Perdita
29-09-2010, 17:41
Hollyoaks has announced that it has teamed up with Channel 4 Education's Battlefront series to tackle a dramatic underage sex plot.
The storyline will see 12-year-olds Amber Sharpe (Lydia Lloyd Henry) and Finn O'Connor (Connor Wilkinson) turn to each other as they face difficult home situations and engage in sexual activity.
Amber and Finn will be seen regretting their decision to have sex as neither enjoys the experience. However, Amber is left devastated when she discovers that she is pregnant, leaving both to deal with the life-changing consequences of their actions.
Hollyoaks series producer Paul Marquess said: "Hollyoaks has long been credited for tackling difficult issues that affect young people in a sensitive and intelligent way.
"I am very proud that we are once again bringing to the forefront a subject for our young audience that many parents, politicians and schools struggle to address. The storyline very clearly communicates to the audience that Amber and Finn were not emotionally or physically ready to engage in any sexual activity."
He added: "And make no mistake, there will be no fairytale ending for Amber; she is faced with the most difficult situation she could ever imagine."
The Battlefront project follows 12 young campaigners on a mission to tackle various youth issues. Member Abbie Louise Davies's Where Is The Love campaign to encourage youngsters not to feel pressured into having sex caught the attention of Hollyoaks producers.
A special focus group held at the Channel 4 soap's Liverpool-based studio allowed young people to discuss their thoughts and opinions on the issue with the writers and cast who shared their own personal experiences.
Lucy Willis, executive producer of Battlefront, added: "Battlefront gives young people an opportunity to run campaigns about subjects they feel passionately about.
"Abbie Louise’s campaign Where Is The Love tackles an incredibly important issue which affects many young people today, who feel huge peer pressure to have sex before they are ready, often without the help and advice of adequate sex education at school."
Amber and Finn's story will begin on screen from October 18.
The storyline will see 12-year-olds Amber Sharpe (Lydia Lloyd Henry) and Finn O'Connor (Connor Wilkinson) turn to each other as they face difficult home situations and engage in sexual activity.
Amber and Finn will be seen regretting their decision to have sex as neither enjoys the experience. However, Amber is left devastated when she discovers that she is pregnant, leaving both to deal with the life-changing consequences of their actions.
Hollyoaks series producer Paul Marquess said: "Hollyoaks has long been credited for tackling difficult issues that affect young people in a sensitive and intelligent way.
"I am very proud that we are once again bringing to the forefront a subject for our young audience that many parents, politicians and schools struggle to address. The storyline very clearly communicates to the audience that Amber and Finn were not emotionally or physically ready to engage in any sexual activity."
He added: "And make no mistake, there will be no fairytale ending for Amber; she is faced with the most difficult situation she could ever imagine."
The Battlefront project follows 12 young campaigners on a mission to tackle various youth issues. Member Abbie Louise Davies's Where Is The Love campaign to encourage youngsters not to feel pressured into having sex caught the attention of Hollyoaks producers.
A special focus group held at the Channel 4 soap's Liverpool-based studio allowed young people to discuss their thoughts and opinions on the issue with the writers and cast who shared their own personal experiences.
Lucy Willis, executive producer of Battlefront, added: "Battlefront gives young people an opportunity to run campaigns about subjects they feel passionately about.
"Abbie Louise’s campaign Where Is The Love tackles an incredibly important issue which affects many young people today, who feel huge peer pressure to have sex before they are ready, often without the help and advice of adequate sex education at school."
Amber and Finn's story will begin on screen from October 18.