers have recently seen the schoolteacher hit rock bottom as he was arrested and lost his job after lashing out at Robbie Roscoe in class.

Although John Paul's reputation is now in tatters, he can still rely on loyal support from Nana McQueen, who knows there is more to his behaviour than meets the eye.

Tonight's E4 episode sees Nana team up with Carmel as they urge John Paul (James Sutton) to cheer up and stop hiding away.

As the trio head to The Dog together, they stumble in on Peri Lomax's birthday party, where a warm welcome isn't likely for John Paul from some of the locals. Will Nana's efforts to help her grandson backfire?

Carmel, Nana and John Paul walk in on Peri's party
© Lime Pictures
Carmel, Nana and John Paul walk in on Peri's party

Ste and the Lomaxes are surprised to see John Paul
© Lime Pictures
Ste and the Lomaxes are surprised to see John Paul

Hollyoaks airs these scenes tonight (February 27) at 7pm on E4 and tomorrow (February 28) at 6.30pm on Channel 4.