alan45
12-01-2013, 01:06
Hollyoaks' ongoing teen bullying storyline will take a tragic turn later this month as college student Esther Bloom makes a suicide attempt, we can reveal.
Show bosses have worked closely with the BeatBullying and Samaritans charities while planning the story development, which follows months of torment for the troubled sixth former.
Esther has been bullied by her peers since last summer, when she began to be targeted with a variety of harsh comments, jokes and pranks, with 'queen bee' Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman) as the ringleader.
The mistreatment, which has taken place both at college and online, has intensified in recent weeks with Sinead O'Connor (Stephanie Davis) and Ruby Button (Anna Shaffer) unfairly blaming Esther for the recent mini-bus crash which killed Maddie, Jono and Neil.
Upcoming Hollyoaks episodes will see the bullying become even more malicious and relentless. Esther then reaches breaking point without the support of her family, who are oblivious to her desperate situation.
Failing to seek help, Esther makes the devastating and unnecessary decision to end her life. Her suicide attempt is non-fatal, but will have significant consequences for her health and relationships with her loved ones.
By working alongside Samaritans, the Hollyoaks story team are aiming for a sensitive and responsible approach to the issue, following the charity's comprehensive Media Guidelines which advise on how to safely portray suicide and self-harm.
Sal Lalji, Press and PR Manager at Samaritans, commented: "Young people can be a vulnerable audience as they are more likely to be influenced by what they see in the media, and this subject matter is very relevant to them.
"We are pleased to see that Hollyoaks has worked hard to ensure that the storyline has been handled as responsibly as possible to try to limit the risk of copycat behaviour.
"It is important that these issues are tackled responsibly to help people understand the potential consequences of not sharing their problems and that help is, in fact, available."
Jazmine Franks, who plays Esther, added: "It has been a huge privilege to take on the challenge of this storyline. As an actress I have been given the most powerful, emotional and challenging scenes to perform, but also as a young women I feel extremely lucky to have been given the opportunity to meet and work with some truly inspirational young people through BeatBullying.
"Hearing the stories of young people experiencing similar difficulties to Esther has been both shocking and saddening, but hearing how they have turned their lives around is truly inspirational. I am really proud of this story and hope that it is well received by the audience.
"I can't stress enough how important it is for anyone affected by the issues raised to seek help and support from BeatBullying, Samaritans or any of the hundreds of support networks available."
Meanwhile, Hollyoaks' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said: "I am really proud of this story and how it realistically approaches bullying, which is so relevant to our audience.
"We have seen the 'teasing' progressively worsen to a serious case of bullying that leaves a once confident and self-assured young woman in a very lonely and desperate situation."
The show's work with BeatBullying and C4 Education has also recently seen the launch of DocYou, a fictional social networking site that aimed to address the issues of cyber bullying. Additionally, cast members have been involved in BeatBullying's Cyber Mentor Training scheme.
Hollyoaks airs Esther's attempted suicide on Monday, January 21 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.
Show bosses have worked closely with the BeatBullying and Samaritans charities while planning the story development, which follows months of torment for the troubled sixth former.
Esther has been bullied by her peers since last summer, when she began to be targeted with a variety of harsh comments, jokes and pranks, with 'queen bee' Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman) as the ringleader.
The mistreatment, which has taken place both at college and online, has intensified in recent weeks with Sinead O'Connor (Stephanie Davis) and Ruby Button (Anna Shaffer) unfairly blaming Esther for the recent mini-bus crash which killed Maddie, Jono and Neil.
Upcoming Hollyoaks episodes will see the bullying become even more malicious and relentless. Esther then reaches breaking point without the support of her family, who are oblivious to her desperate situation.
Failing to seek help, Esther makes the devastating and unnecessary decision to end her life. Her suicide attempt is non-fatal, but will have significant consequences for her health and relationships with her loved ones.
By working alongside Samaritans, the Hollyoaks story team are aiming for a sensitive and responsible approach to the issue, following the charity's comprehensive Media Guidelines which advise on how to safely portray suicide and self-harm.
Sal Lalji, Press and PR Manager at Samaritans, commented: "Young people can be a vulnerable audience as they are more likely to be influenced by what they see in the media, and this subject matter is very relevant to them.
"We are pleased to see that Hollyoaks has worked hard to ensure that the storyline has been handled as responsibly as possible to try to limit the risk of copycat behaviour.
"It is important that these issues are tackled responsibly to help people understand the potential consequences of not sharing their problems and that help is, in fact, available."
Jazmine Franks, who plays Esther, added: "It has been a huge privilege to take on the challenge of this storyline. As an actress I have been given the most powerful, emotional and challenging scenes to perform, but also as a young women I feel extremely lucky to have been given the opportunity to meet and work with some truly inspirational young people through BeatBullying.
"Hearing the stories of young people experiencing similar difficulties to Esther has been both shocking and saddening, but hearing how they have turned their lives around is truly inspirational. I am really proud of this story and hope that it is well received by the audience.
"I can't stress enough how important it is for anyone affected by the issues raised to seek help and support from BeatBullying, Samaritans or any of the hundreds of support networks available."
Meanwhile, Hollyoaks' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said: "I am really proud of this story and how it realistically approaches bullying, which is so relevant to our audience.
"We have seen the 'teasing' progressively worsen to a serious case of bullying that leaves a once confident and self-assured young woman in a very lonely and desperate situation."
The show's work with BeatBullying and C4 Education has also recently seen the launch of DocYou, a fictional social networking site that aimed to address the issues of cyber bullying. Additionally, cast members have been involved in BeatBullying's Cyber Mentor Training scheme.
Hollyoaks airs Esther's attempted suicide on Monday, January 21 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.