Darren and Nancy

Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor Dawson has said that he is hopeful his character Darren Osborne will stay with wife Nancy and have an "exciting" future.

The actor, who has appeared in the soap since 1999, told Bang Showbiz that Darren and Nancy - played by Jessica Fox - have been through "so much" and deserve positive things ahead of them.

He said that he would "definitely" be sad if Darren and Nancy were to split, explaining: "They've been through a lot and they've got a baby now so it's the start of a family and an exciting time for any couple."

Earlier this year, their son Oscar was born prematurely, prior to which Nancy suffered a miscarriage. Despite initially blaming Nancy for Oscar's early birth, Dawson said the pair are now closer.

"We've already had a miscarriage and Darren has felt very strongly that Nancy needs to take it easy because she's running around everywhere and stressing herself out," he said.

"So when we had the premature baby he couldn't get it out of his mind that it was because of Nancy that this has happened and he blamed her. Because of that he lost respect for her and he didn't know how to deal with it."

The on-screen couple said that it would be perfect if Darren and Nancy could take Oscar home for Christmas.

Fox added: "Hopefully he will be home and healthy but we'll have to wait and see."

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Hollyoaks' new mum Nancy Osborne has an eventful fortnight ahead as she features prominently in the soap's Christmas and New Year storylines.

Nancy is delighted to finally have her baby son Oscar home for the first time since his premature birth in October. However, it's not long before she and husband Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson) realise that the youngster isn't responding to sounds, which leads them back to the hospital to seek answers.

With Oscar understandably the focus of attention at the moment, Nancy's nephew Charlie starts to feel unwanted. As the situation comes to a head, Charlie runs away and ends up unconscious when he loses his footing out in the woods…

Digital Spy recently caught up with Jessica Fox, who plays Nancy, to hear more about the dramatic events in store.

How do you feel about being so busy on screen at Christmas and New Year?
"It's really exciting. I think everyone wants to be doing the Christmas material, because there's always something really dramatic going on at this time of year. I don't think I've had a Christmas storyline for a while and it's nice that this one is very family-orientated, so hopefully it will go down well with the viewers."

How have the fans responded to the other big storylines you've had this year?
"This year has been absolutely amazing, and I've enjoyed it so much. The material I've had has been wonderful and the response that I've had from viewers has been really overwhelming. People really seem to have supported Nancy and Darren through the build-up to the wedding, the miscarriage and then Oscar's premature birth.

"It's been a big old year. I think the fans want Nancy and Darren's relationship to work out, and for them to have a bit of happiness in the New Year."

The Christmas period starts off on a happy note for Nancy…
"It does, because it's amazing for her to finally have Oscar home. Throughout the time that Oscar has been in hospital, she hasn't really been able to concentrate on too much else, as I'm sure anyone who has a poorly baby in hospital would understand.

"Once Nancy has Oscar home, it seems that everything is coming together and is going to be perfect now. Nancy has got her husband, she's got her child, she's got Charlie and the rest of the family. For a moment it seems like everything is going to fall into place and be wonderful!"

When do the Osbornes realise that Oscar may have a hearing impairment?
"Well, Oscar is crying constantly, nobody is getting any sleep and tensions are running quite high. One day, Nancy has finally got Oscar off to sleep when Darren comes barging in and drops a vase on the floor right next to Oscar's crib, but he doesn't wake up. That's when Nancy and Darren suddenly think, 'Hang on a minute…'.

"When Oscar was born prematurely, Nancy and Darren were told that there could be difficulties with his development, and hearing was one of the things that was mentioned by the doctor. So automatically, alarm bells start going off."

Had they prepared themselves for this?
"I don't think so - their focus has been on getting Oscar home, and I don't think they've really thought beyond that. When this new issue arises, they're not really sure how to deal with it."

Darren has previously blamed Nancy for the premature birth, so does that issue crop up again?
"Yes, I think the problem of Oscar's premature birth is something that will continue to affect Nancy and Darren. It's not something that Darren can ever quite forgive Nancy for, and it's definitely not something that Nancy will ever forgive herself for.

"When problems like this do arise, all of those old feelings come up again and Darren doesn't know how to deal with it. Nancy desperately wants Darren to say that it's all going to be okay and they'll get through it, but he's not able to do that for her."

One of the sixth formers, Dylan, is a deaf character currently in the village. Could he become involved in the storyline if Oscar does turn out to be deaf?
"It all depends on what the outcome is when Nancy and Darren seek advice at the hospital over Oscar's hearing, but if the storyline does go further, I think it would be a very sweet friendship if Dylan was to come into the fold. Dylan is already friends with Esther, so maybe he could teach Nancy and Darren some sign language if they do find out that Oscar is deaf."

You're close friends with Rachel Shenton (Mitzeee), who does a lot of work with the deaf community. Have you spoken to her about the storyline?
"Yes, we've talked about it quite a lot. She's always teaching me little bits of sign language anyway and if the storyline does go ahead, I'll definitely be asking her for more advice! If it does turn out to be the case that Oscar is deaf, I also think it'd be nice for myself and Ashley to take some classes and actually learn sign language. That would be amazing."

Throughout this period, Charlie is feeling unwanted. Why is that?
"I think when a new baby comes into a family, some of the older children can sometimes feel a bit left out. With everything that's going on in the mad Osborne house, Charlie is almost bottom of the queue because everyone else is demanding so much attention.

"When Charlie does try to get some attention, unfortunately he faces the wrath of Nancy's temper, because she's at the end of her tether and exhausted with so many commitments. Nancy's outburst frightens Charlie and he ends up running away."

Do the Osbornes have any idea where Charlie might be?
"They're clueless to begin with. He leaves a heartbreaking note saying, 'I know you don't want me anymore'. They go rushing off to look for him, and you'll see that Callum Kane ends up having a theory on where he might be. They go looking in the woods for him, but you'll have to wait and see how it turns out…"

We've heard that Frankie is quick to blame Nancy for this situation. How does Nancy react?
"Nobody is harder on Nancy than Nancy herself. When someone like Frankie or Darren says, 'Yes, that is your fault', it makes Nancy feel so much worse, but she also bites back! She can't help herself - she's got a fiery temper and if you push Nancy far enough, she will turn on you. Frankie says that Nancy is a bad mother, but Nancy fires back very strongly.

"You'll see that Darren is actually quite supportive of Nancy in these arguments. It's nice that he's backing her up on this occasion."


© Lime Pictures


As well as drama, Nancy and Darren do comedy really well. Will there be lighter material ahead in 2013?
"We've got a really exciting year coming up. I think and hope that there'll be a lovely mix of both comedy and drama. Sometimes you can have humour even in the most tragic of circumstances, which I think Hollyoaks is very good at. Hopefully that will come through in the New Year with the material that we're working on."

How would the Osbornes feel if they found out about Esther's bullying ordeal?
"I think they'd be absolutely devastated. All of them would feel as if they've let Esther down massively. The guilt will be very hard for them to bear."

Will Nancy's friendship with John Paul be revisited?
"Yes, we've filmed a couple of scenes together so far, which has been lovely. I think they'll have a friendship that will develop. John Paul doesn't really know anybody in the village yet, and I'm one of the few that's left over from when he was here before."

How will you be spending Christmas this year?
"It'll be a family Christmas, so I'll be spending a lot of time with my mum, my dad, my sister, my two grandmothers and all the cats! Hopefully I'll be spending a lot of it in my pyjamas, too!"


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Hollyoaks' Darren Osborne tries to stay strong amid a turbulent time for his family in the soap's Christmas and New Year episodes.

Darren and his wife Nancy are shocked in the coming days when they realise that their newborn son Oscar may be deaf, and they soon have even more on their minds when little Charlie starts to feel unwanted and runs away.

Yesterday, actress Jessica Fox gave us Nancy's take on the events in store, but Digital Spy also recently caught up with Ashley Taylor Dawson - who plays Darren - to hear the story from his character's point of view. Read on to find out what he had to say!

How do you feel about being so busy on screen at Christmas and New Year?
"It's exciting - every Christmas there's always a big storyline, so it's great to be involved in that this year. For Darren and Nancy, it's a very exciting time at first because they've got baby Oscar back home, but then a few questions start to arise about his hearing.

"There's a scene where they're putting him to bed, a vase smashes and Oscar doesn't wake up. Nancy and Darren are left wondering why and they realise that he could be deaf, as this can sometimes happen with premature babies."

Did you do any research for the storyline or did the writers take care of that side?
"Whenever you take on a storyline like this, you always do research and look into it. Also, I've had a child myself and I know from experience that when you have a baby, you're on edge from day one until they reach the age of 18!

"We've researched a lot of the issues that we've tackled this year, especially the premature birth. We spoke to real-life parents in the same position so that we could understand what they were going through."

What kind of feedback have you seen for Nancy and Darren's big storylines this year?
"The feedback has been amazing and I think we've touched on issues that people can really relate to. Especially the premature birth - I think when you have a baby and something goes wrong, it can just be the worst moment of your life because you're worrying every single day about whether your child is going to survive or not.

"The response has been incredible through Twitter and fanmail. We've heard from genuine people in the same situations who've told us that we're doing it justice. To hear from those people is really flattering and humbling."

How does Darren feel about Oscar possibly being deaf?
"At first, it's just pure confusion about it. Darren also has some scenes where he's singing to Oscar and he wakes up, so he gets it into his head that everything is fine after all.

"If they learn otherwise when they head to the hospital for Oscar's appointment, it's going to be a big knock and a new chapter for Nancy and Darren's lives, where they'll have to learn how to deal with this."

Darren previously blamed Nancy for the premature birth, so does he start getting annoyed with her again?
"Darren took that to such extremes the first time round, but in his heart of hearts, he does think that he was right to say that it was Nancy's fault. She'd been rushing round and causing stress when she'd already had a miscarriage, so Darren genuinely believes that to risk anything in that situation was ridiculous.

"But when Darren thought that he might actually lose his wife and told her that he wanted a divorce, that was the lowest of the low for him. He's definitely learned from that and he realises that they need to move forward as a family to get through these problems. This time around, he wouldn't dare go back to those arguments, it's more how they're going to deal with it."

What's your take on Charlie feeling unwanted?
"I think it's just the fact that he's not getting the attention. This can happen with a lot of families when they have a child and a newborn baby in the house. It's very difficult for a young child to understand that some attention is going to be taken away from them.

"Due to the stress levels of a crying baby, the parents may not even realise that they're not giving the other child enough attention. I think there's a general atmosphere in the Osborne family at the moment where everyone feels really busy. There's so much going on that they're forgetting about Charlie."

Is Darren heavily involved in the search for Charlie when he runs away and ends up in the woods?
"Yeah, I think Darren keeps his head together better than anyone else on this one. He thinks that it's best not to stress and if they all just go out searching it'll be fine, but you'll have to wait and see whether they manage to find him."

How does Darren feel when Frankie blames Nancy for the situation?
"He's absolutely furious. With everything they've been through and the pressures they've been under, he can't believe that Frankie has got the audacity to speak to Nancy like that. Tension is brewing and it kicks off royally at one point!"

Is there any lighter material ahead for Darren and Nancy in 2013?
"I think with Darren and Nancy, the fun thing that we enjoy playing is the simple scenes. There's always a bit of comedy to be found in life itself, or even in an argument. The petty little squabbles can be serious from the inside, but I think for the viewers they can be quite witty and fun. I think it's good to bring light and shade, as otherwise it would be too depressing and dark."

With Rhys dead, would you like Darren to find a new best friend in the village?
"Yeah, it was not only Rhys but Riley as well - it was a double whammy! I think Darren could really do with a bit of male company - someone just to unwind with and talk to when he needs some help. He needs that, as Darren is not the best person to sort himself out."

Dodger's had a few scenes with Darren recently, so maybe he could take on that role?
"Yeah, I think Darren and Dodger have got very close. Darren is a bit too much of a joker for Dodger in some respects though, like when he was treating everything as a joke when Dodger was finding his dad. But then again, if Darren hadn't stuck at it, Dodger wouldn't have resolved that situation.

"I think those two characters have got a lot of respect for each other, but they're too cool to tell each other!"

A few weeks ago, Darren noticed Esther was feeling down but became distracted and didn't pursue it. How would he feel if he knew about the bullying?
"I think Darren has always got the right intentions and normally with these kind of problems, he'd go the wrong way about dealing with them. But with the young kids, he does have a fatherly role.

"There's a few times where Darren tries to help Esther and talk to her, but once again he's distracted by a phone call, or Nancy or the baby. He's always so close to maybe helping out, but he doesn't realise how serious things are with Esther. Her problems completely go under the radar with everyone because they're so busy with their own lives."

Ruby is being really horrible to Esther, but at the same time, she is grieving. Would the Osbornes sympathise with Ruby in that sense or be angry with her?
"I think the initial response would be pure anger. Ruby isn't a blood relative, but she's one of the family now and she's been with the Osbornes for quite a while. To turn against one of your own like that is despicable if you're an Osborne. I think the initial thought will be pure anger and Ruby would have a very hard time getting over it."

How are you spending Christmas this year?
"I'm just looking forward to being with my family and doing absolutely nothing for the first time ever! Normally I want to go out every night and have fun, but this year I just want to chill, see my friends and family, and that'll be enough for me!"


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Hollyoaks' Darren is horrified when he discovers his wife Nancy lying unconscious, in an upcoming storyline.

Nancy takes an overdose of painkillers after becoming increasingly addicted to them over the next few weeks.

Darren will become aware of Nancy's addiction after he finds her scrabbling around on the floor in search of a spilt box of pills, All About Soap reports.

Nancy becomes increasingly distressed when Frankie gets rid of all the medication in the house in preparation for Ester's homecoming.

Viewers will then see Nancy steal some of Ester's medication, causing a devastated Frankie to assume her granddaughter of trying to take her own life again.

Nancy overhears Frankie accusing an oblivious Ester of taking the pills. However, instead of confessing to it, Nancy swallows the medication herself, causing her to fall unconscious.

Hollyoaks fans see Nancy Osborne pushed to the edge next week as she seems to be growing increasingly dependent on painkillers.

Nancy has been taking pills since the arrival of baby Oscar last October with no obvious cause for concern. However, when Frankie starts removing all medication from the house in preparation for Esther's return from hospital, Nancy struggles to cope without her regular fix and resorts to desperate measures…

Digital Spy recently caught up with Jessica Fox, who plays Nancy, to hear about the storyline and how 2013 will be a big year for her character.

Why has Nancy been driven to such a desperate point?
"Well, Nancy started taking the painkillers after having the caesarean last year, which is quite normal as it helps you to deal with the pain of quite a large operation.

"Since then, it's been one stress after another for Nancy. Oscar was premature and that led to problems between her and Darren, and they later discovered that Oscar was deaf. Esther has also tried to take her own life recently, and now the Osbornes are facing the possibility of losing the pub and their livelihood.

"So many things have happened to Nancy in quick succession, so she's been using the painkillers as a way to cope, without really realising that she's becoming reliant on them. Now she's got to the point where she can't really get through the day without taking them, but it's all still very much in secret."

How did you feel about taking on the story?
"I think it's a really good storyline. Painkiller addiction is such a massive problem, but people don't often talk about it. Sometimes it's even glamorised in Hollywood when we hear about celebrities who are addicted to prescription medication.

"It's an interesting storyline for Hollyoaks to do and it's also quite a subtle one, because unlike other drugs or alcoholism, the signs of somebody becoming addicted are quite difficult to spot. That makes it much more interesting to play."

Does Nancy realise how serious her own problem is?
"Not at all. Nancy's incredibly self-righteous and always thinks that she's able to cope with any situation that life throws at her! Admitting that she has a problem - if and when that happens - will be incredibly difficult for her.

"I think Nancy is incredibly embarrassed and full of shame that she's got this wonderful husband, a beautiful child and her family all around her, yet she still needs these pills to get her through the day."

With Esther due to return home from hospital, Frankie starts getting rid of all the medication in the house. How does Nancy react?
"She panics! So far it's been her dirty little secret, but then when Frankie goes on this mad clear-out of the flat, Nancy starts to wonder where she's going to get her fix from. She's shocked when she finds out that Frankie's been through her bedroom and handbag to throw pills away. That's when the story steps up a gear, because the withdrawal symptoms are quite hard to deal with."

What happens next?
"Nancy ends up stealing some of Esther's medication, but then of course Frankie realises that there are some missing and assumes that Esther has taken them. Nancy doesn't want to own up, but in the end she has to. However, she insists that it wasn't a big deal and she just had a headache.

"Not long after that, Nancy takes some pills and passes out. But she's still in a massive state of denial about what she's doing and the effect that it's having on her family. With Oscar crying all the time because he's teething, Nancy tells Darren that she was just really tired."

Why does Nancy turn to Doctor Browning for help?
"She goes to see her own doctor first, who says that they've already written her numerous prescriptions and that's it. They refuse to give her any more, which leaves Nancy feeling extremely frustrated. She becomes very, very desperate and the only person she can think of who might be able to help her is Doctor Browning.

"Nancy goes to see him and lays on a massive sob story of how difficult her life is, not realising that Browning is delighted that he's now got someone else he can play with!"

Sienna then gets suspicious about Nancy's behaviour and reckons she's having an affair! Does Sienna confront Nancy?
"She does, and Nancy tells her very sharply to keep her nose out!"

We've been hearing rumours that Nancy and Darren have a very big year coming up. Are you excited about where things are heading?
"I'm very excited. We had such a brilliant year last year, and I so enjoyed all of the storylines that we had - from the wedding, to the miscarriage to the premature baby storyline. I'm so proud of everything that Ashley [Taylor Dawson] and I have done.

"To hear that we've got even bigger and better stuff coming up this year is incredibly exciting. I'm thrilled."

Do you think the Osborne family are trusting Sienna too easily?
"Well, when you've lived in the Hollyoaks village, you are a bit silly if you trust someone the moment they walk through the door - but we all have our faults! (Laughs.) Sienna is certainly very charming."

With quite a few popular cast members leaving Hollyoaks recently, who will you miss the most?
"It's broken my heart that Rachel Shenton and Bronagh Waugh have left us. That's been a big blow for me because not only are they lovely human beings and my very dearest best friends, they're also brilliant people to have in the building. They create a great atmosphere at work, so it's a shame that they've left."

Do you think the show will bounce back from these big character exits?
"Absolutely I do. Everything that we've got coming up at the moment sounds so exciting. We've got a lot of new people joining, which always creates massive amounts of energy. That's brilliant, and there are some very talented people in the building.

"It's also great to have Bryan Kirkwood back as executive producer. We all missed him when he left, and there's been such a buzz in the building now that he's back."

Nancy was great friends with Mitzeee. Do you think she'll become friendly with Mitzeee's sister Maxine too?
"I think she will become friendly with Maxine, but what you'll see is that Nancy is going on her own journey. She won't have too many friends in the village, if I'm honest.

"I think trying to recreate the friendship that Nancy and Mitzeee managed to have, which was very unlikely, would be hard. At the moment, she's very much going on her own path."

The British Soap Awards voting opened last week, so is there anything you'd say for why our readers should be voting for Hollyoaks?
"They should always vote for us because we are the underdog! It's been an incredible year for Hollyoaks with some brilliant storylines, brilliant stunts and amazing performances. It'd be nice for that to get some recognition."

Hollyoaks actress Jessica Fox has promised a big year ahead for her character Nancy and on-screen husband Darren.

Nancy is currently battling with an addiction to painkillers which will escalate next week when Frankie starts removing all medication from the house in preparation for Esther's return.

However, Fox has promised that there is bigger and better stuff on the horizon for Nancy over the next coming months.

Speaking to Digital Spy, she said: "We had such a brilliant year last year, and I so enjoyed all of the storylines that we had - from the wedding, to the miscarriage to the premature baby storyline. I'm so proud of everything that Ashley [Taylor Dawson] and I have done.

"To hear that we've got even bigger and better stuff coming up this year is incredibly exciting. I'm thrilled."

Fox also revealed that she was 'heartbroken' by some of the recent cast exits.

"It's broken my heart that Rachel Shenton and Bronagh Waugh have left us. That's been a big blow for me because not only are they lovely human beings and my very dearest best friends, they're also brilliant people to have in the building," she added.

"They create a great atmosphere at work, so it's a shame that they've left."

> Read Digital Spy's full interview with 'Hollyoaks' star Jessica Fox

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4.

Hollyoaks star Jessica Fox has revealed that Nancy Osborne's new storyline will be her biggest one ever.

Nancy's future with husband Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson) is currently under threat due to her painkiller addiction and the meddling influence of family friend Sienna Blake (Anna Passey), who frames her for a shock accident next month.

Speaking to Digital Spy at the British Soap Awards 2013, Fox confirmed that the story will be a slow-burner, running all the way until the end of the year.

Fox teased: "There's so much good stuff coming up. It's the juiciest, most exciting, most dramatic stuff that I've ever had on the show."

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Hollyoaks fans can expect more shocking behaviour from schemer Sienna Blake next month as she continues with her mission to take Nancy's place in the Osborne family.

When Sienna (Anna Passey) spots that Nancy and Darren's marriage is well and truly back on track, she decides to throw another spanner in the works and asks Doctor Browning to get her some painkillers.

Once Sienna has the pills she wants, she uses them to secretly drug Nancy (Jessica Fox), who is completely oblivious to what's happening.

As the pills cause Nancy's behaviour to become increasingly erratic again, Darren is left concerned that she hasn't beaten her painkiller addiction after all.

A confused Nancy is quick to insist that she's completely clean, and when Darren decides to believe her, Sienna is frustrated that her efforts have come to nothing.

Taking her antics a step further, Sienna causes another worrying incident as she pushes baby Oscar's pram into the path of Joe Roscoe's oncoming car.

Nancy spots the runaway buggy and doesn't realise that Sienna has already taken Oscar out of the stroller. Thinking her young son is in danger, she ends up rolling over Joe's bonnet, while a satisfied Sienna watches on, cradling Oscar