Robbie Roscoe (Charlie Wernham)

[Perdita]

These are the first pictures of Hollyoaks newcomer Robbie Roscoe, who makes his debut on screen next week.

Robbie is a new student for the sixth form college, who quickly causes a stir with some bad boy antics.


© Lime Pictures
Robbie Roscoe


Although strict headteacher Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield) reckons he can handle Robbie, the teenager wastes little time before getting up to no good - trashing a display at the deli and framing Callum Kane (Laurie Duncan) for it.

Callum finds himself in trouble with Patrick thanks to Robbie's stunt, but the lads look likely to still become friends as Robbie focuses his efforts on leading Callum astray.

Robbie is played by Charlie Wernham, who first hit screens performing as a comedian on the second series of Britain's Got Talent in 2008.

Since Britain's Got Talent, Wernham has branched out into acting with roles on E4's School of Comedy and BBC Three's Bad Education.


© Lime Pictures
Charlie Wernham plays Robbie


As fans already know, Robbie's arrival paves the way for a whole family of Roscoes to join the village - headed up by former EastEnders actress Gillian Taylforth, who plays mum Sandy.

Hollyoaks airs Robbie's first scenes on Tuesday, April 2 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks reintroduces Robbie Roscoe next week as the bad boy returns to the village unexpectedly.

Robbie was sent away by his mum Sandy (Gillian Taylforth) after his involvement in the dangerous Price Slice robbery, but has he changed his ways after time away living with his aunt?

Digital Spy recently caught up with Charlie Wernham, who plays Robbie, to hear some gossip on what's coming up for his character.

You've had a little bit of a break from Hollyoaks, so how does it feel to be back on set?
"It's fantastic to be back. When I was away, I really missed being around the building as everyone who works here is fantastic. I missed seeing my friends and also getting to play Robbie."

What was the reason for the break?
"I had to take some time off as I was filming a second series of another show I do, Bad Education on BBC Three, which is a comedy sitcom. I was really grateful to the Hollyoaks team and Bryan the producer for letting me go away and do it.

"It worked out brilliantly on screen in the end as the viewers will know that Robbie was sent away after the Price Slice robbery, so he's been keeping a low profile for a bit!"

Were you sad to miss out on those early weeks with the full Roscoe family?
"Well, I got to work with them a little bit as we did a couple of episodes together as a family, but it was also nice because they all settled in well and had so much to do after I left. There are so many characters in the family, so it gave the viewers a chance to really get to know them.

"Now that I'm back, I've got a lot of stuff coming up with the Roscoe family, which we're all going to be involved in. It's been great fun filming that and there's a lot more to come."

What can we expect when Robbie makes his return?
"The thing I like about Robbie's return is that it's so unexpected on screen. You don't see him walking into the village beforehand, he just comes out of nowhere. When he does come back, he doesn't leave it long before something kicks off again!

"In the first week back, Robbie explains what's happened while he's been away, as he tells them that his uncle Ken has touched him inappropriately. That causes the whole family to kick off, especially when Ken comes to the house…"

Has Robbie learned from his previous mistakes?
"We'll have to see in the long-run! While Robbie's been away, he's definitely missed his family and the village. I don't think he enjoyed being away, especially after everything that's happened. In the next couple of weeks after that, you'll see how Robbie reacts to that and whether he has changed or not."

Sandy was the one who kicked Robbie out, so will they make amends?
"Definitely. When Robbie comes back, Sandy is happy to see him, but he has come from nowhere and once again he's doing what he wants to do without a care for anyone else. Even so, the Roscoes all love each other and there are no rivalries or trouble in the family. That's why Sandy is able to forgive her son."

Would you like Robbie to change his ways, or do you prefer playing the bad boy?
"I want Robbie to keep that element of being a bad boy, as that's who he is. There's trouble in every script I get and that's what I love about playing him. I never know what he's going to do next! I don't want Robbie to turn good, but I'm filming some scenes at the minute where you see that he does have a nice side and things do affect him. He's a normal boy, just a bit of a nutter."

Your background is comedy, so is it a challenge to play a bad boy?
"It's actually a nice change, because it is so different. It was challenging at the start, but it's easy to get used to it after a while. Robbie is an amazing character to be given, so I'm very grateful."

Are fans ever surprised to meet you and find that you're not like Robbie?
"Some of them are! A lot of people can't differentiate between on screen and off screen, but at the same time, there are a lot of people who can easily see that I'm not threatening at all!"

We've heard that your character will have a huge storyline in the autumn, so are you excited by what's coming up?
"I'm very excited, yes. I heard about the big storyline before I even got cast as Robbie, as we were talking about it in the audition process. There's a big, long story coming up for Robbie which will affect him and a lot of the characters around him. I can't wait. It's going to be challenging, but that's the case with a lot of things we do here at Hollyoaks."

We know that Ayden Callaghan, who plays Joe, is your housemate in real life. What's he like to live with?
"Well, I try not to disagree with him, looking at the size of him! (Laughs.) I enjoy living with Ayden. He has his own ways, but I'm so laid-back I don't really care what we do!"

[tammyy2j]

Robbie Roscoe reveals that he harbours a secret crush on Phoebe McQueen in upcoming episodes.

As Phoebe (Mandip Gill) and George (Steven Roberts) reconcile over the tragedy of recent events, Phoebe punches Robbie (Charlie Wernham) when she thinks he is making light of the situation.

However, when she later apologises, Lindsey and Jason notice a twinkle in Robbie's eye when he forgives her all too easily.

Jason then teases Robbie about Phoebe but his twin denies having feelings for her. Despite this, Robbie decides to ask Phoebe out and anxiously approaches the McQueens' house.

Meanwhile, when Vincent pays her a visit after returning to the village, Phoebe shocks George with her willingness to accept that Vincent has been 'cured' and is now her boyfriend again.

George talks to Vincent in College Coffee and they share a moment but he is left frustrated when Vincent tells Phoebe that he loves her.

[tammyy2j]

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[Perdita]

Hollyoaks bad boy Robbie Roscoe continues to make enemies next week as he humiliates Holly Cunningham and Ruby Button in a saucy pictures storyline.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Charlie Wernham, who plays Robbie, to hear why his character gets up to no good once again.

What can you tell us about Robbie's role in the racy pictures storyline?
"It's all about scoring points between Robbie, Holly and Ruby. It's like a game of tennis as they're trying to get one up on each other. The reason it starts is that Jason has a thing for Holly, so Robbie and Ziggy encourage him to try and get a saucy picture from her to show whether she likes him or not. Holly does send one to Jason, so Robbie thinks it'd be a good idea to get the picture and put it online.

"When Holly finds out, she thinks Jason is responsible because he was the one she sent the picture to. Holly has pictures of Jason posing in his boxers, so she retaliates by putting them up all around the village! That means Jason also ends up being embarrassed as a consequence of what Robbie's done."

Robbie's actions could potentially ruin things between Holly and Jason. Is that his aim?
"I really don't think so. I really like this storyline because a lot of people would expect that from Robbie - he's a nasty piece of work, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he did try to throw a spanner in the works.

"But I don't think he does - he actually sets the two of them up and encourages Jason to go for it. Robbie loves his twin brother and does want Jason to be happy, so he's doing this more as a laugh and he doesn't mean any harm by it. Of course, what he does is quite serious, and that becomes clear as the storyline plays out."

Robbie also targets Ruby in a similar way, doesn't he?
"Yeah, he does the same trick with Ruby and puts a saucy picture of her up on a slideshow at the pub. So the story goes back and forth, like a game of scoring points. Jason has nothing to do with it, even though he gets dragged in. There isn't any sense of Robbie trying to make it hard work for Jason and Holly, though. He wants it to work between them, but he's also having a laugh and it goes too far."

As Ruby is Ziggy's girlfriend, how does Ziggy feel about the situation?
"I think Ziggy takes it a lot better than Jason does. Jason is quite a sensitive character and he doesn't like upsetting anyone, so he's a lot more angry about what Robbie has done.

"Ziggy just takes it as a bit of a laugh. He sees that Robbie was just having a bit of a joke and he doesn't see any harm done, so he finds it as funny as Robbie does. But Ruby isn't very pleased that Ziggy isn't sticking up for her, so it affects things between those two as well."

What do you think about Hollyoaks taking on this storyline?
"As so many young people are on Twitter and are always texting, I think the storyline is very current and very relevant, which is really nice. This is the sort of thing that happens every day between boys and girls, and even older people.

"The story really does address the fact that girls and boys can feel pressured into sending pictures they really don't want to send over the internet. It's a really nice thing for Hollyoaks to address and raise awareness over, even though the story is only quite short."

Does Robbie have to face the consequences of his actions?
"He does, because it's in the pub where Robbie's treatment of both Holly and Ruby all comes out. Jack throws Robbie out of the pub, which Robbie isn't very happy about!

"Robbie ends up being embarrassed in front of everyone and his mum isn't very happy with him either. It's good that he gets humiliated because if he just got away with it, it wouldn't be a great message to send out!"


Jack is shocked by the picture.
© Lime Pictures
Jack is shocked by the picture.


These are the first scenes with Amanda Clapham in the role of Holly. Have you enjoyed working with her?
"Yeah, I've loved working with Amanda. She's a lovely girl, really professional and a great actress. I was in her first scenes and she was quite nervous, but she came on and she absolutely smashed it. Straight away it was like she'd been here for ages.

"I remember when I first started at Hollyoaks and everyone helped me to settle in really quickly. Coming into a job as fast-paced as this one can be quite nerve-wracking and stressful, but the people here make it so easy to settle in.

"I know Amanda has had a really nice experience starting out in the show and she's doing really well. Holly is a great role so I'm glad they've recast the character rather than letting her go completely. I'm continuing to work with Amanda in future storylines as well, which has been nice."

It was recently revealed on screen that Sandy is Darren's mum, which we haven't really seen Robbie's reaction to yet. Would you like to have some scenes with Ashley Taylor Dawson, who plays Darren?
"Absolutely. There's so much going on in the show and there's a lot of people who I'd love to work with a bit more. Ashley is definitely one of them, because Darren is a great character and it'd be interesting to see what kind of relationship he'd have with Robbie.

"You will see some stuff coming up between me and Ash, which is nice. The relationship between us hasn't really been explored yet, but I'd like it to be. With so many brothers there, it'd be really good to see each of their views on having Darren as a half-brother!"

[tammyy2j]

Recent episodes have shown that Robbie has feelings for Phoebe McQueen. Is that something you'd like to explore more?
"Definitely! Robbie does have feelings for Phoebe and it's nice to show a side to him that you wouldn't normally see. We saw that on screen recently where Robbie had the boxing tickets and he was going to ask Phoebe out, only for it to all go wrong.

"It'd be great to develop that and work on it more. I also love working with Mandip, who plays Phoebe. She's absolutely brilliant and an amazing actress, so I think I could learn a lot from her. We'll see what happens in the future!"

Robbie also has a big role to play in the homophobic bullying storyline with John Paul. How do you feel about taking that story on?
"It's a very big storyline and a really serious one, so I think it needs to be handled with great care. I feel really honoured to be involved in it. Myself, James Sutton (John Paul) and Keith Rice (Finn) have had some very big scenes for this storyline and we're really trying to do them justice. We don't want it to just be like any other storyline in the show, as it's so serious and this does happen to a lot of people. Our main aim is to raise awareness.

"Robbie is definitely the ringleader in the situation. There was no hatred there between Finn and John Paul, but now Finn has started to go along with Robbie. It's a power thing, as Finn seems to be the inferior of Robbie.

"But what you'll hopefully see soon is a bit of a power change and a contrast to what you're seeing at the minute. The story is definitely going somewhere and a power struggle is going to develop between Finn and Robbie."

What is Robbie's motivation for targeting John Paul? Is it just his sexuality, or not liking him in general?
"Robbie not liking John Paul's sexuality is definitely a big factor, as we're seeing him targeting Vincent and George for their sexuality too. John Paul's sexuality is definitely the reason why Robbie is bullying him, but John Paul is also an easy target for this because Robbie sees him every day at school. All Robbie wants to do is break the rules and be horrible - he gets a kick out of making other people feel bad.

"Why that is, we don't know yet. We don't really know what the backstory to Robbie is yet. It hasn't been discussed but I'm sure it's going to be addressed further on down the line - what Robbie's motivation is for being so horrible. That'll be a lovely thing for me to explore."

Are you hoping there's a redemption on the way for Robbie?
"I'd love to see him get his comeuppance, but we do see him get a bit nicer with Jason as he tries to help out his brother. When Robbie is at home, he's not the same as he is around other people. He does get put in his place at home by Joe, Freddie, Ziggy and Sandy. I'd like to see him get put in his place outside of the home environment at some point - maybe by Finn or somebody else."

Your other show Bad Education did really well in the ratings again. Are you hoping to continue doing both shows?
"Definitely so - everyone is so pleased with how the show has done. If there's a chance we get to do a third season, I'd love to be part of it, provided I can get away from Hollyoaks for a bit to shoot it. It's great having a bit of time doing something else. It's nice to get back home to Essex for a bit, as that's where I stay when I shoot Bad Ed. You can't always have the best of both worlds, but hopefully I can if there's a third season!"

How are fans reacting to Robbie?
"The thing about Robbie which I think is important is that he is a nasty piece of work, but I've tried to keep a likeability to him in some scenes. If Robbie is horrible in every single scene, the audience will be sick of him, so to get that likeability in there is important. I hope people are liking him being on screen but not liking the things he does. We'll have to see how that carries on!"

[tammyy2j]

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[Perdita]

Hollyoaks star Charlie Wernham has told Digital Spy that his character Robbie Roscoe will find out about John Paul McQueen's rape ordeal in a few weeks' time.

The actor has recently been filming scenes which see Robbie learn that his friend Finn O'Connor (Keith Rice) sexually assaulted their teacher.

Finn committed his terrible crime earlier this month, after Robbie had urged him to find a way to silence John Paul (James Sutton) before he reported them to the police over a bungled robbery attempt.

Wernham has now promised interesting times ahead for Robbie as he is shocked to learn exactly how Finn managed to intimidate John Paul.

Speaking to Digital Spy at the launch of Pentahotel Warrington, the 19-year-old explained: "I've been shooting stuff this week for the aftermath and Robbie finding out about the rape. I think it's a case of Robbie, for once, getting out of his depth.

"That's nice to see, because Robbie thinks he's the big man, but he's getting well above his head at the minute. I think there is going to be a level of guilt from Robbie, because obviously he's turned Finn into this monster without meaning to. I think he'll definitely feel some regret over that.

"There's been a massive power change between Finn and Robbie. Finn has gone much further than Robbie would have done, so that's been interesting to see as well."

Wernham said that he is pleased with the viewer reaction to the storyline, which was positively received when it first aired in early January.

He commented: "It's been incredible, actually. On Hollyoaks especially, sometimes it's quite easy for the audience to get very caught up in what's happening on screen. But it seems in this storyline - especially with James and Keith and even myself - they've looked past that and gone, 'It was actually really well done'.

"People could just be saying 'I hate Finn' or 'I hate Robbie', but they're saying that it was well done and that's credit to the whole team - all the writers and the actors as well."

The Pentahotel Warrington launch took place last night (January 30), organised by Mason Media and 20 Ten Entertainment.

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks bad boy Robbie Roscoe makes a brave decision next week as he tries to save his former teacher John Paul McQueen from a jail sentence.

With John Paul (James Sutton) about to be locked away for attacking the troublesome teenager in class, Robbie decides to do the right thing by revealing exactly why the incident happened.

Robbie takes the surprising course of action as he is full of guilt now that he knows about John Paul's rape ordeal. Twisted Finn O'Connor (Keith Rice) is fearful as he spots Robbie hand his statement over to Sam Lomax, but is it too late for him to do anything about it?

Digital Spy recently caught up with Charlie Wernham, who plays Robbie, to hear how he feels about exploring a whole new side to his character.

What kind of reaction have you seen to this storyline over the past few weeks?
"It's been really positive. We're dealing with such a big and serious issue, so me, James and Keith were all a little bit worried about what kind of reaction we'd get from people. Luckily it's been fantastic and nobody has said a bad word against it. All of the fans have been very mature in the comments that they've given us, so I've loved all of the feedback from everybody."

We saw a different side to Robbie when he found out about the rape. Did you enjoy that opportunity?
"Absolutely - the scene with Robbie and John Paul on top of the archway is one of my favourites from everything that I've filmed since I've been here at Hollyoaks. It was the first time that Robbie had ever apologised for anything he'd done, and the first time that he's ever felt any genuine remorse. That was great to film with James and I've enjoyed every minute of Robbie's remorse and guilt."

Since then, we've seen that Robbie hasn't lost his bad boy edge. Are you glad that the experience hasn't changed him completely?
"Of course - I'd never want Robbie to lose his cocky and bad boy side, because that's what makes him who he is. It's nice to have a little change in him due to the guilt that he's feeling, but I'm glad that he's still keeping up his image and his usual appearance."

Jason and Robbie jump to conclusions
© Lime Pictures
Robbie with his brother Jason

When John Paul's court case approaches next week, is Robbie's guilt still playing on his mind?
"Definitely. As we saw in the scene on the archway, Robbie wants to make everything right - but he obviously has Finn threatening him and watching him. Robbie is very scared that if he told the truth, he'd be in trouble for not speaking up sooner and for being involved in what happened on the night of the rape."

In the end, Robbie writes a brand new statement and hands it over to Sam. How much does he reveal in it?
"In the new statement, Robbie says everything - he tells the whole truth with no lies. He completely admits to everything that's gone on. On the day of John Paul's sentencing, he takes the statement to Sam Lomax and says, 'This is what actually happened. I can't explain, but can you take it to the court?'"

But Finn is watching on…
"He is, but Robbie has no idea! Robbie is trying to do the right thing, but he wants to hand over the statement and get away from the conversation with Sam as quickly as possible. Finn is watching Robbie like a hawk because he knows there'll be big consequences for him if the truth is revealed, but Robbie doesn't realise that. It's just a weight off his shoulders that he's told the truth, although he's terrified of what the consequences will be."

Robbie gives Sam his changed statement in support of John Paul
© Lime Pictures
Robbie gives Sam his changed statement

The story still has a way to go, so will Robbie stay heavily involved?
"I think so. I've not seen much in the scripts for what's going to happen next, but I hope there'll be more and I'm sure there will be. Robbie's been part of it from the start and I can't wait to crack on with whatever happens next."

Could John Paul and Robbie ever become proper friends or allies in the future?
"I'd personally love that. I even said to James the other day that I'd love Robbie to have that sort of relationship with John Paul when it's all concluded. It'd be nice for things to move on and for our characters to have nice scenes for once!

"I don't know, though, because it really depends on the characters and whether John Paul thinks that Robbie has gone too far. A big part of it is whether John Paul will ever forgive Robbie. I think Robbie will definitely stop being so out of order and outrageous towards John Paul, so maybe it could happen in the future - but there's a long way to go yet."

Do you think Robbie needs to face some more consequences for his bullying?
"I think people can see that Robbie is really out of his depth and has learned his lessons, but I also think there needs to be a bit more of a consequence to what he's done, because the way he treated John Paul was horrific. Even homophobic bullying on its own is incredibly disgusting, so I think Robbie needs more of a comeuppance even though he's already feeling a lot of remorse."

Everyone involved in the storyline has been promoting a campaign called 'Break the Silence', which raises awareness of male rape. Is it having the impact you all hoped for?
"Definitely. James has been heavily involved in that campaign, while myself and a number of other cast members have all been helping to promote it. It really has made a difference and there's been some great responses while we've been doing it. It's really rewarding to be a part of it and it's a real honour."

Is there more coming up with Phoebe and Robbie?
"Yes, there's a lot of stuff coming up for them. I think a lot of people have already seen that Robbie fancies Phoebe a little bit, but she isn't really interested. There's a lot more coming up with me and Mandip in the future and I love working with her. Hopefully we can do a lot more together."

Robbie has managed to steer clear of Fraser and his dodgy dealings so far! Would you like some involvement in those storylines?
"Yes, I'd love to do some stuff with Greg [Wood, who plays Trevor], Tam [Wall, who plays Grace] and Jesse [Birdsall, who plays Fraser]. I'd love for him to go to the dark side and be a bit of a prodigy gangster! He's done a lot of bad stuff as it is - he's got a pretty good 'gangster CV' so I think he'd be more than qualified to join the Loft crew!"

Fans were surprised at the weekend when your on-screen mum Gillian Taylforth announced that she's leaving Hollyoaks. How do you feel about her decision to go?
"It's a massive shame, but obviously she wants to spend more time with her family. As long as she's happy, that's the main thing. On a personal level, Gill will be really missed - I love working with her and we have such a laugh from the minute we get on set. She's one of the most amazing actresses here, so it's sad that she's going.

"I'd love to keep in contact with her and she's got a lovely family too, so I'd like to stay in touch with them. It'd be nice to be heavily involved in her departure storyline too."

Most Hollyoaks fans will know that you have a connection to BBC Three after your work on Bad Education. What do you make of the decision to close it as a broadcast channel?
"It's a real shame and it was a massive surprise to me when I saw the news on Twitter. They have some great stuff on BBC Three which I enjoy watching and obviously I've done a bit of work for them in the past. I'm not sure of the ins and outs of it, but I'll be sad to see it go."

Charlie Wernham and Joe Tracini back BBC Three
© Twitter / @charliewernham
Charlie and co-star Joe Tracini back BBC Three

With all the recent petitions and campaigns, do you think people power could save it?
"I was thinking about this the other day and I'd like to think that people will listen to what the audience want. A lot of people obviously want it to stay because it's been trending on Twitter so much and there's been petitions set up to save it. It's obviously up to the BBC, but I'd love it if they changed their mind. So many people are getting behind it and I'm certainly supporting the campaign too."

Are you confirmed for the next series of Bad Education yet?
"That's still to be decided. I know it is going ahead and I'd love to be involved in it, even if I can just do a little bit of it to finish the journey. It's hard when you're working on another job every day, and I'm pretty busy at Hollyoaks at the minute. Hopefully it will all work out though, because Bad Education is another amazing show to be part of."


Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...#ixzz2vuqUEFt5

[lizann]

redeeming robbie