View Full Version : Lucy Dixon joins 'Hollyoaks'
Lucy Dixon has confirmed that she is to join Hollyoaks as a new regular cast member.
Posting on Twitter, the Waterloo Road actress revealed that she will make her debut on the show next month.
"Yes you'll be seeing me very soon in the 'oaks! Going to Abersoch to do a week's filming to introduce my character," she wrote. "I think my 1st ep goes out on 21st June. Start filming next week."
Hollyoaks bosses recently confirmed a trio of departures from the show. Alex Carter (Lee Hunter), Dean Aspen (Duncan Button) and Ashley Margolis (Ricky Campbell) will all bow out, while actor and dancer Richard Winsor has been cast as new character Father Francis.
Elsewhere, The Hollyoaks Music Show is to return for a third series on June 11.
Earlier this year, Lime Pictures and Channel 4 denied that Hollyoaks was facing the axe.
i quite like her, she was ok in waterloo road if i remember rightly. she was in school wiith my friend, says shes a nice girl. good luck to her.
She was one of my favourite waterloo road characters :D so woohoo to seeing her in hollyoaks
Hollyoaks newcomer Lucy Dixon has revealed that she wants the soap's sixth form gang to be positive role models.
The actress's alter ego Tilly Evans is now a regular on the Channel 4 show, having joined the Hollyoaks Sixth Form College alongside five other new faces and established characters Bart McQueen, Sinead O'Connor and Jason Costello.
Tilly and her best friends Maddie and Jono were previously seen in the programme's special Abersoch week, which saw them enjoy a wild time after completing their GCSE exams.
Discussing what the future holds for the sixth form group, Dixon told Agent2 Magazine: "Well, we've just started back at school so we're behaving ourselves a little bit more and focusing on work."
Asked whether Hollyoaks will be tackling gritty Skins-style storylines with the new characters, she replied: "I remember watching Skins and was absolutely hooked for the first two series and then I went back for the third or fourth, and I kind of thought they were glamorising the wrong things and making things out to be super, super cool and you should do, which are things that are naughty really which you shouldn't be doing.
"I like that that we're not doing that, we're not showing that we're getting wasted every night and turning up to school and not concentrating.
"We have our fun but at the same time we've got our heads on our shoulders, getting our heads down and working which is what I like, and I hope that we're going to be good role models for people of that age. That they can relate to that character and think, 'If she's going through it and she's coping, then so can I'."
Dixon previously played the role of Danielle Harker in BBC One's Waterloo Road.
Hollyoaks star Lucy Dixon has revealed that she is aiming to present a positive portrayal of teen life on the soap.
The actress made her debut as Tilly Evans in June and became a regular from September, when her character joined Hollyoaks' sixth form college.
Tilly's first storyline saw her have a holiday romance with Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks) in Abersoch, but she has since shared most of her screen time with her fellow sixth formers.
Dixon told the Manchester Evening News of Tilly: "I think she just represents the general 16/17-year-olds in a brilliant way. Not all teenagers are binge-drinkers, and Tilly is the exact opposite of anything like that. She shows the good in teenagers. She's a hard worker, she's confident and self-assured.
"That includes in her sexuality. What is brilliant about Hollyoaks is they don't need to make a big issue of the fact she's a lesbian, she's just a teenager getting on with things.
"She's not defined by her sexuality, nobody is and I think that really shines through. You see that in the storylines between Ste and Brendan, too - the storyline is the domestic abuse in a relationship, it isn't that they're gay."
Dixon added that her interest in acting began at an early age when she took part in a school play.
"My mum and dad tell me that after that day I never stopped talking about it and, from that point on, I think they knew that was probably going to be the career for me," she said.
Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4.
Hollyoaks teen Tilly Evans finds herself in danger next week when a fire is started at the sixth form college.
The story begins as Tilly gets close to a new love interest named Jen (Amy Downham) in the coming days, blissfully unaware that the fun-loving brunette has just joined the college as a new teacher.
When a shocked Tilly eventually discovers the truth, she's mortified and later hides in a store cupboard at college to avoid coming face-to-face with Jen again.
At the same time, however, rebellious Phoebe (Mandip Gill) has lit a fire in the building in a misguided attempt to help George (Steven Roberts) avoid a presentation. As Tilly is trapped in the cupboard with smoke pouring in, she faces a frantic battle to escape…
Digital Spy recently chatted to Lucy Dixon, who plays Tilly, to hear about the dramatic chain of events in store.
How does Tilly meet Jen?
"They meet at a College Coffee art event, which has been organised by Tilly. Jen is one of several people in the village who come along. You'll see that Neil tries to flirt with Jen and chat her up, but she says, 'You're not my type'. Tilly's watching from the background thinking, 'I like this girl - I want to find out more about her'."
What happens next?
"Tilly ends up chatting to Jen, and they go around looking at the various art displays. They eventually get to a picture that Tilly has done, which is modelled on the Anthony Gormley statues at Crosby Beach in Merseyside.
"Jen is an art teacher, so she gives her blunt opinion on what she thinks of the piece. Much to Tilly's horror, she's not that fond of it - she thinks that it's very simple and boring. So really, before Tilly and Jen have even got to know each other, they've got off to a bad start."
How do they get on better terms?
"They see each other again in the village, when Jen is planning to pay a visit to the beach. After they bump into each other, Jen invites Tilly along, so Tilly agrees to put her books aside and give up revision for a few hours to go with her.
"Tilly has never really been the daring kind - she doesn't often do anything wild or rebellious. So Jen is the person who shows her a different side to things, and that's what Tilly really likes about her. She's quite adventurous, and that draws Tilly in."
What happens at the beach?
"They head to Crosby Beach, and they have an amazing day. They see the Anthony Gormley statues together, and Tilly's just in awe of Jen. She's so free and she's so full of life, and that's what Tilly ends up falling in love with. They end up sharing a really tender kiss, which is a brilliant moment for Tilly - she's on cloud nine."
There's a sting in the tail, though…
"Yes, Jen has the wrong impression about Tilly - she thinks that she's a uni student, rather than a sixth form college student. So when Jen brings Tilly back to the village, she drops her off outside the SU Bar. That's when Tilly realises that Jen may have got the wrong end of the stick here!
"But Tilly goes along with it, because she doesn't want Jen to know that she's a sixth former - it would burst the bubble that she's created. Later on that day, Tilly sees Jen with the headmistress of the college and puts two and two together. Tilly's absolutely gutted and she's speechless!"
What happens at college the next day?
"All Tilly has got in her head is that she's got to dodge this teacher, because Jen can't know that she goes to college. Suddenly, a fire alarm goes off and everyone is escorted out of the building. Tilly is making her way out, but then Jen comes out of a door opposite her. Tilly knows that she has to hide, so she darts into a store cupboard and a caretaker locks the door behind her, not realising that she's in there."
Does Tilly panic about being trapped?
"Well, she tries to ring Maddie, but at this point Tilly is just seeing the whole thing as an inconvenience. As far as they're concerned, it's just a fire drill, not a real fire! But as Tilly makes the phone call to Maddie, she sees smoke coming through the bottom of the cupboard door and starts to panic. Tilly leaves a voicemail on Maddie's phone, but she has no idea whether it'll be listened to in time."
Is there any other way she can escape?
"Tilly sees a little window right at the top of the store cupboard. She thinks that if she gets up there, maybe she can smash the window and get out. But as she's climbing up, she falls and ends up lying motionless on the floor. So you're left to wonder what happens - will she get out and will Maddie get to her on time? It's quite an exciting, action-packed week for Tilly!"
What was it like to film such dramatic scenes?
"I have to say, it was a lot of fun. I'd worked with the director, Tim Hopewell, previously on Waterloo Road. Funnily enough, on Waterloo Road, he directed a story where my character got drunk, fell, and ended up motionless on the floor, so it was a bit like déjÃ* vu! But I loved working with Tim and I trust him completely.
"It took a whole afternoon to film the scenes, and by the end of the day, I felt sore and I was shattered! My head was hurting from the amount of times I had to hit it on the stunt crash mat. But I was really, really proud of it. The crew were amazing, and Tim was pushing me to get more and more out of it, which is exactly what you want from a director. I can't wait to see the scenes for myself."
If Tilly makes it out alive, would she be tempted to continue her romance with Jen?
"Well, Tilly is someone who has never really pushed the boundaries. She goes along with what's expected of her, rather than what she wants to do and what her passions are.
"Tilly and Jen are not meant to be together, as student-teacher relationships are forbidden. I think that would be interesting for the audience to watch - would Tilly rule with her heart first, or her head?"
What are your thoughts on the Tilly and Esther relationship?
"After kissing Esther a couple of months back, Tilly realises that she's been giving her mixed signals. I don't think Tilly realised how much she'd hurt Esther. As the audience know, Tilly is such a lovely person and she doesn't have a malicious side to her at all. That's what I love about Tilly.
"Tilly really likes Esther as a person and she doesn't want to jeopardise their friendship. At the moment, they're really good friends and they're comfortable around each other now, which is nice."
As Tilly is a nice person, would you ever like to see her stand up to Maddie when she's being mean?
"I'd like to see that, and I think the audience would like to see that too! Nobody at the sixth form has ever stood up to Maddie, and I think Tilly is the only person who could put Maddie straight when she's being nasty and out of order.
"Maddie gets a bit too carried away with things sometimes - she gets an idea and she'll go running with it, so I do think that sometimes Tilly needs to step in. Hopefully there will be a day where Maddie does something and Tilly just won't stand for it anymore. I think that'd be a good side to see of Tilly."
Hollyoaks fans can expect testing times for Tilly Evans's relationship with Esther Bloom this week.
Just as the couple are planning to spend the night together for the first time, Esther's grandmother Frankie starts to interfere, fearing that their romance is moving too quickly.
Here, Lucy Dixon - who plays Tilly - chats to Digital Spy about the storyline and what else is coming up for her character.
Are you pleased that Tilly and Esther have finally got together?
"I am! People might remember that Tilly was introduced to the show in a special week in Abersoch in 2011. That's when she first met Esther and they had a summer romance. It was all very lovely, but then Tilly was supposed to be moving back down to London and didn't want to take it any further as she thought they wouldn't see each other again.
"We got a lot of interest from the fans through that week, which was really nice. To get so much attention from my first week on screen was brilliant. When Tilly and Esther finally got together second time round, it was great because the people who tweeted us in 2011 got back in touch, saying that they love the relationship and they hope it lasts."
Did you always expect that the Tilly and Esther dynamic would be revisited?
"Like the audience, I was in the dark and I wasn't sure! When I was filming my scenes with Amy Downham who played Jen, I didn't have a clue what would happen next. Even when it came to the Tilly and Jen relationship, I really wasn't sure which path they wanted to take with it.
"However, while all that was happening, I did still keep having odd scenes with Jazz [Franks, who plays Esther]. The two characters have always been quite close and there's always been something there. Particularly when Tilly was going through her heartbreak with Jen, Esther was there for her."
What can we expect this week when Frankie starts to interfere?
"Tilly is a little bit frustrated by that. The relationship has been such a slow-burner, but now it's really forming into something as they're official now. They're just about to have a passionate, romantic night together as Ruby has snuck them upstairs to The Dog flat, when Frankie bursts in. Tilly is a little bit annoyed to say the least, and especially so when Frankie wants to split them up. But you'll have to wait and see whether Tilly and Esther can make it through this…"
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© Lime Pictures
Frankie walks in on Tilly and Esther.
It's been announced that you'll be in Hollyoaks Later this year. Are you excited about it?
"Massively! When I found out, I was literally jumping for joy. I used to watch Hollyoaks before I was in it, and I remember watching the Later series with Steph Dean's cliff-top showdown. I also watched last year's which was all to do with Brendan and Cheryl's pasts.
"Watching it at the time, I was thinking, 'I wish I was in Hollyoaks Later because it looks incredible!' The camera, the writing and the locations are all brilliant. I can't give too much away, but the scripts this year are fantastic."
Have you started filming it yet?
"My strand hasn't started yet, so I'm really excited to get going on it! It's going to be brilliant and I can't wait for the fans to see it. You'll get to see a different side of all the characters involved, so it's going to be very exciting."
A lot of fans seem keen to see more of Tilly! Does she have some busy times ahead?
"I hope so! I've been getting a lot of tweets about that, and it's lovely to hear that people miss you when you're not on screen. I think the fans will be happy with what's coming up. When I received the scripts for what I'm currently filming - which will be on screen around September or October - I had a really big smile on my face. There's some great stuff coming up and it's going to be a different side of Tilly that people haven't seen yet."
The Jen/Tilly - aka 'Jelly' - relationship had a big reaction. Are you proud of the impact it had?
"I'm hugely proud. I almost can't believe it myself. There are so many people who really invested in the Jen and Tilly relationship and I even get people tweeting me today saying, 'I wish Jen could come back!' and 'I was gutted with how it ended!'
"Some people are really vocal about it and they don't think Tilly should be with Esther. There are fans who think Jen should come back and have a wonderful romance with Tilly again. It's so sweet that people did invest so much time in it, because that's your goal as an actress. Myself and Amy were over the moon with the reactions we had from everybody.
"Unfortunately, the relationship was illegal because Jen was Tilly's teacher. Because of that, the producer and the writers were very careful with how the story arc went. We had to show the relationship turn sour, because ultimately they couldn't be together forever."
Has life changed much on set since so many of the sixth formers left last year?
"It's definitely a lot quieter now that the sixth formers aren't there! There would always be at least seven or eight of us all filming together every day, which meant there was a real buzz and energy. Now there's usually two or three of us, so it has been a big change and a big difference.
"But it has been exciting, because Tilly has stepped up a gear and we're going to see her move onto other storylines and interact with different people. I do miss the guys so much and I caught up with some of them recently. It was great to see them, because we all get along so well together."
don't think tilly is a good girlfriend choice for esther
Hollyoaks airs Tilly Evans's final scenes next week as actress Lucy Dixon bows out from the role after two and a half years.
Viewers have recently seen Tilly cheat on her girlfriend Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks) by sharing a surprise kiss with newcomer Chloe (Susan Loughnane), but show bosses are keeping tight-lipped over whether she leaves alone or with either of the two girls.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Lucy to hear why she decided to leave Hollyoaks and what her future career plans are.
How are you feeling now that your time on Hollyoaks has come to an end?
"I'm sad because it's the end of an era and I've had a fantastic two and a half years on Hollyoaks. I've met so many lovely people, I've learned so much about acting and I've had a brilliant character to play. I'll miss the people like crazy and I'll also miss playing Tilly, because she was fantastic."
Was leaving Hollyoaks a difficult choice to make?
"Yeah, it was. I had to weigh up options in my head of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be in a year's time. For me it was one of those things where I never would have done it if I didn't do it now, so I had to take that leap.
"Yes it was a gamble and yes it was very daring to come away from a job that I enjoy so much, but the whole reason that I've wanted to be an actress is to challenge myself and play as many different parts as I can. That keeps it exciting for myself."
How long has your departure been in the pipeline for?
"I had a conversation with the producer back in June or July. I went upstairs and said that I wanted to move onto other adventures and challenges. I told him that I'd been so happy at Hollyoaks and it was a tough decision, but it was the right time.
"The producer was very sweet about it. He really listened to what I had to say and he took on board my feelings. I think that was great and I was very happy with the conversation. It was sad to have to make that decision, but I left that conversation very happy with how it had gone."
Your final storyline has revolved around Tilly being unfaithful to Esther with Chloe, which has been sad for Tilly and Esther fans! How did you feel about that?
"It was a huge shock when I was reading the scripts and saw that Tilly was going to kiss Chloe. I reacted exactly the same way as the fans did, because I also thought that Tilly and Esther were great together. It was a curveball, but the story writers constantly want to keep the audience on their toes with shock factors that people don't see coming. They did it well with this one, because myself and the fans didn't see it coming at all!"
Would you say Tilly's feelings for Esther have fizzled out?
"I don't think so! When I played it, I needed to know what Tilly was feeling and the thought processes she was having when it came to Chloe and Esther. In my head, Tilly has a very deep love harboured for Esther, and it's the same with Esther for Tilly. They've known each other for years and been through so much together. They're not only girlfriends, as they also have a very deep friendship.
"Tilly has a huge amount of respect for Esther, but she is also very scared after what happened to Esther earlier in the year, when she made a suicide attempt. Esther was obviously in a very fragile state, so there's still a lot of stress and pressure on Tilly's shoulders. She constantly has to be aware of what she's doing, what she's saying and how she's portraying herself, in case she upsets Esther in any way or rocks her stability.
"For a young girl like Tilly, that's a lot to go through. If I had a friend who was in a relationship like that and she was feeling as stressed and pressurised as Tilly does, I'd remind her that she also has to think of herself and her own needs.
"I think that's how Tilly felt and Chloe was this crazy girl who came out of nowhere. Chloe had a completely different outlook on life, which Tilly found very refreshing and very different. It's an outlook that Tilly had herself when we first met her, so Tilly has been reminded of what she used to be like - and she almost wants to get back to that person. She saw Chloe as a way of getting back to the old Tilly."
Was your last day on set emotional?
"Because we film out of sequence, I filmed Tilly's last scene on my penultimate day. Then on my last day, I only had two scenes. One of them was a scene between me and Anna Passey, which was quite a heated exchange between Tilly and Sienna. Then in my last scene, I didn't actually have any words - it was just a reaction shot for a scene with me and Esther.
"After that, they called out 'That's a wrap on Lucy!' and everyone came in with champagne and flowers. It was quite a surprise, because I thought it would have needed a couple more takes! Then it was just that realisation hitting me that I was leaving, so I did have a few little tears on set. But it was lovely - they were tears of joy and sadness that it was coming to an end. Loads of people were there to wish me well for the future, so it was really nice."
Are you hoping to stay in touch with many of the cast?
"Definitely. We had the Hollyoaks Christmas party earlier this month and I'd left two weeks before that, so it was really nice to see everyone and have a catch-up. There's a lot of people who have left the show in the past year who are living down in London, so there's lots of people who I'll be staying in touch with."
What were your highlights from your time with the show?
"I've had an incredible time. Both of the Abersoch weeks were great - it was perfect when we went there and I was really close with the cast involved in those scenes. I particularly enjoyed the first year there, because my first days working on Hollyoaks were in Abersoch. It was amazing to film on the beach and be able to sunbathe when we weren't needed for scenes!
"Hollyoaks Later was another massive highlight. Steve Brett who directed three of the episodes was just brilliant - he's a fantastic director. There was a great crew too and everyone just wanted to make it as good as it could be.
"Amy Downham, who played Jen, was also brilliant to work with and we had some fantastic scenes. I really liked Tilly at that point - she was really feisty. I really liked being Tilly when she was with Jen.
"I've also loved working with Jazz Franks, who plays Esther. Tilly and Esther have been through a lot together and they've had a long arc with many different storylines. Another highlight has been getting to work with Steven Roberts who plays George. He's a very good friend of mine, so I loved it when I got to work with him because we have such good fun together."
What do you hope the future holds?
"I love theatre. I used to do theatre before I worked in television and it was always enjoyable. It's a very different challenge but there's a real buzz in the air when you're on the stage, so I'd love to get into that. I'd also love to do some television dramas - maybe something quite gritty and very different from what Tilly is. I'm open to anything that comes my way, and I think that's probably the best way to be. I look forward to the next exciting adventure."
Is there anything you'd like to say to Tilly's fans?
"I just want to thank them so much for investing so many hours of their precious time into Tilly. The support that I have received over the past two and a half years has been fantastic, and it's been really encouraging. The fans have been brilliant and I've had some really wonderful messages and letters. I hope they'll stick with me for my future endeavours!"
Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/interviews/a540618/hollyoaks-lucy-dixon-talks-leaving-soap-and-final-tilly-story.html#ixzz2ofl5qQdI
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