Hollyoaks Spoilers 12th Nov - 16th NOv 2012
Hollyoaks airs another tragic storyline twist in November as wedding day joy turns to horror for a number of the soap's characters.
Fans can expect three different couples to go ahead with plans to tie the knot in the coming weeks, but terrible danger lies ahead for all of them with a devastating mini-bus crash on the way.
© Lime Pictures
© Ian West/PA Wire/Press Association Images
© Channel 4
© Lime Pictures
Upcoming episodes see Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) and Cindy Longford (Stephanie Waring) decide to combine their wedding celebrations with those of Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) and Doug Carter (PJ Brennan), and so the foursome team up for a day to remember.
At the same time, teenagers Ruby Button (Anna Shaffer) and Martin 'Jono' Johnson (Dylan Llewellyn) are planning to flee to Gretna Green to get married, having decided that it's time to reaffirm their love for each other after reuniting.
© Channel 4
© Lime Pictures
The sixth formers all prepare to set off to Scotland together in a mini-bus for Jono and Ruby's big moment, but Bart McQueen (Jonny Clarke) is opposed to the nuptials and attempts to stop them all from leaving by forcing them off the road.
Amid the drama, the teens are startled when Ste's young daughter Leah suddenly gets in the way of both vehicles.
As driver Maddie Morrison swerves out of the way to avoid hitting Leah, the mini-bus hurtles into Tony, Cindy, Ste and Doug's wedding venue before blowing up - a shocking accident tipped to change life in the village forever.
At least two characters are expected to be killed off in the momentous episodes, but their identities will be kept closely under wraps until transmission.
Hollyoaks kicks off the big week on Monday, November 12 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.
'Hollyoaks' PJ Brennan talks wedding day disaster - interview
Hollyoaks' Doug Carter is involved in some of the soap's biggest scenes ever next week as disaster strikes on the day of his wedding to Ste Hay.
Doug and Ste are sharing a joint ceremony with Tony Hutchinson and Cindy Longford, but all four characters and their guests face terrible danger when the sixth formers plough through the venue in an out-of-control mini-bus, causing a pillar to collapse and the roof to cave in.
Digital Spy recently caught up with PJ Brennan, who plays Doug, to hear about his character's role in the dramatic episodes.
How have you found being involved in this huge storyline?
"It's been fantastic. For Doug, this has been building up since March when his storyline with Ste began, and this is a culmination of everything we've been doing. There's been a steady build-up to this moment and it's been great.
"Filming the episodes was hard work and the location shoots were very long hours, because we had some terrible weather to deal with. But we all fought through it with a good attitude and it's been really satisfying to film. I've already seen little clips and I think it's going to be really, really good to watch. I was gasping and I know what happens!"
What was your first reaction when you found out about the crash?
"It's a really dramatic storyline, so I think all of us were very, very excited. It can be tricky, because although you try to be objective about the storylines, I'm probably someone who is very concerned about my character's welfare - I forget that he's fake!
"I was a bit nervous for that reason, but once we got the specifics, I could see that it was very solid material. I think it's a really good reflection of the direction that we're going in at Hollyoaks. We're going back to the show's soap roots and doing some big, bombastic storylines."
How long did it take to film the episodes?
"In terms of being on-location, it was a full week. I wasn't there every day, but they devoted two days to the actual stunts. It was 8am to 8pm every day and it was a full, solid week of being on location for the cast and crew."
Is Doug one of the characters in danger when the crash happens?
"He's definitely in danger! Anyone who is at the wedding is in danger considering that a bus ploughs through the venue, so he's certainly at risk. It also comes at the worst time possible, because there's a gigantic reveal between Ste and Doug just before the crash occurs. At that point, the secret is revealed that Doug has gone behind Ste's back to take out Brendan…"
When it comes to the big scenes, how much is genuine and how much is special effects?
"Well, they got a really good team of stunt doubles in, and we spent a few hours just watching them do their work. Obviously they're professionals and they're fantastic, so a lot of the human involvement in the accident is genuine. I know that there were a couple of injuries, so ask those stunt doubles and they'll tell you it was definitely human involvement!
"We did see the actual crash itself, and I think it looks fantastic given that it's a mix of real-life people and CGI effects. I don't think you can really tell when it comes to the special effects. It's a perfect blend. Hollyoaks have invested a lot of money and time into this storyline, and I think it's paid off."
As well as the stunts and explosion, are the episodes also emotional to watch?
"Absolutely. I had the hardest day I've ever had at work when I was filming this week of episodes. I've never had a day that demanded so much in terms of the depths of emotions I had to go to, but that was very satisfying as an actor.
"You can definitely expect big emotions because of the number of characters involved. It becomes very, very dramatic for many characters in the village. You'll have to tune in to see exactly why, but there's a lot that the characters need to work through, both before and after the crash."
Do you think Doug and Ste are getting married for the right reasons?
"I don't know! I just have to answer that by saying that I've enjoyed playing this storyline since its inception, because it's really complex and there's a lot of grey areas. From some of the reactions I've seen, a lot of people want to look at the story in black and white. They want it to be a fact that either Ste loves Doug, or Ste loves Brendan.
"I think what's nice about the story is that we're actually witnessing three people who are orbiting around each other and trying to figure out exactly what it is they feel for each other. All I'd say is that Doug would hope the wedding is for the right reasons. All Doug can do is hope."
Why does Doug go ahead with the scheme to get rid of Brendan?
"Doug's insecurities have been building and building. I try not to comment on my character's behaviour by putting a positive or negative spin on it, but Doug has decided that the best choice to make is to get Brendan out of the picture completely. Doug feels that his relationship will never be able to work until Brendan is removed.
"The choice he makes is to go and find Shawnee and use the police to bring Brendan down. That's interesting because in a way Doug is rejecting his own chequered history and past, but it's just a very tricky situation.
"It seems to keep happening that at very profound moments for Ste, Brendan shows up. There are moments where Doug loses his patience with it, and he can't do it anymore."
'Stug' and 'Stendan' both have very passionate fanbases. Do you think Hollyoaks has a tricky task when it comes to keeping both sets of fans happy?
"100%! I hesitate to even use the phrases 'Stug' and 'Stendan', because I think they distract from what we're actually trying to do in the show. They start to eliminate the actual story, which is about three characters, not two.
"It's great that people enjoy the storyline because that's why we make television - so that people watch it and enjoy it. But there are some arguments between the fanbases and I've seen some disrespect on both sides, so I really try not to get involved in that whole thing!"
Are you pleased with how the Channel 4 promo (above) for the episodes has turned out?
"I think it looks incredible. I'm pleased because I'm in it for more then 0.2 seconds! I've done two other promos where I was there all day, but I was in them for a flash! I think the bit with Scarlett Bowman, who plays Maddie, is the best moment in this one. I've watched that bit about a thousand times and I think she looks incredible in it.
"I love that the promo is all about the subtext. It doesn't really give anything away, so for all those audience members who think we're giving clues away like a Beatles album, I don't think we are! It's more artistic than anything else but it looks really good. I had a great day filming it."
Will there be a cast screening for the episodes?
"I hope so! I know that we did it for the Savage Party week, and I actually did enjoy that. I do watch myself as I'm my own worst critic, so I do like to go back occasionally to get an idea of what I need to work on, and what I think worked or didn't.
"I think everyone is 100% excited about this week and the atmosphere was really positive on set, so we should follow that through and celebrate together because what we've done for this week is a big achievement."
'Hollyoaks' Andrew Moss on Rhys's death, future plans - interview
Hollyoaks aired tragic death scenes for Rhys Ashworth on Channel 4 this evening (November 15) as he lost his life in the soap's mini-bus crash disaster.
Seriously injured and trapped beneath rubble in the aftermath of the accident, Rhys slipped away with distraught wife Jacqui (Claire Cooper) by his side as there was not enough time for a fire crew to arrive to free him.
Andrew Moss, who played the role of Rhys, finished up at Hollyoaks just a few days ago after seven years with the soap. Here, he chats to Digital Spy about his long stint in Chester and why it was time to go.
How do you feel now that your time at Hollyoaks has come to an end?
"I've got mixed emotions about it. I'm really excited to get out now because it's literally the seven-year itch - I'm ready to move on and I would like to do other things. I probably could have stayed there for the rest of my life, and that's because the cast, the crew and everyone in that building are really close.
"Every day going into work there is a pleasure - I'd literally jump out of bed in the morning to go into work. So that's the sad thing, but I do need to move on and experience new roles and challenges, just for myself."
Were you pleased that Rhys was given such a dramatic exit?
"Definitely - that's something that I really do owe them for. I was bandying around that I wanted to leave and it was getting up to the time when I would have to go, and then this stunt came around. I was really keen to be involved, so it all timed really well and I'm very grateful that they've trusted me to do this.
"The big death scene at the end was another first for Hollyoaks, because they left the camera on Rhys and Jacqui for the whole scene and let it play out. Playing that scene was harrowing but lovely, and I owe them big time for trusting me to do it."
On the other hand, is there a part of you that wishes the door had been left open just in case?
"To be honest, I think it's a good thing that the door hasn't been left open. Acting is a precarious profession - you can go from working every day to not having a job for two, three or four months. Because I'm so comfortable at Hollyoaks and I love all the people there, it would just be so easy for me to say, 'Yep, I'm coming back'. So in a way I'm glad that there's no way back, but then again it's Hollyoaks, so never say never!"
Were the tears real in your death scene with Claire Cooper?
"Do you know what? They were absolutely real. Me and Claire work really well together. I know when she's going to speak, I know when she's finished, and I know what rhythm she goes at with the pace of the lines. We can do a scene together really quickly.
"What we decided for the final scene was that we didn't even want to rehearse it. When we read it together a few days before, we both couldn't stop crying. So we didn't want to rehearse it so much that those emotions weren't there anymore. We read it together once, and that was the only time we did until we actually did the scene on the day.
"Filming the death scene was really upsetting, but I think that really added to the emotions you saw on screen. When Rhys was saying, 'I don't want to die, please don't let me die', as an actor I was thinking about my time at Hollyoaks and being really sad to leave. So the emotions were all related to that and they were absolutely real tears!"
Last year Rhys went on a brilliant journey with the rape storyline and was 100% loyal to Jacqui. Were you disappointed that he went on to have an affair this year?
"I won't lie, as an actor I was disappointed over the affair because myself and Claire had worked so hard to make Rhys and Jacqui a strong, believable couple. I'd also put a lot of work into making Rhys a loveable character.
"But with all soaps, things have to happen and they sometimes have to happen quickly. To be able to get this ending, we had to split up Rhys and Jacqui and get the audience to dislike my character again, as upsetting as that was for me!
"I think the affair with Cindy was about escapism for Rhys as it all became too much for him when he found himself married and living at the McQueen house with a 16-year-old to look after. He wasn't ready for all that and it was a struggle for him, so he went back to his old selfish ways. The old Rhys was back!"
Do you think Rhys realised how much he loved Jacqui in his dying moments?
"Totally. What I think is that Rhys will always be in love with Jacqui. If this had all happened when Rhys had grown up a little bit more and he was ready to settle down, there wouldn't be a problem.
"The issue is that Jacqui wanted to nest now - she wanted the house, she wanted to have her adopted child Phoebe and be the matriarch of the McQueens. But Rhys wasn't ready to play that role yet - he didn't want to be a family man or settle down. That's the only way I could justify it when playing the scenes."
When did you finish filming?
"You won't believe this, but I only finished at Hollyoaks last week on November 6! What we do sometimes with these stories is that we'll add things at the last minute to make them even better. They rang me up and told me that they wanted to add even more to it, so I was filming right up until the episodes needed to be sent off to Channel 4."
Was it difficult to keep your departure from the show under wraps?
"In this day and age, it's very hard to keep a secret like this. All it takes is one slip-up on Twitter if you're talking to one of your fellow cast members. That's happened before and it's really upsetting. But I literally went round and told everyone that if anyone gave the game away, I'd go mad! So I think everyone was double-checking all of their tweets to make sure that Rhys's death came as a shock.
"The hardest thing for me is that I haven't been able to let people know that I'm available for work, so it'll be nice now it's finally public so I can get another job!"
Have you had a leaving party yet?
"Yes, we've had my big leaving party. It was disguised as Bronagh's 30th birthday as well, so it was actually a joint party for the two of us. That was why Bronagh arrived with a coffin in tow, to symbolise my passing! It was incredible and I had the best night of my life with some of the best friends that I've ever met."
Who will you stay in touch with?
"I'm not just saying it, I get on well with so many of them. I know for a fact that I'll stay in touch forever with Bronagh, Claire, Jess Forrest and Ashley Taylor Dawson. Ashley looked after me at Hollyoaks because he's been there even longer than me!"
What were your favourite storylines to film?
"I've absolutely loved working with Claire Cooper, and the rape storyline was really harrowing but great to be trusted with.
"My all-time favourite was probably when we did the anorexia storyline, because I think that's when we were at our peak. Myself and Emma Rigby received so many letters at the time, and I really believe that Emma saved people's lives doing that storyline. The writing team put so much research into it, and that was my proudest moment as an actor. I think we did it as well as it could have been done for a 6.30pm show."
What are your future career plans?
"I've worked solidly for ten years now on different shows, literally without any time off apart from a few short holidays here and there. I think I'm ready for a good, long break now so I'm going to maybe go travelling or take a little bit of time out.
"It sounds cheesy and clichéd, but I'd like to find myself again and remind myself of what people do when they don't have to work for 15 hours a day! So I'll have a bit of downtime and then I'm going to plan my career after that. I want to carry on entertaining, so it'll either be acting or maybe more work with my band. I'm toying with a few things at the moment, but you'll always see me somewhere!"
Would you rule out joining another soap?
"Not at all - I'm an actor and I'm not snobby when it comes to work. If somebody offered me a nice role on another soap, I'd definitely consider it. I'm not sure if I'd do it straight away after seven years on Hollyoaks, but I'd never turn my nose up at another soap.
"I want to go into Corrie actually as I only live across the road and loads of my mates work there, so that'd be an ideal job!"
