The Loveday's

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks bosses have announced the full casting details for the show's new family The Lovedays.

Simone Loveday will arrive in the village next week and announce herself as the new owner of Price Slice, before being joined in the village by her husband Louis and son Zack later in the month.
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Zack, Simone and Louis Loveday in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Zack, Simone and Louis Loveday

Jacqueline Boatswain has landed the role of Simone, billed as a "formidable presence" who will quickly make her mark when she takes over at Price Slice.

Louis will be the new deputy head at Hollyoaks High, which means working closely alongside menacing headteacher Patrick Blake. He will be played by Karl Collins.

Meanwhile, Duayne Boachie has been cast as Zack, a promising footballer who enrols as a new student at the school.
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Jacqueline Boatswain as Simone Loveday in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Jacqueline Boatswain as Simone Loveday

Hollyoaks' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood commented: "We are honoured and thrilled to welcome actors with the wealth of experience that Jacqueline Boatswain and Karl Collins bring with them to the show.

"Duayne Boachie is a brilliant new talent and strengthens the group of teens that we currently have in sixth form."

Boatswain's previous credits include Grange Hill, Shameless and Wolfblood.

"I am looking forward to everyone meeting Simone," Boatswain said. "She's a 'no-messing' mum and without doubt the head of the family who are coming to Hollyoaks for a fresh start.

"The Lovedays are a very happy strong family unit and that has seen them through the challenges that life has thrown at them."
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Karl Collins as Louis Loveday in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Karl Collins as Louis Loveday

Collins previously played the regular role of DC Danny Glaze on The Bill and has also appeared in a number of other shows including Our Zoo, Doctor Who, The Driver, Casualty and Holby City.

He said: "I am really thrilled to be joining the cast of Hollyoaks and to be coming in as part of a positive black family who will be at the heart of the village.

"Louis is a great dad, husband, teacher and a mean cook to boot! However, his greatest skill is letting Simone believe she's in charge!"
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Duayne Boachie as Zack Loveday in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Duayne Boachie as Zack Loveday

Boachie has appeared in sitcom All About The McKenzies and has also had a feature film role in A Hundred Streets alongside Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton.

The young actor said: "I'm so excited to be part of the Hollyoaks team. I already love the cast, the crew and even the food in the canteen! I just can't wait to bring Zack Loveday to life."

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks offered a first hint at the Loveday family's backstory in Tuesday's E4 first look episode (March 3) with a subtle clue that teenager Zack may not be their only child.

The soap's newcomers have been introduced as a trio, but it seems that there could be more to the clan than meets the eye.

Tuesday's E4 episode saw Louis and Simone Loveday join John Paul McQueen and Ste Hay for dinner at the McQueen house.

The occasion was difficult enough due to Ste and Simone's mutual dislike of each other, but John Paul also appeared to hit a sore spot when he asked the Lovedays whether Zack is their only child.

Both appeared to be stunned into silence for a moment, before Louis avoided answering by awkwardly changing the subject to Zack's skills as a footballer.

A Hollyoaks insider told Digital Spy: "There are big plans for the Lovedays, so it's no surprise that the writers are already hinting at story strands which could be picked up again at a later date.

"There was a visible reaction from both of the Loveday parents when John Paul asked for details of their family, but what is it that they were reluctant to speak about?"

Jacqueline Boatswain, who plays Simone, this week told Digital Spy that there are some intriguing revelations ahead involving her on-screen family.

She said: "There are definitely some interesting things to learn! Everybody has a past, just like in real life. Everybody has a story and the Lovedays are no different."

[tammyy2j]

How many threads are needed for them :p

[lizann]

they have a daughter who with missing years ago

[Perdita]

The big secret being kept by Hollyoaks' Loveday family can be exclusively revealed by Digital Spy today - they have a missing daughter who was snatched 14 years ago.

News of Louis and Simone's traumatic history will be exposed to the villagers next week, after baby Rose Lomax goes missing and the Lovedays find themselves implicated in the police investigation.

Digital Spy now delves into the Lovedays' tragic case file as Karl Collins and Jacqueline Boatswain - who play Louis and Simone - give their first interview about the storyline and the big twists to come over the next few weeks.

How long did it take for the producers to tell you the Loveday family's big secret?
Jacqueline: "We knew right from the beginning! They told us this was the plan for the characters when we were first auditioning for Hollyoaks, so we knew right from the get-go."

How did you feel about taking such a big story on?
Karl: "We were really excited about it. It's not every day you get the opportunity to do something so intriguing and intense, so it was great. It's nice to create some characters who have deep layers and a real history to them. It was daunting taking it on, because we want to make it as real as we possibly can. This is some people's real experience so you want to be true to it, but as actors you want to enjoy it too."

When and how did Louis and Simone's daughter Lisa go missing?
Jacqueline: "Lisa has been missing for 14 years. Simone was supposed to pick her up from school one day, but she was a busy lawyer at that time and took an important phone call, which meant she was 10 minutes late. In those 10 minutes, someone took Lisa. When Simone arrived at the school, Lisa had already gone."

Does Simone feel guilty about that?
Jacqueline: "Simone has felt absolutely tortured about it for all these years. It's all of those 'what ifs?' that you think about. It could have happened to anybody, but it happened to her. The Lovedays have dealt with it by becoming a tight, close-knit family and nobody can break them. They had another child to raise, but it has been the elephant in the room that she and Louis haven't really spoken about. Deep down, Simone also feels that Louis really does blame her for what happened."

Does Louis really feel that way, or is Simone being paranoid?
Karl: "A lot of other families would have been completely fractured and broken by this situation, but the Lovedays have stayed together over the past 14 years. Over the years, Simone has said that it's her fault. Louis has always reassured her that it isn't and it could have happened to anyone, but deep in his heart, I think he does actually blame her."
Jacqueline: "In his hard and bitter heart! (Laughs.) It's that swinging brick where his heart is meant to be!"

How long did Louis and Simone keep up the search for Lisa for?
Jacqueline: "There's a bit in the script where Louis and Simone mention that when your child first goes missing, it's all hands on deck with police, campaigns and search parties. As time goes on, you keep begging everyone to carry on looking but people do start to give up. After a while, people stop looking and start blaming when it goes on for too long.

"Louis was arrested in connection with the case. They always seem to end up arresting the father in these situations, so the Loveday family was definitely under the spotlight. Even though nothing was found and Louis was released, people think there's no smoke without fire. But they did keep on looking for a long time afterwards."

How has it affected the Loveday family since then?
Karl: "Lisa's disappearance is still on file as an unsolved case. Every now and again over the years, the Lovedays will get a call from the police who've found the remains of someone who needs to be identified. That's meant that on a few occasions, Louis has had to go and view bodies, which have turned out not to be his daughter. That in itself is obviously a traumatic experience."

Zack said in a recent episode that he'd never be enough for Simone. Would you say Louis and Simone have taken their eye off the ball with him a little bit?
Jacqueline: "Zack may think that, but in reality he's their absolute everything. I think he just feels the pressure not to let his parents down. He wants to fill that void that Lisa left behind, and make up for the fact that his sister is missing. He's been such a good boy all his life and never felt that he could mess up, but I don't think Simone and Louis have ever taken their eye off the ball with him.

"If anything, Zack has been under scrutiny with them a lot. They've made sure that he does well at school and that he's high-achieving. He's felt the pressure of being the one left behind."

We've seen recently that Simone is still clinging onto the past by looking at the old family photos. Is she going against the family's wishes by doing that?
Jacqueline: "Yes she is, absolutely. That's why she ended up slapping Zack recently - because he found her looking at the old photos and she was taken aback. They'd all agreed to put it behind them and make a new life in Hollyoaks, so she has definitely gone against their plans to start afresh."
Karl: "Louis, Simone and Zack made a pact to move on before they moved to Hollyoaks. They're such a loving, tight unit, so there's just no space for secrets in their family. Simone feels terribly guilty about her recent actions and she feels like she's gone back on her word. A lot of people see the sneaky, snidey part of Simone, but I think what they also see is the loving, caring relationship that she and Louis have. Because of that, she knows that going behind his back is a real betrayal."

How do the Lovedays end up being blamed for baby Rose's kidnapping next week?
Jacqueline: "Simone has created a false Facebook profile as a schoolgirl called Zoe, so that she can entice girls that would be of Lisa's age. Holly Cunningham finds herself in contact with 'Zoe', which causes some trouble when she realises this person is connected to the Lovedays. Simone has also been secretly taking photographs of girls who might be of Lisa's age in the area, just to see if she can find her. Unfortunately this file with the photographs gets found by Holly. She assumes that Louis is responsible and that he's a paedophile."
Karl: "Holly takes all of this information to her boyfriend Jason, who passes it on to the police. It coincides with Rose going missing, so Louis is arrested on suspicion of abducting the baby."

Can the family clear Louis's name?
Jacqueline: "Simone does go to the police station to say that the file is nothing to do with Louis - it's hers and he didn't know anything about it. She explains that she is 'Zoe' and she's doing it because she's trying to find her daughter. That's the first that the village knows about the Lovedays having a missing daughter, but they still blame us for what's happened to Rose."
Karl: "They think there's no smoke without fire. People suggest that since they've had a child missing for all those years, they could have done the same thing to Rose. It's very traumatic."

We will see Lisa arrive on screen within the next few weeks. What can you tell us about that?
Karl: "After the suspicion they've faced, Louis and Simone get back to their house and there's a stranger there, who turns out to be their daughter. Louis is overwhelmed, excited and thrilled about that - but Simone takes a more pragmatic approach."
Jacqueline: "Simone asks more questions and she's a bit more suspicious about whether this girl really is Lisa or not. On the surface she's welcoming, but not as wholeheartedly as Louis is."

Lisa ultimately disappears again as a result of Simone's questioning. Does that cause more family tension?
Karl: "Oh gosh yes! There's more crying, bawling and shouting! Eventually it becomes apparent to Louis what Simone has done. She's made Lisa leave again and that puts in a massive wedge between us. Lisa does come back again, but you'll have to see what happens!"

Is there anyone in the village supporting the Lovedays?
Karl: "No, it becomes like a witch hunt. It's pitchforks at the ready and people really are blaming them for Rose going missing."
Jacqueline: "They have no friends because they're the new family in town."
Karl: "But eventually Cindy unearths what's going on and she warms to Simone. It's nice that Simone finds a bit of friendship there. There's common ground, but that won't last long I'm sure!"

Have you enjoyed reading all of the online speculation about what the Lovedays' secret could be?
Jacqueline: "It's been hilarious! The main one seems to be that Blessing is our child!"
Karl: "That's been the main one! There have been a few different theories. No-one has really hit it square on the head, but there's been a few near-misses."
Jacqueline: "We just kept telling people that we could tell them but we'd have to kill them!"
Karl: "It's nice having that interaction with the fans. I'm sure that if we had 80,000 Twitter followers it might be more difficult to keep track, but at the moment it's still quite manageable!"

What kind of reaction are you expecting when these big episodes go out?
Jacqueline: "We have no idea! I cannot even fathom what people are going to say."
Karl: "It's interesting, because for months Jackie and I have been talking about how our characters have been received. Jackie has said, 'Oh my God, everyone hates Simone'. I'd always say to her, 'Yes, but when they find out why Simone is the way she is, everyone's going to love her because they'll understand why she's become so hard'. I think it's going to be a great reveal for the viewers."

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks bosses are lining up a big treat for fans of the Lovedays by giving the family their own special flashback episode.

A one-off 'soap bubble' episode will take viewers back 14 years, revealing what really happened on the day that Louis and Simone's daughter Lisa was snatched.

Karl Collins and Jacqueline Boatswain, who play Louis and Simone, will appear as younger versions of their characters in the upcoming special.

Fans will also see the couple's children Lisa and Zack as youngsters.

The Lovedays have featured in emotional scenes in recent weeks as they had to come clean with their new neighbours about their tragic past, revealing that Lisa went missing when Simone was five minutes late picking her up from school.

However, Digital Spy can reveal that viewers aren't yet aware of the full story which led to Lisa's disappearance. This will be shown for the first time in the 30-minute flashback.

Bosses at Hollyoaks are said to be delighted with the fan response to the Lovedays, who were recently briefly reunited with Lisa before she did another disappearing act.

A show source told DS: "It's always a tricky task to introduce a new family to a soap, but the viewers really seem to have warmed to Jacqueline, Karl and their on-screen son Duayne Boachie. There are big plans for them as the Lisa story continues to unfold over the rest of the year."

Hollyoaks will air the Lovedays' special episode in September.