EXCLUSIVE: 'Oaks actor to perform Kings Of Leon track

Hollyoaks actor Gerard McCarthy has recorded a special Celtic version of the Kings Of Leon song 'Use Somebody' for the soap's late-night spinoff episodes Hollyoaks - Later, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.

The 27-year-old, who plays bisexual cross dresser Kris Fisher in the Channel 4 show, was handed the number to tie in with his on-screen brother Malachy's (Glen Wallace) wedding to Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe).

The will-they-won't-they nuptials see Kris take to the stage and perform with an acoustic guitar, a violin and a Bodhrán drum, with the resultant track having been likened to a Corrs record by McCarthy himself.

Speaking exclusively to DS, he said: "It's a Celtic version, which we had a lot of trouble doing. It was quite funny really. The song hadn't been released and then we couldn't get a backing track for it, then we needed an Irish band to play it, then the music had to be cleared by the record label! Everyone's so happy with it, though. I really, really like it."

Of its origins, he continued: "The director of episode five, Alex Kalymnios, chose it. When I turned up to rehearsal, I thought I'd be getting the Kings Of Leon - with the bass guitarist, drummer and maybe keyboard. Instead, I had an acoustic guitar, a violin and a Bodhrán drum and I thought 'What is this?!' [laughs]. Only then did they tell me that I'd be doing an Irish version!"

He joked: "It sounds a bit like something The Corrs would do!"

Hollyoaks - Later begins on Monday, November 24 at 10pm on E4.